Installing a Bathroom Vent and Exhaust Fan

This >catskill houseblogger faced a problem that many homeowners with older homes must deal with and that is proper bathroom ventilation. His bathroom is located in the middle of the home which makes this problem a bit more complicated but his installation went smoothly and it all started with determining the proper CFM (cubic foot per minute) for his bathroom size.

The basic standard for a bathroom ventilation fan is it must be able to change the room air 8 times in an hour. To calculate that is pretty easy if you have bathrooms with 8 foot ceilings. Basically it is 1 Cubic Foot per Minute (CFM) for every 1 square foot of floor space, so if you have a bathroom that is 10 ft by 10 ft (or 100 square feet) a 100 CFM ventilation fan is needed. For bathrooms larger that 100 square feet, the ventilation rate depends on the number and type of fixtures in the bathroom.

He also mentions "make up air" which is necessary for proper ventilation and not always covered in DIY guides.javascript:void(0);

Some How-To's for bathroom fan installation

Home Depot
Lowes
Decorative Fan Choices

Charles & Hudson | Comments () |

Staci Severns

Yes, that's right. An accurate calculation of a bathroom's size, width, and length can help determine what type of exhaust vent needs to be installed. If the right exhaust vent is installed, good ventilation and air circulation can happen in a room or space. And that can help gradually eliminate unwanted odor inside the bathroom.

Selene McGraw

Remember to check out also your insulation when installing these exhaust fans, as ceilings are the number one passageways of any house's indoor air temperature. Your heater and air conditioning (just in case you want to make your bathroom even colder. LOL) will be put to waste if you don't check out your insulation well.

Trey Hopson

Wow, so setting up a bathroom vent requires some calculations to be done. That's another thing added here in the to-do list for the neighbor's vent: Calculate the CFM. Thanks for the formula, Charles and Hudson!