Importance of Bathroom Ventilation

We can’t emphasize enough how important good bathroom exhaust ventilation is in our climate. High humidity is just one factor you have to deal with in the bathroom’s close quarters, and exhaust ventilation is the answer when you’re faced with moisture problems. Read on and learn how proper bathroom ventilation can help improve air quality, and more.

Bathroom Air Quality/Moisture Problems

High levels of moisture are common in bathrooms where exhaust ventilation is not in use. Bathroom moisture can cause the following problems:

• Mold, mildew and fungus, which can aggravate breathing problems and damage wood and drywall.
• High relative humidity in the bathroom and throughout the home, increasing a feeling of warmth so you need to turn the air conditioner thermostat down to feel comfortable, and thereby boosting your energy bill.

What’s more, lack of exhaust ventilation can allow the buildup of volatile organic compounds from bathroom cleaners, which can aggravate breathing problems. Further, stale odors that originate in the bathroom tend to linger without exhaust ventilation.

Fixing Bathroom Air

The best solution for fixing bad bathroom air is exhaust ventilation. Exhaust ventilation should be installed properly so that air is vented outdoors, and not into an attic or up into the ceiling roof joists, where moisture may collect and cause dry rot or mold.

Some other ventilation tips:

1. When adding bathroom ventilation, remember the fan will have a noise rating measured in sones: 4 is loud; 1 is quiet. The quieter the fan, the more it will likely cost.

2. Get the right size fan. Determine your bathroom’s volume by measuring height by width by length, then divide by 5. This will be the volume, measured in cubic feet per minute (cfm), of air your fan should be able to move to do a proper job.

3. Again, make sure it is vented to the outdoors. Hire a technician to install your exhaust ventilation so that it fits well and is properly vented.

4. Have your fan professionally cleaned every year for peak operation.

For more on bathroom ventilation, contact CCAC. We serve South Texas’s Coastal Bend area.