What the work is
Most bathroom fans that people think are broken are working; they are just ducted into an attic, into a soffit, or through fifteen feet of crushed flexible duct with four bends. The fan is not the problem. The duct is.
We replace the unit, run rigid or smooth duct on the shortest sensible route, and terminate at a proper exterior cap. Then we check it actually moves air, at the grille, rather than assuming.
The electrical connection beyond a like-for-like swap is our licensed electrical partner's work, and we will tell you which one yours is before you book.
What is included
- The fan, fitted and connected where the supply is like-for-like
- Rigid or smooth duct on the shortest sensible run
- An exterior termination cap, not a soffit or an attic
- Confirming airflow at the grille before we leave
What is not
- New circuits, switches, timers or humidistats wired to a new supply, which is our licensed electrical partner's work
- Roof penetration and flashing where a roofer should do it. We will tell you if that is the case
- Repairing damage from years of venting into an attic
Venting into the attic is not venting
It is common, and it is the reason for stained ceilings and damp insulation. A fan has to terminate outside the building envelope.
We will show you where yours currently goes before we quote the fix.
The rating on the box is not the airflow in your bathroom
A fan's rated airflow is measured on a bench against a defined resistance, and the code rate is measured the same way, at a quarter inch of water column. Put that same fan on fifteen feet of crushed flex with four bends and what it actually moves is lower, sometimes a lot lower.
So we measure at the grille rather than reading the box. It is also why the duct, and not the fan, is usually the part that gets replaced.
What the code actually requires
Utah has adopted the 2021 IRC. It requires bathroom exhaust to go directly outdoors and specifically prohibits discharging it into an attic, a crawl space or any other space inside the building. The minimum rate is 50 cfm for a fan that runs intermittently, or 20 cfm for one that runs continuously.
If yours terminates in the attic, that is not a preference of ours. It does not meet the code now in force. We have not checked St. George or Washington County amendments on top of the state code, and we will tell you that rather than imply we have.
What to ask anyone quoting this, us included
- Where does the existing duct actually terminate?
- What duct material and what route?
- Did you measure the airflow at the grille?