Introduction: How to Replace a Bathroom Exhaust Fan

They say nothing is certain but dying and taxes, but I'd like to add a third: repairs! In one week entirely, three things broke down on us that had to be repaired. When you're a do-it-your-selfer and a blogger, you have to look upon the bright side and call that a good week: repairs unparalleled can give you a ton of things to write about!

For the Home Improvement competition, I'm sharing a DIY on how to supersede a lav buff. 'Hidden' repairs are ones that go unmarked, but they can equal the most grievous DIYs you'll exercise because they protect the investment in your home - and your health. A well gushing (and installed) bath exhaust fumes winnow will help foreclose mold growth which can trigger asthma and allergies. If you notice moisture stains on your walls Oregon ceilings, metal corrosion, visible influence, peeling paint or wall paper, cloudy Windows and high levels of humidity, it's time to change that fan. Other than the tight and ungainly living quarters you have to work in, it's a clean straight repair - and well worthy the effort to know that it's done right.

We weren't sorry to see our old winnow go; It was indeed loud that my wife could barely hear me melodic rubber ducky to her just outside the bathroom door. We very should have replaced information technology pole-handled before information technology conked verboten though: as (bad) luck would have it, ours stopped working when the hottest and most wet reach of atmospheric condition hit us. Ironically, that was the same morning that our air conditioner broke down too, so aside the afternoon our house was as calefactory arsenic you recognise what and the attic was even hotter! Talk about sweat fairness!!

Step 1: You Volition Need

  • replacement lover
  • ducting (various lengths and configurations)
  • tyvek coverall
  • safety block out
  • tuck tape
  • duct insulation (only you can't recycle the old stuff)
  • gloves (to wear upon while moving insularity)
  • drill
  • drill bits
  • sheet metal screws
  • tin tinsnips
  • electrical bushing
  • cardboard box to supporte channel supplies each at once
  • man-portable gentle (and extension corduroy to run to nearest electrical outlet)
  • ladder
  • plywood (to put between the joists to help you perambulate the attic)

Step 2: Slay the Old Sports fan

To get, I cut the office to the john so I could gulf the wiring safely without risk of electrocution! I then removed the old buff so I could rule a replacement that would fit without having to cut a bigger hole into the drywall. I temporarily taped a plastic bag over the hole after removing the fan.

Since the fan is also socially connected to the sunstruck, and there isn't a window in the bathroom, I set up a work pure outside the room access.

I battlemented all the surfaces in the bathroom by taping plastic to the walls and on the trading floor to catch any insulation/mess that might drop down when I was employed in the district by and by.

Footfall 3: Scrutinise What You Have So You Can Purchase Accordingly

I inspected the condition of the old ducting in the bean and discovered that the original 4″ pipe attached to the vent was poorly installed and there were a lot of gaps. I also discovered that the builder abridged likewise big a hole into the roof – which farther explained the gaps. The picture shows what the old duct (and fan) looked like.

I found a specialty fan store that sells to the building industry, but is open to the public. I took the auld fan with me to get the same dimensions to fit the hole in the ceiling, but I upgraded to a whisper tranquillity fan (only 1 sone). Any fan under 1.5 sones is considered to button up so keep that in mind when shopping.

Another thing to keep in mind is the diameter of the duct connector on the fres housing. To maximize operation, try to match your duct diameter to the new rooter. Our duct was originally 4″ blanket but because of the large hole in the roof left past our builder, I opted to use a 5″ gasket systematic to bridge the gaps at the roof vent and supersede the 4″ ductwork with 5″ fittings. However, the replacement fan was 4" so I bought a duct reductant (installing the 4″ end onto the fan and the 5″ end onto the new ductwork). In that location's nothing wrong with increasing the size of the ductwork, but don't ever do the opposite or you will restrict the exhaust from the fan!

All-in, information technology toll about $125 for the lover and supplies.

Footmark 4: Determine Your CFM Military rating

With honor to execution, a rooter's power to move air is measured in brick-shaped feet per careful (CFM), so anticipate a CFM rating that will meet your of necessity by moving enough air for the size of your bathroom. To determine your CFM rating, use the following formula:

Distance x width x height of room x .13 = the marginal CFM rating

In addition to the rooter, I purchased a variety of new fittings. Get more than you think up you need and return what you don't exercise; there's nothing worse than beingness perplexed in the attic and then realizing that you possess to run out to buy something you didn't fix!.

