How to Install a Vent Fan

Moisture buildup in bathrooms can cause soft walls, mold and other problems. That's why newer homes are equipped with vent fans, which pull wet air out of bathrooms and expel it to the exterior of the house through a hose in the attic. Older homes weren't built with this innovation, but you can fix that with a standard bathroom exhaust fan kit and an afternoon of work. This plan assumes you can access an unfinished attic above the bathroom. It's an involved project that includes cutting through the ceiling and exterior wall, and electrical wiring, so you shouldn't attempt it yourself unless you are confident with your skills in these areas.

Vent fan kit, including the fan unit, exhaust hose, vent cover and exterior cap Jigsaw Pencil Drill Drill bit Screwdriver bit Regular wood screws Electrical wire and switch Ladder

Instructions

- 1
  Determine where on your bathroom ceiling you want the fan to be, and drill a hole up into the ceiling to mark it. Then go into the attic and, being careful to stay on the joists and not step down into the ceiling, find the hole in the drywall between the joists. Clear the area around it of insulation.
- 2
  Lay your vent fan assembly down on the hole, in the position it will go, with the open square intake sitting on the drywall and the exhaust vent facing up. Position the unit evenly between the joists. Mark around the perimeter of the square intake with your pencil. Remove the fan assembly and use your jigsaw to cut the square into the drywall.
- 3
  Set your fan assembly back over the square hole. With your drill and screwdriver bit, use wood screws to secure the assembly to the joists on either side. The unit should have adjustable brackets on it for this purpose.
- 4
  To wire the fan to the bathroom power switch that will control it, run an electrical supply line down to the bathroom through the side wall and grab it from below through the switch box. After making sure all power to the room is off, install the new fan switch in the same way you would a light switch, attaching the white and black wires from both the power source and the unit. Upstairs, wire the fan according to the provided instructions.
- 5
  Determine where your exhaust hole will go in the outer wall of the attic, finding a spot away from wall studs, and drill a guide hole there. Then go outside, climb your ladder to the guide hole, and use your jigsaw to cut the appropriate-sized exhaust hole into the side of the house.
- 6
  Back in the attic, run the exhaust hose, provided with the fan unit, from the unit to the exhaust hole, and attach it to the wall with wood screws. Go back outside and install the exterior wall cap that was provided with the unit.
- 7
  In the bathroom, install the provided fan grill over the square intake hole in the ceiling, following the instructions the unit came with. Often, it's held to the unit with tension springs that don't require any screws.

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Ventilation