Bathroom Ventilation
With every bathroom we remodel, we always recommend a strong, dependable ventilation system. By venting out the moisture in your bathroom, you are extending the life of all the new materials, and you are ensuring that mold and mildew will not build up.
If you have ever looked into purchasing a new vent for your bathroom, you may have gotten confused with all the jargon on the side of the box. Here we will help you understand the basics of a bathroom vent fan.
Bathroom Ventilation Terminology
Sones
A sone is a measurement of sound, and is used to determine a comfortable hearing level for the average listener. What do sones have to do with bathroom ventilation? The lower the sone level of your fan the quieter the fan operates!
Most of our customers request a very quiet fan, and we usually recommend the Panasonic Whisper Quiet system or Broan's Ultra Silent vent system.
The Broan system operates at .8 sones, and Panasonic operates at .3 sones, which is almost silent. To give you a comparison, a refridgerator runs at 1 sone.
CFM
It is important to select an adequate CFM, which is dependant on the size of your bathroom, and what components you are installing. CFM stands for "cubic feet per minute", in other words this stands for how much air can be drawn through the system per minute.
To figure out how much CFM you need for your new bathroom, a general rule of thumb is to find the square footage of the room, and multiply by 1.07. So if you have a 10x10 bathroom (100 square feet) you would need a fan that is rated at 107 CFM or more.
If you add a steam unit to your shower, or have a long run before the hot steam is drawn to the exterior, we usually recommend to upgrade your fan and go above the standard equasion.
Our Favorite Vent Systems- Panasonic Whisper Quiet
Panasonic offers one of the best vent systems on the market. They have stayed very progressive, and offer some really interesting and useful models.
Panasonic Whisper Green is really the most advanced fan on the market. It features a variable speed control that let's the fan run continously at a low pressure, and features a motion senser, so when you walk into your bathroom the fan kicks into full ventilation. This fan is great for those with forgetful children, as you never need to worry about damaging your bath fixtures or mold buildup due to improper ventilation.
Here are some of the models currently available from Panasonic:
And Here is a great video clip on Panasonic Fans:
Our Favorite Vent Systems- Broan Recessed Fan Light
This is a really sleek vent fan, it actually looks like a recessed can light when installed! Usually we will run a few cans around a bathroom, and this is the perfect answer for those that don't want something that stands out.
It runs at 1.5 sones, so it is louder than the Panasonic, so be ready for that. Also, it is rated at 70 CFM so we would not recommend this for a room over 8x8. Other than that is really is a great fan, and our customers love this unit.
Fans On Display In Our Showroom
We display these fans in our deisgn showroom, so don't forget to ask your project manager to see them. Remember, choosing the right fan for your bathroom will make the difference in how your bathroom will stand the test of time.