Good ventilation in the toilet and bathroom is of great importance. After all, these rooms are not only high humidity. With their insufficient ventilation, it is quite possible for unpleasant odors from neighbors to enter the apartment. To save yourself from such troubles, as well as to prevent the appearance of fungus or mold in the bathroom, it is necessary to provide an effective extract from the toilet and bathroom. What types of fans exist for these rooms and how to choose the right ventilation components? Can you do the work yourself or will you have to hire professionals?
What types of ventilation exist?
Hoods for the bathroom and toilet can be divided into two groups depending on the principle of their operation:
- Natural ventilation is found in most Soviet-built houses and is the most common. This system is simple, does not require a fan, and is virtually maintenance-free. The air is drawn out due to the difference in pressure in the apartment and outside it, due to different air temperatures. But in hot weather, the efficiency of such an exhaust drops, and even the effect of reverse thrust is possible. Therefore, residents of apartment buildings are often forced to modify it with their own hands, for example, to equip the duct opening with a special valve.
- Forced ventilation is carried out by installing fans or other devices in the hood. As a rule, forced ventilation is combined with natural ventilation. In most cases, this system does not operate continuously, but at certain intervals, which depend on the characteristics of the installed devices or the operating mode selected by the consumer. Installation of forced ventilation requires additional electrical wiring in the bathroom or toilet to connect fans or other devices. Therefore, its installation is advisable to coincide with the repair. In addition, such a hood requires periodic maintenance to ensure efficient trouble-free operation.
When is forced ventilation necessary?
Before you purchase and install a fan in the bathroom or toilet, you need to make sure that forced ventilation is really needed there. To understand that the usual hood is not enough, you can by the following signs:
- The inflow and outflow of air from the premises is not enough. Checking this is simple: open the door to the toilet or bathroom and apply a sheet of paper to the ventilation grille. With sufficient ventilation, the sheet should adhere to the grate.
On some forums, you can find advice to use a candle or a lit match when checking ventilation. In apartment buildings, it is undesirable to use this method: you can never be completely sure that there are no combustible or explosive gases in the duct that have got there from other apartments.
- There is a reverse draft effect - unpleasant odors from neighbors enter the room from the hood, which then spread throughout the home.
- Condensation accumulates on pipes and walls, spots of mold or fungus appear.
In addition, forced ventilation is necessary if a steam generator or electric sauna is planned to be installed in the bathroom.
Choosing a fan for forced exhaust
Having decided to put in the bathroom forced exhaust, you need to select the desired fan model. It is easy to get confused in the variety of models presented on the modern market. What should you pay attention to when planning to install hoods for the bathroom and toilet with your own hands?
According to the location of the device, the following types of fans are distinguished:
- Overhead, fastened at the inlet to the duct. Their installation is the easiest.
- Duct located inside the ventilation shafts.
By location, fans are:
- wall;
- ceiling;
- roof.
In apartment buildings, overhead wall fans are most often mounted on the hood. Their installation is not difficult, even if you do it yourself.
When calculating and buying hood elements, it is better to choose models that have a check valve in their configuration. This is especially true for apartment buildings. Ventilation in the bathroom and toilet works during certain periods of time. The non-return valve will prevent air and odors from entering the room from the duct during those intervals when the fan is not working.
According to the principle of action, they distinguish:
- blade fans;
- centrifugal.
In most apartments, axial bladed models are installed, radial ones can be seen much less frequently.
When choosing a particular model, it is necessary to take into account the following points:
- Safety - the device will work in conditions of high humidity, the possibility of water droplets should also be taken into account. Therefore, you should opt for devices labeled IP45 and higher. The moisture protection of such fans allows them to withstand even a direct hit of water jets.
- The noise level of the exhaust fan should not exceed 25 dB. Due to the possible tiling, the bathroom has good acoustics, so the lower the fan noise, the better.
- It is important to choose the right power of the device. Too powerful a device will not work optimally, the money paid for increased power will be lost. Even worse, if excess power leads to excessive blowing of the room. A weak apparatus simply will not be able to perform its task.
The required fan power can be obtained by multiplying the volume of the room by the rate of air renewal in it per unit of time. In the bathroom or bathroom, the air should change 6-8 times per hour. For most typical apartments, a fan with a capacity of at least 60 m3 / h is suitable. It is better to choose a model with a small margin of power, this will extend its life by operating in optimal mode, and not at full load.
Additional functions
Household fans for bathrooms often have a variety of extra features.
- Check valve - as mentioned above, it is simply indispensable in the conditions of apartment buildings.
- Motion sensors, humidity sensors, a timer, a valve - increase the cost of the device, but allow more efficient use of forced exhaust. The usual system, when the fan starts at the same time as the light is turned on, does not always have time to complete its work in the time allotted to it. Timer, and the humidity sensor, all the more, ensures better operation of the ventilation system.
- Silencer - usually a silicone gasket that reduces the noise level of the fan.
Installation of forced ventilation
Do-it-yourself fan installation is usually not difficult, but there are points that must be taken into account:
- In most apartments, the hood is attached to an existing duct, which must be opposite the door to create the most favorable conditions for its operation.
- It is more expedient to coincide with the installation of the fan to coincide with the overhaul of the bathroom, since the electrical wiring will have to be removed into the walls. Open wiring cannot be used in conditions of high humidity, and the boxes will not add beauty to the interior. So if you don’t want to spoil the newly laid tile, then there is one alternative - fans on batteries or batteries.
- If the fan housing is placed in a ventilation shaft, then it must correspond to its size as much as possible. Ideally, only the decorative grille of the appliance should remain on the wall surface, and the entire main part will be hidden in the ventilation pipe.
- It is recommended to fasten the hood with self-tapping screws. But if you don’t want to spoil the expensive wall covering, then there is another option: silicone sealant is applied next to the mounting holes and the grate is glued to the tile. After drying, the excess sealant is cut off with a sharp knife.
- For better functioning of the hood, a series of small holes can be drilled in the lower part of the front door or a special grill can be inserted.
- A separate switch can be used to turn on the fan. If it is planned that the device works only when the light in the bathroom is on, then it is connected to a light switch. Naturally, a phase wire must pass through it.
Thus, installing a forced hood in the bathroom or toilet with your own hands is not at all difficult. The effect of its application more than compensates for your financial and time costs.
