Bath & Exhaust Ventilation Fan FAQs

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For an 8 foot ceiling, take the square footage of the room, multiply it by 1.1. For any ceiling over 8 feet, take the height of the ceiling and multiply by .1375. Take this figure and multiply by the square footage of the room. This will equal the recommended CFM's. (Example- 10' x 12' room with 10' ceilings. 10' x .1375 =1.37 x 120 square feet = 164 CFM's.) Both calculations will give you the minimum recommended CFM.

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CFM is the acronym for Cubic Feet per Minute - the measure of air volume moved by the fan blower. Choose a fan with a CFM rating appropriate for your room size to ensure adequate ventilation.

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A Sone is an internationally recognized unit of loudness. The Sone Value you see is the laboratory decibel readings translated into a number corresponding to the way people sense loudness. Sones are linear like inches. Double the Sone is double the loudness. One Sone is equivalent to the sound of a quiet refrigerator in a quiet kitchen.

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Continuous ventilation provides today's airtight homes with a relatively constant and controlled lower level of ventilation. Broan's extremely quiet and efficient QT Series as well as the Ultra series are ideally suited for these applications.

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Products that have been Listed by Canadian Standard Association (CSA) or Canadian Underwriters Laboratories Inc. (cUL) for use over a tub or shower may be used in this application. These products will be marked as "acceptable or suitable for use over a bathtub or shower when installed in a GFCI (Ground Fault Circuit Interrupter) protected branch circuit. Click the product Specification Sheet on our Website to confirm.

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Any fan unit can be covered with insulation, up to R40.

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Some Broan-NuTone bath and utility fans may be wall mounted. See the specifications for specific models. Improper installation may affect fan life, safety and your warranty.

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Yes, but only the 500 series of utility fans and also the LoSone fans. These products have aluminum filter available and some have a metal grill options which make the units applicable for kitchen use.

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Static pressure is the measurement of airflow resistance as it is pushed through ductwork which reduces the effectiveness of the fan. Learn more on the Home Ventilating Institute web site www.hvi.org.

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The Home Ventilating Institute recommends that a fan should be left on for 20 minutes more to clear humidity adequately and to ensure moisture and condensation in the fan body or ducting is minimized.

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Broan-NuTone has sensing fans that detect the humidity rise caused by a shower and turn on automatically, when moisture has cleared it turns off. Some wall controls also give you the option of humidity sensing, or timer control. Just set it and forget it.

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Delay-off timers automatically shut your fan off after a specified time interval. It's a nice feature in high traffic bathrooms where you may wish to let the fan run to clear moisture adequately. A timer counts down the minutes of fan operation selected by the user.

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Exhaust fans should be located in or near the shower or tub, and in an enclosed water closet. Keep exhaust points opposite the supply air source to ensure that the fresh air is drawn through the room. Bathroom doors should not be sealed too tightly at the bottom in order to allow "makeup air" to enter the room when the door is closed.

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The exhaust outlet is the point where air is discharged through the body of the fan housing into the ductwork. During installation, orient your fan with the exhaust outlet pointing toward the exit vent on your roof or wall to minimize turns in ductwork that impede airflow.

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If windows and mirrors are very cold, condensation can still form on these surfaces. And if your bathroom is sealed tightly, replacement air may not be entering the room fast enough to displace the moist air. Be sure to undercut your door sufficiently to draw fresh air into the room. Fan placement can also be a factor. Your fan should be located far from the replacement air source to ensure the moist air is drawn out first. Finally, too many twists and turns in the ducting will significantly reduce the ability of the blower to remove moist air. Make sure your ductwork is as short and straight as it can be, with gradual turns rather than tight corners where necessary.

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Dripping water is either condensation (usually due to cold ductwork or improper duct installation), or a problem with the seal on a wall or roof vent. Insulated ductwork can help solve condensation problems, and running the fan longer will ensure moisture is completely removed from the duct. Ductwork should slope down toward a wall vent to direct condensation out of the exterior vent opening rather than back into the fan housing.

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No. Heaters are not UL Listed (Underwriters Laboratories) for installation over a bathtub or in a shower.

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Yes, this works the best for large rooms because you can install the ports over the areas where the ventilation is needed the most (source control). The size of the multi-port would be determined by the size of the room.

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No. A duct-free fan is not a ventilating device. It does not remove air from the room.

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This is not recommended. It will cause the fan to run harder, greatly reducing the CFM performance of the fan and create excess noise.

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Yes, larger diameters will result in improved performance.

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It is recommended, where possible, to use rigid duct. It has less resistance to air flow and allows the fan to operate much more efficiently. If flexible duct is used, be sure the duct is as straight as possible.

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Never exhaust air into spaces within walls, ceilings, attics, crawl spaces or garages. The humidity may damage the structure and insulation.

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High CFM-rated devices are normally recommended for this type of application.

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No. Since these are normally sealed chambers, a vacuum will be created.

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No. Always follow the manufacturer's recommended ventilation requirements.

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Yes - 1 CFM = 0.4719 L/S.

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Yes - 1 L/S = 2.111 CFM.

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As long as it is a heater/fan combination, it can be covered with insulation up to R40. Our heat lamp only unit is NOT IC rated!

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• Too small a fan for the size room being exhausted
• Incorrect size of duct used to exhaust room
• Obstruction in the duct
• Roof or wall cap not opening correctly
• Incorrect position of fan in room
• Insufficient make up air into the room being exhausted

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Make up air is the air needed to replace air being exhausted by the fan. Inadequate make up air will diminish performance of the product. For a bathroom installation, make up air is generally provided by a gap at the bottom of the bathroom door. A 1/2" gap between the bottom of the door and the floor or carpet is the minimum acceptable gap measurement. Large CFM fans may require additional make up air.

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Certain models are suitable for wall installation; please refer to the product specification sheet to determine suitability. Mount the fan as high as possible on the wall. When wall thickness is an issue, use "thinner" fans. You can contact Technical Support for other fans that may be used in wall applications. Any fan with a light should not be installed in a wall.

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No. It will reduce the performance of the fan and create excess noise.

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Yes. A 3 to 4 inch adapter will be required to make this transition.

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Utility fans are not recommended for bathrooms. Broan offers a complete line of exhaust fans to meet any style or specification.

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A roof or wall cap should always be used. It will provide:

• Termination for the end of the duct run in the wall or on the roof
• Protection from the elements (water, wind) coming inside
• Protection from animals invading the opening

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This depends on the product model, as some motors are not designed for use with speed controls, but most can.