Everyday tasks like showering, bathing and shaving can put home-harming humidity into the air in your Chelan and Wenatchee home. There’s good news still—a straightforward bathroom ventilation fan can save you from warped wood, mold growth, damaged drywall and other problems related with a humid bathroom.
Even if you have ventilation fans in your bathrooms, do you know if they’re the proper size? Are they as soft and energy efficient as they could be? Lakeside Heating & Air is here to answer your questions.
Today’s bathroom ventilation fans are small and modern and they operate more quietly and effectively than ever before. You’ll find a hefty range of choices, from average fans that will get the job done to fans with built-in heat lamps, motion sensors and heat-exchanger ventilation that helps block warmed air from getting out through your ventilation. While there are a lot of bells and whistles to select from, the most important characteristic of your fan is whether or not it’s full-sized enough to do its job.
Rated by the cubic feet per minute (CFM) of air they push, a bathroom ventilation fan should be able to exchange the air in a bathroom at least eight times an hour. With a standard 8-foot ceiling, your ventilation fan should have a CFM rating at least as high as the number of square feet in your bathroom. Thus, if your bathroom is 5 feet by 8 feet, a CFM rating of 40 would be satisfactory.
If you have a larger ceiling, the equation gets a little more complex. You’ll want to multiply the width of the room by its height and length, divide it by 60 and multiply by 8. Or, to keep it easy, you can heed HGTV’s guidance for bathrooms larger than 100 square feet – verify your CFM requirements by increasing 50 CFM for every toilet; 50 CFM for each shower, bath and combo; and 100 CFM for each whirlpool.
If you’re unsure if your bathroom ventilation fan is the right size, or you know it’s time for a new one, give the professionals at Lakeside Heating & Air at call at 509-284-4265. We’re here to help you guarantee you have a ventilation fan that will work hard to protect your home and keep it cozy.