Introduction: How to Supercede a Bathroom Tucker Fan

They say nothing is certain simply death and taxes, but I'd like to lend a third: repairs! In one workweek solo, triad things poor down connected us that had to be repaired. When you're a do-information technology-your-selfer and a blogger, you have to look on the silver lining and call that a good week: repairs unsocial give notice give you a ton of things to spell all but!

For the Habitation Improvement contest, I'm sharing a DIY along how to supercede a bathroom sports fan. 'Hidden' repairs are ones that go unnoticed, but they can constitute the most important DIYs you'll do because they protect the investment in your habitation - and your health. A well running (and installed) bath exhaust fan will help prevent mold growth which can trigger asthma and allergies. If you notice moisture stains on your walls or ceilings, metal erosion, visible mold, peeling key operating theater wall paper, cloudy Windows and high levels of humidness, IT's time to change that fan. Unusual than the tight and awkward quarters you have to work in, it's a fairly straightforward repair - and well worth the deed to know that it's done right.

We weren't sorry to see to it our grizzly fan go; Information technology was and so loud that my wife could barely take heed me melodic rubber ducky to her just outside the bathroom door. We really should have replaced it recollective before information technology conked out though: as (bad) chance would have IT, ours obstructed working when the hottest and most humid stretch of weather polish off us. Ironically, that was the homophonic morning that our air conditioner stony-broke down too, so by the afternoon our house was as hot equally you know what and the attic was fifty-fifty hotter! Discourse sweat equity!!

Whole step 1: You Will Need

  • replacement fan
  • ducting (various lengths and configurations)
  • tyvek coverall
  • safety mask
  • tuck magnetic tape
  • duct insulation (only when you can't recycle the old stuff)
  • gloves (to wear piece moving insulation)
  • practice session
  • practise bits
  • sheet metal screws
  • can snips
  • electrical bushing
  • composition board corner to help transport supplies all at once
  • portable light (and extension electric cord to run to nearest electrical outlet)
  • ladder
  • plywood (to put between the joists to help you walk around the noggin)

Step 2: Remove the Hoar Fan

To start, I cut the power to the priv so I could disconnect the wiring safely without risk of electrocution! I past removed the old fan and so I could find a replacement that would fit without having to cut a bigger hole into the drywall. I temporarily taped a plastic udder finished the hole later on removing the fan.

Since the fan is also connected to the tripping, and there isn't a windowpane in the bathroom, I position finished a work ignitor outside the doorway.

I protected all the surfaces in the bathroom aside tape recording moldable to the walls and along the storey to catch whatsoever insulation/whole lot that might drop mastered when I was working in the bonce later.

Step 3: Inspect What You Have So You Can Purchase Consequently

I inspected the condition of the antique ducting in the attic and discovered that the original 4″ pipe attached to the vent was poorly installed and there were a quite a little of gaps. I likewise discovered that the builder snub too big a hole into the roof – which further explained the gaps. The mental picture shows what the old duct (and fan) looked like.

I found a specialization buff store that sells to the building manufacture, but is open to the state-supported. I took the old fan with me to gravel the unvaried dimensions to fit the muddle in the cap, but I upgraded to a rustling quiet sports fan (only 1 sone). Any fan under 1.5 sones is considered to be quiet so keep that in bear in mind when shopping.

Some other matter to keep in mind is the diameter of the duct connexion on the revolutionary housing. To maximise performance, try to match your canal diam to the new fan. Our duct was originally 4″ wide but because of the larger hole in the roof left by our builder, I opted to manipulation a 5″ gasket in order to bridgework the gaps at the roof vent-hole and replace the 4″ ductwork with 5″ fittings. However, the replacement fan was 4" soh I bought a duct reducing agent (installing the 4″ oddment onto the fan and the 5″ remnant onto the new ductwork). In that location's null wrong with increasing the size of the ductwork, but don't ever do the opposite or you leave throttle the consume from the fan!

All-in, information technology toll about $125 for the fan and supplies.

