How to Make Your Bathrooms Better With Bathroom Ceiling Fans

In case you weren’t aware, there are fans made just for your bathroom’s ceiling. They differ from regular ceiling fans, and they come with their own set of benefits. These fans do not just provide air, but they also help remove moisture that can soak in bad smells and bacteria in your bathroom as well. Just imagine getting out of the shower, feeling fresh, all set to start your day. You walk up to your mirror to shave, and the entire mirror is covered with condensed vapors. Now, you are seriously annoyed. What is the solution, you ask? The bathroom ceiling fan.

Choosing a bathroom ceiling fan

Just like with other fans, there are varieties of bathroom ceiling fans available and one must make an informed choice before they purchase one. After all, your bathroom is a very important place in your house. Some things to consider as you research your purchase: exhaust functions, air flow, and design. There are many guides online that can help you in choosing the right fit of ceiling fan for your bathroom, so you should never find yourself feeling too overwhelmed.

One measure that is important to consider when choosing this kind of fan is Cubic Feet per Minute (CFM). This is the basic capacity of the fan. You must make sure you have the right CFM, or your fan may struggle to do what you rely on it for. If it is too small for your bathroom, it simply will not give out enough air. There should be ample CFM to refresh the air in every cubic foot every 7.5 minutes to serve its true purpose.

For measuring CFM, you need to multiply length, width, and height of your bathroom. To put it in simpler words, these three figures, when multiplied, become the volume of your bathroom.

Cubic feet of your bathroom = length x width x height of your bathroom

Generally speaking, most homes are approximately 8 feet high, and the bathrooms tend to be 11 feet in height and 9 feet in width, making the volume 792 cubic feet. Now dividing this by 7.5 will give you the CFM. In this case, the CFM is 106, so such a bathroom would require a ceiling fan with at least 105 CFM.

Just to give a rough idea, small bathrooms require up to 50 CFM fans, medium-sized bathrooms require 110 CFM fans, and larger-sized bathrooms need 150 CFM models or above. In the smallest of bathrooms, even a 43 CFM fan could work, but generally, most structures require 50 CFM.

Reasons for getting a bathroom fan

1. Moisture Factor: The primary reason for getting a ceiling fan is venting out the moisture. After showering or bathing, the moisture stays in the atmosphere. If you allow it to continue doing so, you will destroy your bathroom over time.

• The nails, screws and other metals present in the bathroom can rust, tile corners can corrode, and large amounts of mold can build up.
• The paint can wear off, and your bathroom will turn into a horror show of decomposition and destruction—all from a little moisture.
• Most modern houses are equipped with bathroom fans already. You can turn them on before your shower and stop the moisture from building, proactively. Most of these pre-installed fans are not very expensive and make relatively little noise.

2. Exhaustion: Another purpose is exhaustion. Bathroom fans can easily remove bad and harmful odors and make the air pure once again. Laundries, workshops, and other spaces that require frequent exhaustion of air must use bathroom fans regularly to preserve their spaces.

The best bathroom ceiling fans

A bathroom ceiling fan with purpose-built dampers is the most effective on the market currently. Rather than the wind blowing the damper open and letting the outside air in, they will vent the inside air towards the outside and effectively top further moisture from coming in.

Some of the bathroom fans available today have extra features too. Some fans come with a heater so that in cold places taking a shower and going to the bathroom can become a more comfortable activity that won’t leave you frozen every time. The heater can help bring heat and keep you warm in your bathroom! All while the heater works continuously to limit fog.

Like simple ceiling fans, there can be lights in your bathroom ceiling fan as well—nightlights even. Add in rust-proof paint, which is obviously a mandatory feature, and you have your most basic setup for a suitable bathroom ceiling fan.

Installing a bathroom ceiling fan

This is a technical aspect that needs careful consideration and should never be overlooked without serious focus. Most fans can be installed with an existing HVAC system within a house. In such a case where there is no exhaust port, one will have to be made externally. Otherwise, you can CAREFULLY place it above the shower or tub and connect it with the GFCI circuits available there.

A fan having a minimum of 1 CFM per square foot of space is likely to be most effective for your needs. If you need variable speed, get a fan with a maximum speed which is twice the minimum speed you require. This is important, as making sure to get the right speed as per your requirement will ensure that you won’t need to replace your underperforming fan later on.

Most of these fans use spring mechanisms that allow them to grasp the ceiling firmly. Some fans can be fixed to a joint or a stud, meaning that the grill or cover of the fan would clip into the space too. Whether the fan itself is metal or plastic, it is imperative that they be moisture resistant as well. Bathrooms are generally a damp place, and without such protection the fan would not serve its purpose.

Prices of bathroom ceiling fans

On average, bathroom ceiling fans cost around $100. The fans at this price are basic and will run continuously for numerous years. Their motors are designed to run slowly to prevent premature bearing damage—all while providing the aforementioned exhausting features.

If you want nightlights or a heater on your bathroom fan, that will more than likely double the cost. The highest-class fans can cost $250 and above on Amazon, but very basic ceiling fans can be found for as low as $50, especially if you make the purchase outside peak construction season.

Conclusion

Bathroom ceiling fans are very functional and provide undeniable protection and sustainability for your bathroom. The moisture that builds up in their absence can destroy your bathroom. When choosing the ceiling fan for your bathroom, you must keep in mind the size of your bathroom, as size affects the functionality of the fan. You can find the right fan for your bathroom online or a local dealership if you find one within close proximity. The current market for bathroom fans has many companies competing to provide the most high-tech fans at the most value-worthy price, so now is the time for you to benefit from this value as a consumer.