Today's project - How to Install an Exhaust Fan. An exhaust fan is used to eliminate steam from taking a hot shower. It also serves to eliminate the unpleasant odors that may occur after a night out at a Mexican restaurant! lol.
I am replacing an old exhaust fan that no longer works. So the first thing I need to do is remove the old cover. 
Then go into the attic and see what we're working with. WOW! Three things I don't like about this.
(1) This crappy electrical that was ran. If you look close you can see that it is exposed and the wires don't even have wire nuts on them. They are just taped together which is not the proper way to finish.
(2) There is a plumbing pipe ran right across our exhaust fan that we want to take out of the ceiling.
(3) The old exhaust fan didn't even have a duct attached to it. Therefore, all the steam and smell was just in the attic. That can cause a bad mold problem in your drywall. No bueno!
Now that we've removed our old exhaust fan...
...we are going to put the new exhaust fan in a different spot to move it away from the plumbing pipe.
Take your new exhaust fan and mark out the exact size with a marker and mark all the way around it. Make sure before you mark it that it's nicely squared, centered and right where you want it to be.
Then just cut out the square right on your line. Save the piece that you cut out to use later to patch up the hole from the old exhaust fan! (Money saving tip!)
Make sure you find the right breaker that controls the power to your exhaust fan and make sure it's off. To check if the power is off you can use your tongue or.....the safe way is to use an electrical tester. :)
Connect your basic wiring. Black on black, white on white, ground on ground.
Install the fan fixture.
Make sure everything is screwed on tight.
Go ahead and plug in your light fixture and install your bulb.
Put the cover on and you're done! Mmmm...not quite.
We have to install our ducts so the steam and our unpleasant air can be blown outside. We don't want it just circulating inside our attic. The steam can create mold if it gets on the drywall. This is something that they didn't do with the old exhaust fan.
It's best to chose the 'accordion' type duct. It stretches between 2ft and 4ft so you have a margin for error.
The duct that we are using is 4 inches in diameter so using a hole saw at 4 inches you can drill a hole into the plaster. Insert your duct. Don't forget to caulk around your ducts for waterproofing.
Insert plastic fitting onto the exhaust fan.
Then attach your accordion type duct from the plastic fitting to the duct.
Don't forget to attach your hose clamps to secure it.
Now we have to patch up the existing hole because we moved the exhaust fan over to avoid the plumbing pipes. Remember when we marked the ceiling for the new exhaust fan? Use the piece you cut out to patch the hole from the old exhaust fan and you won't have to buy drywall!
Then go into the attic and see what we're working with. WOW! Three things I don't like about this.
(1) This crappy electrical that was ran. If you look close you can see that it is exposed and the wires don't even have wire nuts on them. They are just taped together which is not the proper way to finish.
(2) There is a plumbing pipe ran right across our exhaust fan that we want to take out of the ceiling.
(3) The old exhaust fan didn't even have a duct attached to it. Therefore, all the steam and smell was just in the attic. That can cause a bad mold problem in your drywall. No bueno!
Now that we've removed our old exhaust fan...
...we are going to put the new exhaust fan in a different spot to move it away from the plumbing pipe.
Take your new exhaust fan and mark out the exact size with a marker and mark all the way around it. Make sure before you mark it that it's nicely squared, centered and right where you want it to be.
Then just cut out the square right on your line. Save the piece that you cut out to use later to patch up the hole from the old exhaust fan! (Money saving tip!)
Make sure you find the right breaker that controls the power to your exhaust fan and make sure it's off. To check if the power is off you can use your tongue or.....the safe way is to use an electrical tester. :)
Connect your basic wiring. Black on black, white on white, ground on ground.
Install the fan fixture.
Make sure everything is screwed on tight.
Go ahead and plug in your light fixture and install your bulb.
Put the cover on and you're done! Mmmm...not quite.
We have to install our ducts so the steam and our unpleasant air can be blown outside. We don't want it just circulating inside our attic. The steam can create mold if it gets on the drywall. This is something that they didn't do with the old exhaust fan.
It's best to chose the 'accordion' type duct. It stretches between 2ft and 4ft so you have a margin for error.
The duct that we are using is 4 inches in diameter so using a hole saw at 4 inches you can drill a hole into the plaster. Insert your duct. Don't forget to caulk around your ducts for waterproofing.
Insert plastic fitting onto the exhaust fan.
Then attach your accordion type duct from the plastic fitting to the duct.
Don't forget to attach your hose clamps to secure it.
Now we have to patch up the existing hole because we moved the exhaust fan over to avoid the plumbing pipes. Remember when we marked the ceiling for the new exhaust fan? Use the piece you cut out to patch the hole from the old exhaust fan and you won't have to buy drywall!
Apply your yellow mesh.
Then apply your mud around the joints.
Not bad for a first coat. Two more coats and we're ready to paint. To learn more about how to patch drywall see my old post titled, "Got a Hole in the Wall?"
Turn the power back on and make sure everything works. And now we're done! Way to make it happen!
Then apply your mud around the joints.
Not bad for a first coat. Two more coats and we're ready to paint. To learn more about how to patch drywall see my old post titled, "Got a Hole in the Wall?"
Turn the power back on and make sure everything works. And now we're done! Way to make it happen!
You’ve made the right choice to replace your old exhaust fan and install a duct to expel the air outside. With that in place, your bathroom and attic will definitely have improved ventilation. Additionally, it will also keep black molds from forming and growing in your attic.
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Staci Severns