bath vent fan experience?

[DriveShaft]

Originally Posted by Manuel Garcia O'Kely

Now yer just being a smartass. Exhaust fan in ceiling of stand up shower of minimal size - door is glass open 18" at top. Believe me, in the winter a chilly wind comes over the top of that door.

Fan is I think 3x more than it really needs but it drys the shower out in minutes....

Don't forget to spec and install the gravity-close air damper or you will indeed get an annoying draft.

[kobudo28]

Figure out the cf of your bathroom, not the sq ft, and size your fan acordingly. Fan noise is rated in sones, so you can buy a fan that is very quiet and yet still moves the correct volume of air.

[NICO]

Originally Posted by Manuel Garcia O'Kely

We bought a fan a couple years back, they were all rated for noise level in Sones...whatver they are, but the smaller the number, the quieter they were.

My tip: Do not oversize the fan for your bathroom size - I got a bigger one than recommended and it's a cool breeze in the shower stall....

Fuck that, I'll take a cool breeze over condensation on the walls and ceiling. I installed a Broan model that moves 300cfm, far superior to the turds that move less than 1/3 that. It's a touch louder than those inferior models, but I find it to be a fantastic trade-off.

[troidus]

Originally Posted by NICO

Fuck that, I'll take a cool breeze over condensation on the walls and ceiling. I installed a Broan model that moves 300cfm, far superior to the turds that move less than 1/3 that. It's a touch louder than those inferior models, but I find it to be a fantastic trade-off.

Move too much air in a tight house and you'll be pulling flue gasses into your living space, unless you go with a make-up air system.

[Merlin III]

Originally Posted by troidus

Move too much air in a tight house and you'll be pulling flue gasses into your living space, unless you go with a make-up air system.

It would have to be a very tight house to do that IMHO. If the house is that tight you are probably going to have moisture problems over the whole house (i.e. mold).

[vwboomer]

Originally Posted by tubebender

Pansonic Whisper Quiet in my 2 bathrooms with 10,20,30, and 60 minute timer switches.

Got them here. Free Shipping

Thanks for the link. I wasn't able to find a local retailer so that seems like the best option.

Originally Posted by troidus

Make sure your hole saw is sharp and the shingles aren't cold and you should be OK. This is the roof vent I used:



which comes with its own flashing, so you just need to cut the shingles to fit and goop the seams. I didn't use the included duct, since I had 4" insulated duct already. In my case, since I had a package of shingles on hand, I went ahead and replaced all the shingles around the new opening. I did have to use a 5" hole saw so there would be room for the duct insulation and the clamps.

That's the type I will go with. a screen/spring loaded door will keep critters out and drafts down

Originally Posted by DriveShaft

Don't forget to spec and install the gravity-close air damper or you will i ndeed get an annoying draft.

The fan has one built in. between that and one on the roof it should be pretty well sealed.

appreciate the advice on this. Looks like I"m going ot have to move on this in the next week or two.
I very rarely shower at home, but even so you can see the drips on the walls. The house was built in 1947 and when I moved in 4 years ago that was tops on my list

[dan-c]

Originally Posted by troidus

I have it on a dimmer so I can slow the fan down, but I don't know if it's worth it or not.

.

I don't think it's a good idea to have a dimmer on an ac motor unless it's made for it. IIRC it's a fire hazard from the heat generated by low voltage to the motor.

[troidus]

Originally Posted by dan-c

I don't think it's a good idea to have a dimmer on an ac motor unless it's made for it. IIRC it's a fire hazard from the heat generated by low voltage to the motor.

It's called out in the specs. There are several options on this unit. High speed only, low speed only, two speed (with a spdt switch) or variable speed. They do not call for a PWM, a rheostat is fine. From the literature:

Models 100, 100x and 125

:

Single-phase, 120V 60Hz, shaded pole induction asynchronous motor in die cast aluminum. All
motors include direct two speed connection and are also suitable for voltage speed control.
• Class ll electrical insulation (model 100) & Class l (models 100x and 125)
• IP 44 Protection
• Class B Motor Insulation
• Safety auto reset Thermal Overload Protection (fuse type)
• Self-lubricating sleeve bearings.

• Suitable for working airstreams up to 104° F (40°C).

I dont' remember if I have an "X" or not. The X has a self-resetting breaker, instead of a fuse.

[McB]

Originally Posted by vwboomer

I could vent it over the front porch where it is open for ventilation

Idyllic scene. Wife, on a lovely late spring morning when the sun is hitting and the temps are rising, takes her coffee and paper out to the porch, sits back comfortably with her feet up, listening to the birds singing, when out of nowhere...........

[Dave in Wi]

http://m.youtube.com/watch?feature=plpp&v=WEffhgvuVwk

This video has a nice illustration of how to lap the shingles over a new vent flashing. I would have used a little roofing cement to help hold the shingled down myself.

[DriveShaft]

Originally Posted by troidus

It's called out in the specs. There are several options on this unit. High speed only, low speed only, two speed (with a spdt switch) or variable speed. They do not call for a PWM, a rheostat is fine. From the literature:

Models 100, 100x and 125

:

Single-phase, 120V 60Hz, shaded pole induction asynchronous motor in die cast aluminum. All
motors include direct two speed connection and are also suitable for voltage speed control.
• Class ll electrical insulation (model 100) & Class l (models 100x and 125)
• IP 44 Protection
• Class B Motor Insulation
• Safety auto reset Thermal Overload Protection (fuse type)
• Self-lubricating sleeve bearings.

• Suitable for working airstreams up to 104° F (40°C).

I dont' remember if I have an "X" or not. The X has a self-resetting breaker, instead of a fuse.

wow...I'm coming to you for specs when I redo the house! That is one fancy-ass fan you got there! :)

[BerndM]

Years ago when I replaced the ceiling fan in my smaller bathroom I did quite a bit of reading on the internet. I was interested in one in particular because it claimed it was almost silent. Nice. I don't remember why I didn't end up with that but the thing is, for that unit, the fan itself was actually mounted to the roof or wall, NOT in the ceiling, so the sound level was waaaayyyy lower.
I'm sure a Google will turn it up for you.

[MrBob]

As others have mentioned, spend a few bucks on a good fan. Use rigid vent pipe rather than the expandable for much greater efficiency and longer life.
Use a flapper vent to keep cold drafts out.
Use a flat bar to pop the nails on the shingles in the area where the hole will be cut and than weave the shingles back into place around the collar you install. You'll need minimal goop to seal the nail heads and around the cutout and that will do it. A laser pointer or pendulum will help you line things up.
Do not, like one dumbass I know, wire your fan to a GFI relay circuit because you'll trip it every time you hit the switch. But I never did it again.

[troidus]

I would add that you want to mark your vent location from inside the attic so you don't accidentally put your hole saw through a rafter. I drilled a small hole from the inside, then used the hole saw from the outside. I suppose you could do the whole thing from the inside, but I wanted to watch the felt when the saw hit it to make sure it cut, rather than tore.

[soyanarchisto]

I replaced my bathroom vent recently. Only thing I can add is make sure you turn the motherfucking breaker off before you crawl into the attic.

Don't ask me why.