I recently bought a cape style home with 2-bathrooms, one of which is on the second floor. There is nothing to help ventilate that room. No window, No exhaust fan. I want to install an exhaust fan, however every 'how-to' book and every bit of advice that I have read about exhaust fans assumes you have an attic. Any tips on how to accomplish this task without having an attic.
Some of the Panasonic models are meant to be used in ducts if you can install a duct. Here are their models:
I think there are a couple of fans on that link that might work. There are some that might connect to a duct run between ceiling joists. There are a couple that might work through an outside wall. OP will have to investigate what works. TB
Does the bathroom have an outside wall? If so, many bath exhaust fans can be wall mounted and vented to the outside through the wall. Nutone and others make suitable models. A search for "wall mounted exhaust fan" will show you some choices.
HTH,
Paul
You will need to remove some or all of the bathroom ceiling to install ducts and wiring. Your options for venting are out through the roof or venting out the side perhaps through a soffit if possible. For roof venting you will need to cut a hole through the roof to install a vent cap. This task can vary according to the type of roof you have.
You may be able to run your wiring from an existing switch box in the room if it contains a hot and neutral. Depending on the circumstances you may be able to convert the existing switch box to a two gang box.
Without more details I cannot give more precise information. The first thing that I would do is pick the general area that the fan should go into. Make a small hole (1/4") and push a fishtape into it to see how deep the cavity is. Then push the fishtape in all directions to see if there are any obstacles.
Next open the existing switch box and determine if you have a hot and neutral. Determine if you have room for additional wires or how you would go about replacing the existing switch box with a bigger one. Push your fishtape up along side the existing switchbox to determine if there are any obstacles between the switchbox and the ceiling. Determine how you will get the wiring from the switchbox to the fan. You may need to drill through some ceiling joists and the top plate of the wall.
Next I would check the roof to see what is involved in installing a flanged roof vent cap. Check the side of the house that is perpendicular to the ceiling joist run and determine if it is feasible to install a vent cap and duct to go out the side. If there is a soffit, consider how you might vent through that.
Once I have all of these tasks figured out, I would proceed with removing some of the ceiling. Next I would install the roof cap in such a way as to facilitate the connection of duct from the future bath fan to the vent cap. Install the wiring. Mount the fan. Make final duct and wiring connections.
John Grabowski
Excuse me for butting in with a related question.
The Panasonic type fans are low noise, but they all seem to have the squirle-cage fan and the duct attached to the side. I put one of these in where there was no fan before, so could easily put the roof vent hole far enough away to avoid sharp turns in the ducting. Worked well, and I love it. Now I'd like to replace an existing, blade-type fan that vents straight up. I would like to use the existing roof vent, but that would involve 3 right-angle bends to get from the side outlet on the Panasonic style fan. Is there a better way to do this? For example, are there good quality, quiet fans with a top exiting duct?
TIA
Ed
Check out
HTH,
Paul
Thanks, Paul! Are they amout the same cost as the Panasonic type fans?
Ed
I think they are somewhat more expensive, around $125 plus duct for the smaller units, a little more if you've got a big bathroom. They have grilles with built in lights as well, if you want that, and you can have multiple inlet grilles to a single fan if you have both a shower and tub for example. There are other brands too, that might be cheaper, but fantech makes a good product.
To me, in the long run an extra $50-75 was worth it for a high quality, really quiet fan.
BTW, I've bought several from
(insert usual no affiliation disclosure here for both fantech and hvacquick!)
Paul
I'm going to have to pass on this project for the time being. Other things have come up. However, I might have to hire this project out. Connecting to an exsisting duct of even installing a duct is going to be difficult without access to the area above the bathroom. Its starting to sound like I am going to have to remove the bathroom ceiling.
I'm in the process of replacing my fan, and I have to say, if I wanted to run a larger duct(currently it is only 3"), I would have to only remove the ceiling along the inside of two joists(at worst). So it isn't a total rip out, and if you are nice how you remove the piece, you can put it back up, and with some compound and paint, it should look a-ok.
Just a guess, I'm not in the mood for removing mine, yet.
later,
tom @
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