Introduction: How to Supercede a Bathroom Exhaust Lover

They say nada is certain but dying and taxes, just I'd like to add a one-third: repairs! In one week alone, three things broke down on America that had to be repaired. When you're a do-it-your-selfer and a blogger, you have to esteem the fulgid side and prognosticate that a good week: repairs alone can give you a short ton of things to write about!

For the Home Melioration contest, I'm sharing a DIY connected how to replace a bathroom fan. 'Unseeable' repairs are ones that go unheeded, only they can be the most important DIYs you'll answer because they protect the investment in your home - and your health. A well functional (and installed) bath deplete fan volition help prevent mold growth which can trigger asthma and allergies. If you notice moisture stains connected your walls or ceilings, metal corrosion, visible mold, peeling paint or fence paper, cloudy Windows and high levels of humidity, it's time to interchange that fan. Differently the difficult and inept quarters you have to work in, it's a fairly straightforward repair - and well worth the effort to know that it's done right.

We weren't sorry to see our old fan go; It was so thunderous that my married woman could just find out me singing caoutchouc deary to her just outside the toilet door. We truly should have replaced information technology oblong before IT conked down though: as (bad) luck would have it, ours stopped workings when the hottest and just about humid stretch of brave out off us. Ironically, that was the like morning that our air conditioner broke down too, so by the afternoon our house was as hot as you get it on what and the attic was even hotter! Let the cat out of the bag about sweat equity!!

Step 1: You Will Need

  • replacement fan
  • ducting (diverse lengths and configurations)
  • tyvek coverall
  • safety mask
  • tuck tape
  • duct insulation (only when you can't reprocess the old stuff)
  • gloves (to wear while moving insulation)
  • drill
  • drill bits
  • sheet metal screws
  • canister snips
  • electrical bushing
  • cardboard package to service transport supplies all at formerly
  • portable light (and extension cord to run to nearest electrical outlet)
  • ladder
  • plyboard (to put betwixt the joists to help you walk around the dominion)

Tone 2: Remove the Old Buff

To starting signal, I cut the power to the bath so I could disconnect the wiring safely without risk of electrocution! I then removed the old fan so I could find a replacing that would fit without having to cut a larger hole into the wallboard. I temporarily taped a plastic old bag over the hole out after removing the fan.

Since the fan is also related to the unhorse, and at that place isn't a window in the bathroom, I put together a work light remote the room access.

I protected all the surfaces in the bathroom by taping plastic to the walls and on the stun to catch whatever insulation/mess that mightiness devolve down when I was working in the attic later.

Step 3: Inspect What You Have So You Keister Buy Accordingly

I inspected the train of the old ducting in the attic and discovered that the original 4″ pipe attached to the air out was poorly installed and there were a great deal of gaps. I besides observed that the builder cut too big a hole into the roof – which far explained the gaps. The picture shows what the grey-headed duct (and fan) looked like.

I found a specialty fan store that sells to the edifice industry, but is open to the public. I took the old fan with me to get the same dimensions to fit the hole in the ceiling, but I upgraded to a whisper quiet fan (only 1 sone). Whatsoever fan under 1.5 sones is considered to be unhearable thus keep that in mind when shopping.

Another thing to keep in head is the diameter of the epithelial duct connector on the new housing. To maximise performance, try to match your duct diam to the refreshing lover. Our duct was originally 4″ all-embracing but because of the large hole in the roof left by our constructor, I opted to use a 5″ gasket in order to bridge the gaps at the roof vent and replace the 4″ ductwork with 5″ fittings. However, the replacement fan was 4" so I bought a duct reducer (installment the 4″ end onto the fan and the 5″ end onto the new ductwork). There's nothing false with increasing the size of the ductwork, but get into't of all time do the opposite or you will restrict the exhaust from the fan!

All-in, it monetary value some $125 for the fan and supplies.

Step 4: Determine Your CFM Rating

With respect to performance, a fan's ability to move air is measured in cubic feet per minute (CFM), so look for a CFM rating that will meet your needs aside moving enough air for the size of your bathroom. To determine your CFM rating, use the following recipe:

Length x width x tiptop of room x .13 = the minimum CFM rating

Additionally to the lover, I purchased a variety of new fittings. Get to a greater extent than you call back you need and return what you don't use; in that location's nothing worse than being stuck in the attic and then realizing that you have to run out to buy something you didn't get!.

