How Do I Properly Ventilate a Bathroom?

Many homeowners just don’t get it when it comes to bathroom ventilation. They may think the main reason to have it is to remove stale bathroom odors, and that’s certainly important, but it’s not the principal reason.

Think about it: Which room in your house generates the most moisture? Where does all that moisture go, particularly in our humid Corpus Christi climate? The truth is that it often collects in corners and behind walls, tiles and baseboards, and in time, it can create conditions so damp that mold, mildew, and fungus appear—and that’s the main reason you need a properly installed ventilation system.

Bathroom Ventilation That Does the Job

When you install bathroom ventilation, two main things need to happen:

• The ventilation should be exhausted to the outdoors and not to the ceiling joists or the attic, where moisture may collect and harbor mold.
• The ventilation system should be large enough (but not too large) to do the job. Discuss with an HVAC consultant the right size system for the bathroom in which it is being installed. You want to be sure it has the capacity to exhaust the moisture out of the bathroom completely.

Something to keep in mind about the exhaust-ventilation system is that it also exhausts heat outdoors, so you may want to invest in a system that has a heat-exchange ventilator fan.

Perhaps you’re put off by how loud bathroom ventilation fans are. The good news is that much quieter models are now available, although you will pay a bit more for these.

Another feature to look for is energy efficiency. Energy Star, the government program that rates and recognizes the efficiency of appliances, has rated a number of models of ventilation systems as efficient, so it’s worthwhile to look for these.

You may also want to look into smart features, such as sensors that turn the system on by reading humidity levels, motion-sensor activation, low-wattage night lights, and overhead lighting.

For more on bathroom ventilation, contact CCAC of Corpus Christi. We serve the Coastal Bend area with quality HVAC installations, repairs, and maintenance.