Bathroom HVAC Tips

Is ventilation in your bathroom inefficient, or even lacking altogether? Bathroom renovations are the perfect time to correct this situation by adding or updating exhaust ventilation to the outdoors. Here’s why.

Why You Need Exhaust Ventilation

We generate more moisture, generally, in the bathroom than in any other room in the house. Multiple occupants take showers, flush toilets and run water in the sink. All that moisture can add up, and not in a good way.

Here are three negative results of inadequate bathroom ventilation.

• Mold, mildew and fungus on the walls, floor, bathroom tiles, ceiling and shower curtain.
• Higher humidity overall in the home, which can make the house feel warmer than the ambient temperature. That means the home’s occupants will want to turn down the thermostat so that you’re wasting money on cooling.
• Stale air and bad odors in the bathroom.

Installing or Upgrading Bathroom Ventilation

Often existing bathroom ventilation is not properly exhausted to the outdoors. If your old system just sends air into the attic or ceiling joists, you need to upgrade it by installing ducts that run through an exterior wall or through the ceiling. You may also want to replace old exhaust systems because they are noisy and inefficient. Look for ventilation fans with the Energy Star label, a sign that they have been tested and rated for efficiency.

You can now opt for quieter, more efficient bathroom exhaust ventilation, with some fans offering motion sensor technology so that it turns off when you leave, or heat exchanger ventilation that runs more efficiently by preventing heat generated in your home from being sent outdoors during the winter.

The exhaust fan should be properly sized for your bathroom. Exhaust fans are measured by their air flow capacity in cubic feet per minute, or cfm. For a bathroom larger than 100 square feet, you need about 50 cfm for every toilet, 50 cfm for every shower and bath, and 100 cfm for a whirlpool.

For more on bathroom renovations and exhaust ventilation, contact CCAC. We serve the Coastal Bend area, where we’re Constantly Concerned About Customers.

Our goal is to help educate our customers in Corpus Christi, Texas about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems). For more information about HVAC topics, download our free Home Comfort Guide or call us at 361-678-2495.

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