Bath & Exhaust Ventilation Fan FAQs

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A sone is a measurement of sound in terms of comfortable hearing level for an average listener. The lower the sone value, the more comfortable the listening environment. Sones are not decibels or volume, but rather how sound is "sensed".

• 1 Sone =  The refrigerator running in your kitchen.
• 2 Sones = The noise level in an office workplace.
• 3 Sones = The level one would have in a face to face conversation.
• 4 Sones = The level that most listen to the TV in their home.
• 5 Sones = Noise level of a busy restaurant at dinner time.
• 6 Sones = Sporting event in an arena or stadium.

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Our dampers are specifically designed to remain open slightly when the fan is off. This protects the unit from over-heating when the light only is being used and will allow any accumulating heat to be removed from the housing and into the duct work.  Any backdraft in the ducting will cause the damper flap to close, preventing outside air from entering the room.  The same dampers are currently being used on our fan only and fan/light units.

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Rough service incandescent bulbs are not recommended for Broan-NuTone light fixtures due to the higher heat output and bulb geometry differing from a standard A19 bulb.

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Substitution of a self-ballasted Compact Florescent Lamp (CFL) or Light Emitting Diode (LED) for an incandescent bulb can be done if some critical guidelines are followed. Even by following these guidelines, the bulb may still have shorter than expected life or reduced light performance as not all bulbs are created equal. Download this document for more specific information.

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For bathrooms less than 100 square feet, determine the room’s CFM requirements by measuring and multiplying the length, width and ceiling height of the room, then use the multiplication factor of .13 and round up to the next “ten.” For example: 10’ long x 8’ wide x 9’ height x .13 = 93.6, select a bath fan with at least 100 CFM. If the bathroom is larger than 100 square feet, www.HVI.org recommends that you add the CFM requirement for each fixture present - a toilet is 50 CFM, a shower is 50 CFM, a bathtub is 50 CFM and a jetted tub is 100 CFM. For more information download the BROAN Ventilation Fan Catalog and review pages 6 and 7 or call our Technical Support Team at 800-637-1453.

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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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Continuous ventilation provides today's airtight homes with a relatively constant and controlled lower level of ventilation. Broan-NuTone's extremely quiet and efficient ULTRA Green, Flex, Roomside and QT Series models are ideally suited for these applications.

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Most Broan fans are rated for use over a shower or bathtub with a GFCI (Ground Fault Circuit Interrupter).

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Yes. Broan-NuTone bathroom exhaust ventilation fans are designed to provide adequate cooling for motors and lighting, as well as products with integral heaters

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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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No. Range hoods are specifically designed to handle grease and high temperature environments. Ventilation provided by Broan-NuTone fans is only a supplement for odor and moisture removal in the kitchen.

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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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Our heaters are secondary heat sources so 30-45 minutes is adequate to warm a bathroom. We also recommended a timer be used on the heater in order to avoid nuisance tripping of the UL required thermal protection device in our products. These suggestions are meant to add years of trouble free service from our built-in heater products.

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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.