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An exhaust fan in the bathroom is almost as necessary as a scuba diver

A good diver can hold his breath long enough when diving underwater, but even his best result will not come close to the time that he can spend scuba diving there.

So the bathroom, of course, will serve you faithfully with only natural ventilation, but installed an exhaust fan will dramatically change its microclimate for the better, which will favorably affect both the comfort of taking water procedures and the durability of finishing materials. About this simple, but so significant device, I want to tell you later in the article.

Ventilation and the place in it of the exhaust fan

First of all, I want to justify the need for a ventilation system in the bathroom as such:

Purpose

1. Removing excess moisture from the room. The bathroom is the dampest room in the apartment. Moisture settles on the walls and plumbing fixtures, and puddles often form on the floor. All this, without timely countermeasures, leads to premature destruction of the cladding and the appearance of mold, which is both outwardly unattractive and spreads a nasty smell;

1. Creating an influx of fresh air. The window in the bathroom is either completely absent, or has only symbolic dimensions, and the doors, as a rule, are closed during water procedures. Taking into account the formation of a large amount of steam and the lack of an influx of fresh air masses, the situation is not the most pleasant for the human body.

The only thing that can fix the situation is a vent, which, like the scuba gear I mentioned above, provides the user with oxygen.

Why is ventilation needed?

Multi-storey buildings are initially designed with a natural ventilation system, as, in general, small cottages. So why go to the extra expense of installing a ceiling-mounted bathroom extractor fan?

The following reasons may lead to this:

1. The tightness of the residential area. In order for ventilation to work as expected, it needs a sufficient supply of air from the street. But at the present time, the tendency of installing plastic windows, which exclude any contact with the external environment, is very common. Of course, thanks to this, heat losses are reduced and city sounds do not interfere with rest, but the movement of air masses also stops;

1. Blocking of individual channels of the ventilation shaft. The desire to isolate themselves from the outside world pushes some apartment owners to wall up ventilation in their bathrooms. This, of course, is a master's business, but the problem is that as a result, the power of the entire house drops. Also, one cannot exclude the possibility of a banal clogging with construction waste, which can happen during repair work by dubious craftsmen;

The correctness of the hood is easy to check. To do this, just bring a piece of paper to the grate covering it, and if it sticks, you can be sure that the system is working efficiently, but if it falls, it is better not to put off installing the fan.

1. Warm season. From school, everyone probably remembers that warm air rises, and cold air falls down, due to which, in general, wind is formed. The natural ventilation system operates on the same principle.

Therefore, even if your house is new, and none of the neighbors has managed to clog the mine yet, and the window is wide open, but it is hot outside, then there will be no talk of any movement of air masses anyway.

Household fans completely solve all three of the described problems, since they themselves forcibly draw out stagnant air with all the accumulated steam, dust and carbon dioxide.

Fan selection

How to choose the right model for your bathroom? I will share some thoughts on this matter, as well as give examples of currently relevant samples that can be found on the shelves of specialized stores.

Main criteria

What is the best fan for your bathroom? Their structure is mostly the same:

But the design, functionality and technical parameters may vary slightly. Pay attention to the following criteria:

1. Power. To select this indicator most optimally, it is necessary to multiply the volume of the room by its air exchange rate, which can be taken from the corresponding table:

I recommend choosing the maximum value of the air exchange rate, since it is better to pay a little extra for a more powerful fan model and be sure of a favorable result than to waste money on one that still cannot provide high efficiency of air mass circulation.

So, for example, for a bathroom, we choose an indicator of 10. Let's take an area of ​​​​3 m by 2 m, and a ceiling height of 3 m. We substitute: 3 × 2 × 3 × 10 = 180 m3 / h fresh air in the bathroom, the specified volume;

1. Control flexibility. It is not necessary for the installed device to work constantly, even more so, this will lead to unnecessary energy costs. Therefore, also pay attention to the presence of:

• power controller. In some situations, the device will not necessarily operate at its full potential;
• timer. The frequency of turning the fan on and off will also allow you to maintain an optimal microclimate in the bathroom, and not spend extra money on paying utility bills;

• Humidity sensor. Of course, the price of a model with such a device will be higher, but the device will work with it only in moments of urgent need, which is the most rational;

1. The presence of a check valve. Prevents the penetration of dirty air from the common shaft into your apartment at a time when the device is turned off. This addition is especially highly appreciated in cases where you have neighbors who love to smoke in their bathroom, since all tobacco smoke will try to get to you.

1. Water resistance. All electrical elements must be carefully insulated, excluding even the slightest contact with water or steam;
2. Attractive appearance. I also do not recommend forgetting about the aesthetic component, since, lying in the bath, you will continually stumble upon the fan with your eyes. It is desirable that it is harmoniously combined with the rest of the interior;

1. Low noise. While enjoying water procedures, you want to relax, which can be prevented by the loud hum of the fan.

Examples

In stores, I came across such options for exhaust fans:

• Model "ERA 4S" with mosquito net:

• VENTS 100 D model:

• STANDARD 4 model with function indication:

• Model "Equation D100 29dB(A)":

• Model "Blauberg 100 Aero Chrome":

• Model "CATA E100GTH D100" with humidity sensor and display:

A few words about installation

Now I will describe to you how to connect an exhaust fan in the bathroom. To do this, it is not at all necessary to specially invite hired specialists, everything can be done independently. In my case, it looked like this:

1. Before installing the ventilation equipment, I connected the wire to the second button on the light switch and ran it behind the false ceiling to the exhaust vent. This will make it possible to further control its work as easily as in the bathroom;
2. I cut out a piece of plastic pipe with a diameter of 10 cm, inserted it into the ventilation duct and fixed it with plaster;

1. After the cement mixture hardened, I connected the device to the wires, then removed the cover from it, smeared the back side with glue and inserted it into the installed pipe;

1. I decorated the wall around the fan and screwed the grate to it.

Conclusion

An exhaust fan can significantly improve the microclimate in your bathroom. As a result, it will be more pleasant for you to be there without putting your health at risk, and the bathroom decoration will last much longer. The choice of these devices today is very wide, so it will not be difficult to choose the most suitable model for your apartment or private house. The main thing is to stick to the criteria I noted above.

The video in this article will be able to acquaint you with some additional information that is directly related to the topic presented. If you have any questions regarding the material you read, ask them in the comments.

August 7, 2016

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