Making Sure Your Bathroom is Properly Ventilated

The bathroom of today is going through a major transformation. The usual 5 by 8 bathroom with an arrangement of tub and shower is losing its charms to the home spa set-up with exotic components, strung together in an artistic manner. Ventilation is underpowered to manage the steam and humidity, consequently warm temperatures so as to prevent the build up of mold and mildew.

Innovations have added brand new possibilities for stylish and efficient bathrooms. These can pave the way towards a bathroom that is not only beautiful and ambient but functional. Some of these new possibilities include advancements in bathroom ventilation technology that can keep your bathrooms gorgeous in the coming years.

Venting your system

Too much warmth and humidity in a bathroom makes it prone to become the home of mold and mildew. By keeping humidity levels unchecked may cause allergies and ruin your bathroom interiors because of the appearance of mold and mildew. Dust mites and insects may also take residence in your bathroom owing to this conducive environment. Do not allow your bathroom to become a biology project with all these critters running about, opt to properly ventilate your bathroom to allow better air circulation.

There are three varieties of vent fans available in the market namely: bath, remote and energy or heat recovery. Bath fans are often installed on ceilings and remove mildew from the bathroom air through an exterior pipe. On the hand, remote fans are typically set in the attics of basement, wherever it is convenient, and utilize ducts to regulate air. It is capable of doing such for one or many bathrooms simultaneously.

Other than being able to manage larger sized bathrooms, the multi port ventilator is well known for its capacity to render quiet ambiance. Owing to the fact that the fan is installed elsewhere and away from the bathroom, very little to no sound is heard while in the comfort of your bath.

Many modern homes often, but not always, have bathroom ventilators installed. However, there are some parts of the country that do not make it a standard procedure. If a bathroom already has a window, it is already good enough as a stand in for a vent fan. Now imagine having to open your window during a day with sub zero temperature just so you can have ventilation! To avoid facing such a chilly situation, consider having an actual bathroom vent system set up in your home.

It is imperative that vent fans be installed properly. A common mistake that builders make in putting up the bathroom ventilation system, is that they do not exhaust the bathroom air out of the house but end up redirecting it into the attic, allowing the mold and mildew to infest the house elsewhere. They have to vent outside of the house, sending it back to Mother Nature.

Usually the exhaust vents are placed above or near the bathing area enclosed in a water closet. When windows are closed, the exhaust air will be swapped for air from the nearby rooms or from other safer sources. In addition, the doors to your bathroom must have an undercut of at least one inch so that air may be allowed to cross the threshold of the room.

It is a given for bathroom ventilators to be turned on twenty minutes after using the bathroom. Timers are good supplements, so that the fan can automatically shut down at the exact time. If one has a steam shower, it is advisable to make separate installation for the steam room which can be switched on afterward.

For bathrooms that are exactly 100 square feet, it is recommended by the HVI or Home Ventilation Institute that the exhaust fan gives 1 CFM per square foot to correctly regulate air in the bath, and should have a speed of 40 CFM. For baths which are larger than 100 square feet, the ventilation rate must be based on the amount of bathroom furnishings present. The rates are as follows: toilet – 50 CFM, shower – 50 CFM, bathtub – 50 CFM and jetted tub – 100 CFM. You may install separate fans for each item in the bath or have one big fan equivalent to the required rates.