Bathroom exhaust - constantly plugged

[Cloy]

I have a Broan-Nutone exhaust fan / light in the ceiling of my bathroom. The round light cover is surrounded by an "apron" (call a "reflector" in the manual) with fluted slots for the exhaust. (See the fan here:

Unfortunately, every month or two the slots plug up with dust and lint, and then I have disassemble and disconnect everything to scrub it out. Everything else works flawlessly -- so I hate to replace the whole thing -- but I'm spending more of my life that I care to messing around with a bathroom fan.

Has anyone run into something similar? Maybe a different "face" for this unit or some other option that would make it less prone to getting plugged up??

TIA! -CT

[Abe]

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Do you have a vacuum cleaner with a hose?

[Cloy]

X-No-Archive:

I do, but it doesn't help. The gunk is damp (this is in a bathroom near the shower) and stringy so it sticks in place, and the angle/ curve of the housing doesn't allow the hose end to fit tightly over the slots to get good suction.

I've also tried using pressurized air... which only serves to blast bits of the gunk up into the light cover, leaving most of it in the edges.

The only solution I've found is to disassemble everything and scrub the gook out with water pressure, soap and a stiff brush.

Thanks! -c

[Joe]

here:

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Quit attacking the symptoms and go after the problem. Assuming that you are not the world's most slovenly housekeeper, consider getting rid of your Dyson Whoopee Vac and get an old fashioned machine that really cleans (check Consumer Reports). Then look at your household air filtration appliances, like the air filter in your HVAC system(s). Other sources of debris are the ubiquitous cheap carpet in too many homes. Get rid of all you can and install wood or composite, whatever, flooring. Even bedding could be part of the problem as well as long haired active pets. The end result may well be that you stop sneezing for inexplicable reasons. Of course, if you are downwind from some industrial plant that processes recycled cardboard or makes cellulose insulation you may have to move or seal up the house better. Good luck.

Joe

[Mikepier]

here:

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What size fan is it? And what size is your bathroom? It is possible your fan is too big for the bathroom and is pulling everything into it.

[Cloy]

Well, I've wondered why my hair was getting thinner! :-)

I don't think it's getting drawing too much -- the bathroom is probably 6 x 10 and 8-feet high.

Part of the problem is that the slots are rough around the edges, so they make an ideal place for dust and lint to catch and start to accumulate.

I ran across another individual who had the same issue with this fan. He sliced through the metal behind the slots and bent them back to open up the air flow. That would probably work, but will make the vent look pretty rough.

-CT

[Cloy]

Thanks for the suggestion, Joe.

I'm working in the direction, but a major overhaul of air flow in a three-story house isn't cheap or quick. In the meantime, I'd like to find a fix for this den of dust bunnies that continues to accumulate.

-CT

[JoeSpareBedroom]

Replace the fan.

[David Martel]

Cloy,

Where does this fan exhaust, the attic, a roof vent? Have you checked the duct work all the way up to the roof or where ever? I suspect that the fan can't exhaust because of crud.

Dave M.

[Rudy]

We have the same one in this house we built 3 years ago..NO Dust in slots. We had the same one in our 1998 house too..No dust..

Do you have a filter in your home's heating/cooling system ? Is your home vacuumed ? Where is all this dust coming from ?

[Rudy]

Ours is RIGHT INSIDE the shower..No GUNK Where is this stuff coming from ?

[Cloy]

It's an older home with forced air heating, lots of farmland / prairie in this area so lots of dust and pollen. Yes, we have a good quality furnace filter and we change it regularly. We do have a couple short- haired cats, but the gunk in the vents is primarily dust -- not cat hair.

-Cloy

[Cloy]

Dave, The exhaust goes out the wall just below the soffit. No indication that the fan or exhaust portion is plugged. In fact, the system clears the bathroom quite nicely when the intake slots are clear. One issue seems to be that the edges of intake slots are quite rough, which catch detritus and start the accumulation process. Of course, because of the placement (and size) of the slots, there's no way to get in and smooth them... and that would probably wreck the finish anyway.

-CT

[JoeSpareBedroom]

Sounds like it's time for a new fan. This time, at the store, take it out of the box and make sure the vent slots are smooth.

[Meat Plow]

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Pets, kids, in and out people traffic, smokers, clothes dryer venting, vacuuming, air conditioner filtering, outdoor ambient air quality, frequency of use as in on/off time are all contributing factors. Does it vent properly? Many things to consider here. I would say that a simple vacuuming the grill on a bi-monthly basis should benefit you.

[xPosTech]

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I had a problem similar to that. Problem disappeared when three hair spray users moved out. One of the few benefits of a divorce.

Seriously though just how much hair spray does the SWMBO use? Is the exhaust fan above and behind someone standing in front of the mirror? High pressure aerosols can put most of the spray in the air instead of on the coiffure. If so, you might *ask* her to try the same brand in a pump.

A really good fan can try to exhaust the lacquer cloud instead of letting it settle on everything in the room. ;)