Bathroom Ventilation from Ventilation Supplies

Bathroom ventilation is a simple project, but it needs to be done right. The fan you choose to install could end up a waste of time, money, or worse - it may be the cause of serious damage to your home.

How powerful does the fan need to be?

The power required of the fan will often determine its size otherwise it can be a waste of time or money if you fit a fan too small or large. The recommended air movement to ventilate a bathroom is 15 air changes per hour and there is a simple formula to determine this.

First, measure the size of the room. You will need to measure the length x width x height, and this will give you the m³ for the size of the room. For example; 3 meters long x 2 metres wide x 2.4 meters high = 12. We then multiply the m³ by the desired air changes, which in this case is 15, so 12 x 15 = 180 m³/per hour, which now becomes the fan rating we need for the room.

Please note: For kitchens an extract rate of no less than 216m³/h, 60 l/sec. For calculation purposes, we recommend a minimum air change rate of 15 per hour.

Ventilated roof space above your bathroom

If your roof has ventilators (whirlybirds) or no sarking under the tiles, then you may have a ventilated roof space. If this is the case and you are on a tight budget, you can install a normal ceiling exhaust fan. But the most ideal bathroom ventilation system is a ducted fan, because it removes all the moisture from the house.

Is there a roof space above your bathroom?

If there is a space above your bathroom ceiling, then you should install a ducted fan. By installing a ducted fan you are removing the moisture from your house and directing it outside. There are several options when doing this:

Using a header box type fan is the most economical system; however you are limited by how much airflow you can produce, and the greater the airflow, the greater the noise. It is an easy installation and they do work well.
An inline fan system is the best, because you can have strong airflow with minimal noise. There are 4 types of fans you can use but we recommend that you use the mixflow fan because it will do the job 99% of the time. There are two types of mix flow fans that you can use, the standard type or the silent type.
- Standard - Designed for the ventilation of toilets, bathrooms, ensuites, laundries, and kitchens, in homes, hotels, apartments, and commercial buildings.
- Silent - suited to environments that are noise sensitive such as conference/seminar rooms as well as homes, hotels, offices, and libraries.

There is no crawl space above my bathroom

If you have no space above your bathroom ceiling you are most likely living in a unit, or your house has a flat roof. In this case you will need a wall or window fan, unless you are building or renovating, and then you may be able to install an inline fan system.

Accessories available

When installing a ducted or through wall fan you will need accessories to duct the air out, such as an external grille, ducting, or duct ties and tape.

For more information, visit ventilationsupplies.com.au.

Inline fan systems from Ventilation Supplies