Footstep 5: The Real Mould Begins

I suited up in a white Tyvek coverall, like the cardinal pictured, to protect against the uneven insulant. I also wore a heavy duty block out: if you've ever had mice in the attic, breathing in small particles from the mess they leave behind tail arrive at you unwell. You need to choose the precaution of wearing a mask so you don't inspire any toxins.

This is off issue, but if you do find signs of mouse activity when you get up there, you tooshie toss bags of Coumadin pellets (if you can still purchase them) around the perimeter of the attic to stimulate rid of them (that's all extermination companies do). If you assume't use it all up constitute secure to lock it off where kids and animals can't gain access to information technology for obvious reasons.

Step 6: Gather Supplies

I placed a ladder beneath our noodle access and removed the panel (ours is in the bedroom closet). I took entirely my equipment up in a box to keep it complete conjointly and do the trip only one time. This enclosed a practise, screws, screw number one wood, tin snips, channel fittings, fan, electrical bushing, silver tuck tape, etc. I also took a bright light on an extension cord up with me to see (the light was run to another electric power supply that was still working).

If you haven't antecedently done work in the attic, you should put down some runner strips of plywood crossways the joists so you can circumambulate without risk of falling through the drywall! I had already ripped down or s plyboard for this purpose a few years past so I was good to go. Once in the attic, I pushed aside entirely the blown in detachment so I could locate the electrical wiring and hole in the cap of our bathroom (this is where cover the hole with a brightly covered bag came in ready to hand; it was easy to spot). Father some gloves when handling the insulation - information technology can be fidgety.

Step 7: Installation

I far the plastic bag, positioned the modern fan body over the hole in the ceiling and then screwed it into the joists. A metal strip (shown in the first picture) was attached to the back to help shielded information technology further to the joist (IT can reduce side to side vibration). Depending on where your hole is positioned betwixt the joists, you may have to install anywhere from one to 4 of these strips to good it.

Our fan was positioned right beside the joist so I only needed one newborn strip at the back.

Next, I installed the electrical bushing onto the devotee (it protects the electrify) and then Fed the wire through and connected it. I used tuck tape to varnish all along the edges of the fan.

Step 8: Connect Gasket and Dry Gibe

At the roof line, I used a 5" gasket with a seal around it for the connection to the roof give vent. This is a much better solution than the straight run with release cuts the builder previously installed because it seals whatever gaps. I used tin tinsnips to cut away one sidelong of the gasket to fit information technology kick against the joist in order to line IT aweigh with the roof vent. At one time fit, I stark naked the tape dispatch the gasket and pressed information technology up onto the underside of the roof. I pre-drilled and inserted screws all roughly the gasket.

I dry healthy the metal ducting, starting with the reducer at the fan, until I eventually got information technology totally to line astir with the roof volcano.

As you can see in the last picture, one of the pieces of ducting is articulate so it can be twisted into some any position to line the duct get up with the roof vent.

Step 9: Join to the Roof and Seal

With all the humourous meet complete, I pre-drilled a hole into from each one duct joint and installed a few 8 x 1/2"screws to hold the sections into attitude. Then I wrapped each joint with silver tuck record to seal it.

Stone's throw 10: Test Electric Connexion and Insulate

Ahead finishing the insularity, I turned the top executive back along to make predestinate everything was running swimmingly. Then I turned the power back off again as a precaution and went back into the attic to wrap the pipe with insulation and link up it on with electric cord (I reused the old insulation that was to begin with on that point).

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

Step 11: You'atomic number 75 Done

I brought every my tools bow out and tight the attic access panel.

The shoemaker's last step is to install the fictile ceiling cover over the lover to finish it off; it attaches with metallic clips. Forthwith the fan purrs like a kitten; bring on the rubber ducky!

Step 12: Please Voter turnout

If you launch this Instructable helpful, delight vote for IT in the home improvement contest!

1 Soul Ready-made This Project!

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