Stride 5: The Material Work Begins

I suited up in a white Tyvek coverall, like the unrivaled pictured, to protect against the unsmooth insulation. I also wore a heavy duty masquerade: if you've ever so had mice in the attic, breathing in small particles from the mess they leave can make you sick. You need to take the precaution of wearing a mask so you Don't inhale any toxins.

This is inactive topic, but if you do determine signs of mouse activity when you cram there, you can flip bags of warfarin pellets (if you seat still purchase them) around the margin of the dome to get rid of them (that's all extinction companies coiffure). If you assume't use it all up be sure to lock it outside where kids and animals can't gain access to it for obvious reasons.

Step 6: Tuck Supplies

I placed a ladder beneath our attic entree and removed the panel (ours is in the bedroom closet). I took all my equipment up in a package to keep it all together and do the trip only once. This included a drill, screws, screw driver, tin tinsnips, duct fittings, winnow, electrical bushing, silver insert mag tape, etc. I too took a bright light along an extension cord up with me to see (the low-density was run to other wattage supply that was still working).

If you haven't previously done cultivate in the attic, you should place some runner strips of plywood across the joists then you privy walkway around without risk of falling through the drywall! I had already ripped down some plyboard for this purpose a few years ago so I was good to go. In one case in the attic, I pushed aside all the blown in insulation so I could locate the electric wiring and yap in the ceiling of our bathroom (this is where covering the hole with a bright mossy base came in handy; it was easy to pip). Don some gloves when handling the insulation - it can make up itchy.

Step 7: Facility

I far the plastic bag, positioned the new buff organic structure over the hole in the ceiling and and then screwed it into the joists. A metal strip (shown in the first picture) was attached to the backwards to help secure it boost to the joist (it crapper reduce position to side vibration). Contingent where your hole is positioned betwixt the joists, you may take over to install anywhere from one to 4 of these strips to secure information technology.

Our fan was positioned right beside the joist so I only needful same new strip at the back.

Adjacent, I installed the electrical cylindrical lining onto the fan (it protects the wire) and then FRS the wire through and joined information technology. I used tuck tape to seal completely on the edges of the fan.

Step 8: Connect Gasket and Dry Fit

At the roof line, I used a 5" gasket with a seal more or less it for the connectedness to the roof vent. This is a much better resolution than the conventional run with release cuts the constructor previously installed because information technology seals any gaps. I used tin snips to cut away one side of the gasket to fit it efflorescenc against the joist systematic to line it up with the roof vent. Formerly fit, I peeled the tape forth the gasket and pressed it up onto the undersurface of the roof. I pre-trained and inserted screws all around the gasket.

I dry fit the metal ducting, starting with the reductant at the fan, until I at length got it all to aline with the roof vent.

As you can see in the last picture, cardinal of the pieces of ducting is articulated so it can be twisted into well-nigh whatsoever position to line the duct work up with the roof blowhole.

Step 9: Connect to the Roof and Varnish

With each the dry fitting complete, I pre-drilled a hole into each duct united and installed a few 8 x 1/2"screws to hold the sections into put away. Then I wrapped each joint with silvern gather tape to seal of approval it.

Dance step 10: Test Electrical Connectedness and Insulate

Before finish the insulation, I turned the power back along to make a point everything was running smoothly. Then I turned the business leader back turned again as a precaution and went back into the attic to wrap the pipe with insulation and tie it on with cord (I reused the old insularism that was originally there).

The last step is to return all the blown-in insulation to its original position between the joists.

Stone's throw 11: You'ray Done

I brought all my tools back Down and closed the Classical Greek accession panel.

The penultimate step is to set up the plastic ceiling cover over the fan to polish off it murder; it attaches with metal clips. Now the fan purrs like a kitten; bring on the rubber ducky!

Step 12: Delight Vote

If you set up this Instructable helpful, please right to vote for it in the home improvement contest!

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