The air we breathe -- in the bathroom

Production homebuilders sometimes will choose the least expensive items to install in their homes to keep costs low when building hundreds of home per year. Such is likely the case with your bathroom fans, unless you custom-built your house from the ground up.

Proper ventilation in bathrooms are even more important now, when homes are built so tightly that moisture and odor can linger longer unless you have a good way to remove them. A well-installed bathroom exhaust fan will rid the bathroom of excess humidity as well as helping to remove water vapor that accumulates on mirrors and walls.

Myron Kobayashi, a Home Depot inventory management associate, spent many years installing bathroom exhaust fans before he joined his Folsom, CA store. “The biggest complaint we hear from people is the noise level, so check the ‘sone value’ of the product first,” he advises. Next, is size, according to Kobayashi. “The original size of the location permitted for your fans dictate which ones you choose. If you choose a larger one, your costs for replacement are literally through the roof,” he adds, referring to having to enlarge the space requirements all the way through the attic and out the roof.

At a minimum, experts advise the fan should be rated to move one cubic foot of air per minute (CFM) for every square foot of space. The more fixtures (such as a whirlpool bath, a large walk-in shower, etc.) the more the rates change. Placement is also a biggie. Fans should be located over or near the shower or tub as well as in enclosed toilet rooms lacking windows, and bathroom doors all around should allow a ¾ inch space for air to enter. Higher ceilings may also require stronger ventilation.

Did you know you should run your bathroom fan for at least 20 minutes after bathroom use? Few of us do this, thinking is a waste of electricity or a nuisance to return and flip the switch. For that reason, companies like Broan-Nutone and Panasonic offer products that automatically activate auto-off-and-on either through moisture sensing or motion detection so you don’t have to pay attention.

Dena Kouremetis is a consumer columnist and author and has recently been named National Housing Examiner for Examiner.com. Visit her web site at www. realpropertymatters.com.