Can You Use A Flexible Duct For The Bathroom Fan?

Can You Use A Flexible Duct For The Bathroom Fan?

Yes, you can use a flexible duct for the bathroom fan. It would be best if you met some criteria, however.

Flexible ductwork comprises plastic sheeting with aluminum on the inside and outside surface.

It makes bends around corners, through floor penetrations, between joists, etc.

The circumference of the round pipe should not exceed twice the diameter of the round part of the duct at any point.

Or cross-section for it to bend easily without kinking or crimping. Crimping reduces airflow, which increases resistance.

Additional criteria include:

• Add accessible filter access anywhere along your flex line (if required) – always place filters above grilles or registers
• Keep all flex runs less than 10 feet maximum
• Avoid runs through unconditioned spaces, such as attics and crawls spaces
• Keep all connections tight – avoid over-bending the duct where it connects to the fittings
• Use only UL-listed transition fittings that have approval for both venting and air conditioning use. 

The distance between joists or ceiling beams needs to be 16” in the center or greater to install a baffle between them.

Baffles must be at every 4 feet if over 5 feet of ductwork is in use.

If you have a continuous run closer than 4 feet, you will not need a separate baffle at each section connection.

The baffle can also help reduce noise transmission from one room to another.

Baffles are available in metal or flexible materials, and some models have built-in slots that accommodate the ducting.

Once you have all your equipment mounted inside the joist cavity, use a blower door test to check for air leaks around the box and between each section of the flex duct.

With a bit of forethought and planning, your installation will be trouble-free and practical – not to mention quiet.

Are Our Bathroom Fans Connected?

Bathroom fans are a great way to keep your bathroom smelling fresh and clean. They also help prevent mold from growing on the walls, ceiling, and floor of your bathroom.

Bathroom fans come in many shapes and sizes, so you can find one that fits your needs. But Are Our Bathroom Fans Connected?

Sometimes, the answer is yes. In other cases, it’s No.

In most situations, you’ll find that bathroom fans don’t boast a connection to anything but the ceiling light fixture in your bathroom.

However, some bathrooms have both a light and fan switch/controls. If so, the fan is likely to be parallel-wired with the light fixture.

This means that turning on or off one will turn on or off the other. Some fans boast series wiring in series with the light fixture.

If your home boasts an old wiring system, you should always get an electrician’s advice before attempting any electrical work yourself.

Never try to change your bathroom fan connection without professional help. Doing so could cause injury or death because of electrical shock. 

It would be best to realize that having both switches controlling one device is not nearly as safe as having the fan and light switch on different circuits.

This is because if one bulb blows out, both fixtures will go dark at the same time.

If that happens when you’re taking a shower, wearing only a towel, and holding a blow dryer, let’s say it wouldn’t be an enjoyable experience.

Are Our Bathroom Exhaust Fans Hard-Wired?

Yes, bathroom exhaust fans are hand-wired by electricians.

When you install an exhaust fan, it’s either hard-wired or plugged into a nearby wall socket.

Usually, hard-wiring the fan allows more ventilation because the electrical outlet limits how much power the device can use.

Although bathroom exhaust fans boast technical wiring to keep them running long after guests have left their rooms, they also help freshen up rooms.

That is by clearing out any remaining scents in spaces where people smoke cigarettes or use other substances that leave behind an odor long after use.

By ventilating these odors, bathrooms will smell fresher, reducing complaints from nonsmokers who might feel inconvenienced.

Whenever other visitors go into bathrooms and immediately have to deal with the smell of smoke.

Do Bathroom Extractor Fans Need Ducting?

Yes, it would be best if you ducted bathroom extractor fans. This is because they are small machines that take in air and push it out again.

If the fan is not ducted or connected to a ducted system, it will just be pushing around hot, humid air.

This can cause mold growth problems and increase the risk of damage because of condensation, leading to corrosion of both electrical appliances and metal components.

It is, however, possible for bathroom fans to function without connection to a ducting system if they are sufficiently powerful enough.

These kinds of fans typically use around 2 kilowatts worth of power compared with 1 kilowatt for an average household fan.

But this means that they are more expensive and draw twice as much energy from your electricity supply.

However, you can connect these types of fans to a ducting system at a later date.

Another important consideration when fitting extractor fans is the length of cable that you use.

Using a too-short cable will limit your ability to get the fan into the proper position in the bathroom.

Still, if you get too much cable, there are safety issues with excess cable lying around in potentially wet conditions.

Typically it’s recommended that you get 1.5 meters of extra cable for every meter of run from one side of your bathroom to another so that there are no problems with positioning or electrics.

Why Is The Bathroom Fan Always On?

Your bathroom fan is always on because you produce CO2, which you must remove from the room.

If your bathroom fan were not always on, you would have excess humidity in there because of your daily showers and occupancy.

The water vapor created when taking a shower or just being in the bathroom can cause health issues if it does not boast proper venting.

If someone has asthma or allergies. Also, mold loves high humidity; high humidity causes foggy mirrors and glasses.

Peeling paint many nasty things that can make your bathroom like an unhealthy sauna. And don’t forget about the smell.

If you were not using your fan constantly (or at least whenever occupied), then it’d get smelly pretty fast.

So that’s why you have the fan on always to remove excess humidity, CO2 and keep your bathroom fresh.

