Bathroom-fan combos add three vital conveniences to daily living: adequate heat, light, and ventilation. Bathrooms are ground zero for high levels of moisture and odors. From the standpoint of comfort, the bathroom’s often not a cozy room, either, especially on a cold winter morning. A bathroom-fan combo integrates an exhaust fan, electric heating, and bright illumination into one overhead unit installed in the ceiling. Here are some of the factors involved in choosing the right unit and getting proper installation:
To fully remove humidity and odors from the bathroom rapidly, the exhaust fan should provide at least one cubic foot per minute of airflow for each square foot of bathroom space. A dedicated duct must be installed to exhaust bathroom air all the way to the exterior of the house. Exhausting directly into the attic is not acceptable, as high moisture content in bathroom air will cause expensive structural damage, ruin insulation, and also promote mold growth.
Bathroom combo units may be activated by a timer switch instead of a standard on/off switch. This ensures that the unit runs long enough — usually 15 minutes — to fully exhaust moisture in the air after activity such as a shower or bath, then turns off automatically.
The lamp function in the combo may utilize a 100-watt incandescent bulb, a fluorescent bulb, or an LED array. LED lighting typically provides longer service before replacement is needed. Most units also include a night light that is 5 to 7 watts.
A bathroom-fan combo sized for a typical medium bathroom — between 50 and 100 square feet—usually includes an electric heat element ranging from 1,000 to 1,500 watts. The heating unit incorporates an internal thermostat to keep the temperature consistent.
To ensure safe operation in a moist and misty bathroom, installation of bathroom-fan combos should be performed by a qualified HVAC contractor or a licensed electrician. Units will typically require a dedicated circuit, which also includes GFCI (ground fault interrupter circuit) protection.
For more information about the selection and installation of bathroom-fan combos, contact the professionals at Air Assurance.