Designing Kitchens and Bathrooms - Bathroom Ceiling Fan
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rmmagow
11-24-07, 07:24 AM
Not sure if the is for here or in Attic section. Anyway, my wife noticed a slight drip coming from the non-working bathroom fan and I saw like patches of dampness in the bathroom ceiling. The fan is in the crawl space attic. I am going to see what I can see sometime today. How is a bathroom fan supposed to vent? Is it supposed to have it's own vent pipe on the roof? What should I be looking for regarding this leak? I don't think it's the roof as the roof is only 10 years old. The house is a 2 floor colonial built in 1984. The fan is in the second floor bathroom. How are these fans installed, nailed between rafters? The fan sounds like an old coffee grinder running so we don't use it. The light in the fan works fine.
Any advice is greatly appreciated.
Any advice is greatly appreciated.
dtfoyle
11-24-07, 09:56 AM
I am no pro, but the following is based upon some of my own expereiences.
It is possible the vent fan itself could be replaced without replacing the whole unit. If you take the cover off (where you install the ligtht), you may be able to see the fan and sometimes these are seperate units that are then plugged in. You might want to try removing it and see if the noise is just because it is dirty.
The vent fan should be connected to some duct work that vents through the roof, or perhaps the side of the house. It is possible that the roof is leaking where this duct exits, and that water is following the pipe down from th roof to the vent. It is also possible that this vent is not insulated, and thus it is cold. If you shower in this bathroom, then the problem could just be condensation.
If you can get up in the attic, try to see where the pipe goes through the roof, and determine if there are signs of moisture damage. If so, then roof repair may be needed.
Rule of thumb is that water will find a way.... does not take much of a hole for a lot of water to come in.
Good luck.
It is possible the vent fan itself could be replaced without replacing the whole unit. If you take the cover off (where you install the ligtht), you may be able to see the fan and sometimes these are seperate units that are then plugged in. You might want to try removing it and see if the noise is just because it is dirty.
The vent fan should be connected to some duct work that vents through the roof, or perhaps the side of the house. It is possible that the roof is leaking where this duct exits, and that water is following the pipe down from th roof to the vent. It is also possible that this vent is not insulated, and thus it is cold. If you shower in this bathroom, then the problem could just be condensation.
If you can get up in the attic, try to see where the pipe goes through the roof, and determine if there are signs of moisture damage. If so, then roof repair may be needed.
Rule of thumb is that water will find a way.... does not take much of a hole for a lot of water to come in.
Good luck.
cwbuff
11-24-07, 02:49 PM
The vent fan is probably dirty, but if you have a leak it could be rusty or corroded. In any case, they are pretty easy to fix or replace.
What you are seeing could be condensation or it could be a leak around the vent exhaust where it penetrates the roof. Look for water stains on the sheathing. It's possible the roofers didn't do a good job sealing around the vent.
In any case, I would get the fan running. Moisture in a bathroom is not a good thing. Make sure the metal fan/light box in the attic is insulated to reduce chances of condensation. Also, make sure the power is off before you start taking the assembly apart.
What you are seeing could be condensation or it could be a leak around the vent exhaust where it penetrates the roof. Look for water stains on the sheathing. It's possible the roofers didn't do a good job sealing around the vent.
In any case, I would get the fan running. Moisture in a bathroom is not a good thing. Make sure the metal fan/light box in the attic is insulated to reduce chances of condensation. Also, make sure the power is off before you start taking the assembly apart.