Master Bath - Future Fan Location
Fantech - Dual Unit with Fluorescent Lights
Fantech - Single Unit with Fluorescent Light
Not the best diagram but this shows how they are installed
One of the
most important appliances you should have in your bathroom is an exhaust fan.
In fact most local codes require that one be installed. The fan removes the
moisture generated by the shower and sinks which in turn keeps your walls from
looking like a rain forest. By reducing the humidity, this of course also helps
to reduce the opportunity for mold and possible wood rot.
When the
electrician started to install your standard boxy fan I learned my better half
hates bathroom fans that make so much noise that you feel like you’re near
railroad tracks at the end of an airport runway. You know the type I’m talking
about. You turn them on and the fan is loud and the unit shakes and rattles enough
that you wonder if it’s going to drop out of the ceiling. And of course as they
get older, they get worse. And they won’t
pass the tissue test (the fan should hold a tissue against it when on if it has
any suction at all.).
With a
little homework we found about Fantech Inline Bath Fans (www.fantech.net). Instead of having the fan
in the unit right above your head, the fan is located away from the grill up in
the attic. That puts the motor and vibrations up in area that has sheetrock and
insulation between you and it. That means a lot less noise.
For the
Master Bathroom we’ve decided to use the dual unit which has 14 watt
fluorescent bulbs in each grill. One side will handle the shower and sink area
while the other side will take care of the toilet area. It’s generally required
that a fan move 50 CFM (cubic feet per minute) of air for a toilet and 50 CFM for
a shower. When combining the two, that means we need to move at least 100 CFM
of air in the Master Bathroom. This unit is rated at 270 CFM so it’s almost
three times as much as what’s needed. I think it will work just fine.
The guest
bathroom will have a single unit with a fluorescent light. This unit is rated
at 110 CFM. This should work just fine as well.
They are a more
money than your regular fan, but my better half was very adamant about not having
noisy fans. So being the smart husband that I am I agreed that they were a good
idea. And now we have to wait until they come in to wrap up the rough wiring.
But that’s a
small price to pay for a little peace and quiet…
Enjoy your
weekend.
