This chilly winter season is likely to be full of piping hot showers and home cooked meals to bring some warmth and comfort into our homes. However, if your exhaust fans and ventilation systems aren’t working their best, you may be inviting mold growth and nasty odors into your home as well. Now is the time to test these fans and to educate your family members about the importance of flipping that switch when they are cooking and showering. Not doing so could cost you big time.
Test Your Fan’s Strength
The exhaust fan and its ventilation system can be quite easily tested. You can use what we like to call the tissue test in order to determine whether or not your exhaust fan has sufficient power to remove moisture and bad odors. Simply hold a tissue up to the exhaust fan, and let go. If the tissue sticks to the grate protecting the motor, you probably have enough power. If not, you defiantly need to have this fan either replaced or repaired. The problem may not be with the fan itself, but the duct work that leads out the roof of the home may have an obstruction that is preventing the fan from doing its job.
Big Costs Down the Road
If the fan passes the tissue test, it is also important to monitor the function of the fan for a few days. Turn on the fan during the morning showers and after giving it some time to push out the moist air, check the walls and ceiling for sweat. If this is present, the fan is probably not powerful enough for the size of your bathroom. Now is the time to have this fan replaced. Sure it may cost a bit up front, but allowing moisture to take hold of the bathrooms in your home is not a better option. You could find yourself paying much more down the line for mold removal and repairs if you do not act early. Test your fan today and confront these problems now!