So, you can see why it’s crucial to have a bathroom exhaust/fan that is always running. 

Is It Cheaper To Run Fans Or AC?

Fans are cheaper to run than AC’s

Many people think that the only way to cool down quickly is to use an AC. However, this is not true.

Fans are half as expensive to run as AC’s because they take much less electricity (1/4) and water (2/3). You can use them during peak hours when electricity costs more.

For example, in New York City, peak hours are from 2 to 8 pm on weekdays. Therefore, people should keep fans on instead of turning on their ACs after work.

This means that maintaining fans will save you money and help the environment.

It is cheaper time-wise, too: it takes 10 minutes for a 1 ton AC to cool a room completely. It takes an hour for a fan to do the same.

This is because AC’s use electricity and water, while fans only use electricity.

Fans are also more suitable as you can move them anywhere, such as living room, bedroom, bathroom, whereas ACs only work in rooms with a temperature of 100°F or more.

Also, fans have a longer lifespan than your AC – up to 2 times longer at least, so you won’t need to replace them very often.

So by buying a quality fan, you can save money on your electric bills and extend its life.

In addition, it makes sense from an environmental perspective: using fans instead of AC reduces carbon dioxide emissions equivalent to planting 110 trees per year.

Do Ceiling Fans Add Value To A Home?

Yes. Whether you have an open floor plan or not, adding ceiling fans can make your home more comfortable and energy-efficient.

The US Department of Energy found that homes with central air conditioning use 20% less electricity when using ceiling fans.

If you live in a state where cooling is expensive because of high temperatures throughout the year (such as Texas).

Installing ceiling fans will help reduce monthly bills while providing comfort.

On average, ceiling fan installation costs around $300 for homeowners who want both lights and one blade span of 10 feet or higher ceilings.

The price depends on factors such as height and the number of blades installed.

A ceiling fan can add about 93% of its cost to a home’s resale value. This would make it more profitable to install them in new homes and save money on cooling bills.

However, it’s still important to check with your local building authority before installing ceiling fans since some states like California prohibit their installation without also having lighting fixtures.

With enough clearance above the blades of the fan, then they will not interfere with your home’s resale value (but may provide less comfort).

You should install fans at least 7 feet above any floor surface and 4 inches away from the nearest wall.

If possible, avoid installing ceiling fans in rooms with vaulted, angled, or cathedral ceilings since these features will leave less headroom for installation.

Does A Bathroom Fan Help With Smell?

Yes, a bathroom fan will help with the smell, but not as much as you’d think.

Bathroom fans reduce humidity in the room. They are for bathroom use, often more moisture in the air because of bathing or showers.

This helps prevent mildew growth and limits mold on surfaces like tiles, which might grow due to increased humidity.

It also allows towels to dry more quickly after use if they boast hanging inside a moist bathroom.

Ideally, it would remove all traces of moisture from the area by exhausting stale air.

Replacing it with new drier air drawn in through cracks or holes elsewhere in the building envelope.

This would also purge any potential pollutants present in the bathroom by removing them from the room altogether.

This is where the “fan” part comes in, using an axial fan to remove moist air and introduce new dryer air into the room through other holes or gaps in a building envelope.

Typically, these fans boast a setup with ductwork that connects to your bathroom ceiling, which has grills on all four sides where the venting occurs.

As long as it’s able to be securely mounted in place, this means that warm moist air will pass through one side of the grill.

Travel along ducts inside of either metal or insulated flexible tubing, then exit out another grill on top of your roofline.

It’s used where conventional central vacuum systems can’t reach because of elevation issues or lack of specific ducting already in place.

It’s also helpful in replacing existing systems where the tubing was too corroded to work well anymore.

Making use of an otherwise dead zone inside an attic or roof space due to a lack of power outlets nearby. These fans include multiple speeds, including high and low.

The low rate is commonly used during the summer months when there isn’t much moisture in the air.

In contrast, the high-speed setting boasts reservations for winter months, where humidity levels are typically higher.

Is More CFM Better Bathroom Fan?

Yes, a bathroom fan with a higher cfm is better. That is because more cfm means the fan can remove more air in less time, which makes removing odors easier and faster.

There exist two forms of fans for this purpose, exhaust only and combined supply/exhaust fans.

Exhaust only exhausts air from bathrooms while combining both forces atmosphere into the room, making it unnecessary to open windows.

Combined supply/exhaust fans are not always found in residential buildings but commonly in office spaces.

Many people work closely together who need privacy while also wanting an odor-free workspace.

A typical household bathroom needs at least 50 cfm, but 75 or even 100 is preferable, so there are no backups.

It’s advisable to have a fan that has a higher cfm than the minimum required for bathrooms.

Especially in older homes where you can’t open windows or if multiple people are using one toilet at a time.

Conclusion

Bathroom exhaust fans are always on, and you can hard-wire them or plug them into them.

They come with various options, but airflow is the most critical factor, so running them isn’t too expensive than using your air conditioner.

Ceiling fans may not have as much value as homeowners because they don’t offer direct ventilation benefits.

Still, it’s worth considering if you live somewhere that doesn’t get freezing during the winter months.

Fans should only be for bathrooms when there is plenty of room for ducting. Otherwise, flexible ducts will need to suffice.