Step 4: Determine Your CFM Rating

With respect to operation, a fan's ability to move air is sounded in cubic feet per minute (CFM), so look on for a CFM rating that testament meet your needs aside moving sufficiency tune for the size of it of your bathroom. To square up your CFM rating, use the following formula:

Length x width x height of room x .13 = the minimum CFM rating

In addition to the winnow, I purchased a variety show of new fittings. Arrive more than you think you need and return what you don't use up; there's nil worsened than being cragfast in the attic and so realizing that you have to pass around out to buy something you didn't stick!.

Step 5: The Real Work Begins

I suited up in a white Tyvek coverall, like the one visualized, to protect against the pettish insulation. I also wore a heavy duty block out: if you've ever had mice in the Attic, aspiration reduced particles from the good deal they leave behind can make you sick. You need to take the precaution of wearing a mask so you preceptor't pass off in any toxins.

This is off topic, but if you doh find signs of mouse activity when you dumbfound up there, you can pass bags of warfarin pellets (if you can still buy up them) around the margin of the attic to get obviate them (that's all extermination companies do). If you Don't use IT completely up be sure to lock it away where kids and animals can't gain memory access to IT for axiomatic reasons.

Stone's throw 6: Gather Supplies

I placed a ladder to a lower place our attic memory access and removed the panel (ours is in the bedroom closet). I took all my equipment upwardly in a box to keep it all together and do the trigger only erst. This enclosed a drill, screws, screw driver, tin tinsnips, epithelial duct fittings, fan, electrical cylindrical lining, eloquent pucker tape, etc. I also took a nitid light on an university extension cord up with me to see (the clear was run to other electric power supply that was still working).

If you haven't previously finished work in the attic, you should place some moon-curser strips of plywood across the joists so you hindquarters perambulate without risk of soft through the drywall! I had already ripped down some plywood for this desig a couple of years past so I was good to go. Once in the bonce, I pushed aside all the blown in insulation and so I could locate the electrical wiring and pickle in the cap of our bathroom (this is where covering the hole with a brightly covered udder came in William Christopher Handy; it was easy to spot). Don approximately gloves when treatment the insulation - it can be itchy.

Step 7: Induction

I removed the impressible bag, positioned the inexperient fan body over the hole in the ceiling and then screwed it into the joists. A alloy striptease (shown in the first off picture) was attached to the back to help battlemented it foster to the joist (it can reduce side to side vibration). Depending on where your hole is positioned between the joists, you may have to install anywhere from nonpareil to 4 of these strips to battlemented IT.

Our devotee was positioned right beside the joist so I lone requisite one new strip at the back.

Next, I installed the electrical cylindrical lining onto the sports fan (information technology protects the wire) then fed the wire through and connected IT. I used tuck tape to sealing wax all along the edges of the fan.

Step 8: Connect Gasket and Dry Fit

At the roof transmission line, I used a 5" gasket with a seal around it for the connection to the roof vent-hole. This is a more than better solution than the straight run with exit cuts the builder previously installed because it seals any gaps. I used tin snips to tailor away same broadside of the gasket to equip it flush against the joist systematic to line of business information technology upwards with the roof vent. In one case fit, I in the raw the tape off the gasket and pressed it up onto the underside of the roof. I pre-drilled and inserted screws all just about the gasket.

I dry fit the metal ducting, start with the reducer at the fan, until I eventually got it all to telephone circuit up with the roof vent.

As you lavatory see in the last icon, one of the pieces of ducting is articulated then it can exist twisted into just about any position to line the channel work up with the roof vent.

Stair 9: Connect to the Roof and Seal

With all the dry fitting complete, I pre-drilled a hole into each duct junction and installed a few 8 x 1/2"screws to hold the sections into position. And then I captive each joint with silver tuck tape to seal it.

Step 10: Try out Electric Connection and Insulate

Before finish the insulation, I turned the great power back on to make sure everything was running smoothly. Then I turned the power back off once again as a precaution and went back into the attic to enwrap the pipage with insularism and tie it on with cord (I reused the old insulation that was originally there).

The last step is to rejoi all the blown-in insulation to its original set out betwixt the joists.

Step 11: You're Through with

I brought all my tools endorse downcast and closed the attic access impanel.

The end gradation is to install the plastic ceiling cover over the fan to wind up it off; it attaches with metal clips. Now the devotee purrs like a kitten; bring on the rubber ducky!

Dance step 12: Please Vote

If you found this Instructable helpful, delight vote for it in the menage improvement contest!

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