Till about a decade or two ago, the builders and architects were not giving much thought to the designing of bathrooms. Of late, however, people are paying to get better-designed bathrooms. Yet, ventilation, a very important aspect of bathroom escapes the attention of most. We know that the bathrooms tend to be quite humid and smelly. Humidity, if not handled properly causes excessive moisture in the bathrooms and that is not healthy, neither for the bathroom nor for its users. It causes paint to peel off the walls and ceilings and rots the wooden doors or cabinets and may damage the structure too. We are aware that humid atmosphere leads to unhealthy formation of molds, mildew and bacteria.
You need to have proper ventilation to overcome this problem. Normal ceiling fans do not solve the purpose as they merely circulate air within the bathroom whereas we need to pull out stale and moisture-ridden air, making room for fresh air to come in. Then only can we expect the bathrooms to be free of odor and moisture, and free of condensation of water vapors on the mirrors.
But, an effective bathroom exhaust fan has to qualify for some standards. Here is a simple test to see if your exhaust fan is being of any good. Simply hold a piece of tissue against the grill of the exhaust fan. In case the tissue paper is tightly held against the grill, it means the fan is doing a good job. Alternatively, you may conduct the exhaust test. Just keep a plastic bag over the hood of the exhaust and switch on the fan. The bag should get filled up with air in a matter of seconds.
The capacity of an exhaust is defined by the amount of air it can pull in a minute from a given area. This is measured in terms of cubic feet per minute, CFM. A rating of above 50 is considered good for an effective and efficient bathroom exhaust fan. The Home Ventilating Institute considers an exhaust fan to be effective if it delivers 1 CFM per square foot. The capacity of the fan is in direct proportion to the area of your bathroom. Further, if the bathroom has provisions for steam rooms, sauna or hot tubs, it will need a more powerful exhaust fan. Another factor that necessitates a more powerful exhaust fan is the length of the ductwork thru which the air is thrown it. Longer lengths call for additional power.
Generally bathrooms are kept closed and are compact; a noisy fan gets unbearable when you are inside the bath. Therefore look for an elegant quiet fan that performs efficiently. Referring to HVI ratings helps to select a good fan. Over the last few years exhaust fans are designed to include accessories along with. These could include lighting and heating elements, thus getting multifunctional. Such varieties are gaining popularity.
So, while designing or renovating your bathroom do include the provision of an exhaust fan. These help to remove the odors, leaving the bathrooms smelling fresh and reduce humidity. Make sure to select a powerful exhaust fan that suits the size of your bathroom, keeping it free of moisture and unpleasant odors often encountered in bathrooms.