Installing an exhaust fan can help control the moisture problems often caused by high humidity in the bathroom. Mold and mildew are two of the most common problems found in bathrooms that do not use exhaust fans. The job of the exhaust fan is to get rid of humid air that is left behind after a warm shower or bath and exhaust it outside the home through the roof or other area you have designated. Every home should use an exhaust fan to avoid the potential problems mentioned as well as structural damage.
Instructions
1. Go to your main breaker panel or fuse box that is usually found in a master room, utility room or basement and shut off the power to the room. Take down the old fixture. Place the center of the electrical housing over the center of the hole where the old fixture was on the ceiling. Trace the housing with a marker to mark the location on the ceiling of the new exhaust fan.
2. Drill a starter hole in the trace you made. Place a reciprocating saw in the hole and cutout the entire trace. Connect the ductwork to the back of the housing. Push the housing through the ceiling and secure in place with the fasteners that came with the exhaust fan. Reduce noise and vibration by adding additional fasteners to the holes.
3. Recheck the wiring to be sure there is no current traveling through them with a voltage tester. Join the fan wires with the ceiling wires according to the manufacture instructions or, for example, connect green wire to copper wire, black-to-black and white to white and cover with wire caps. Fasten the exhaust fan fixture to the electrical housing.
4. Connect the grille to the fan fixture with the clamps provided. Twist a light bulb into the fixture. Snap the diffuser in place. Route the ductwork with as little turns as possible through the attic to the designated spot on the roof. Trace the spot on the roof in the attic for the vent cap and cut it out with a reciprocating saw.
5. Climb up on the roof and spread some silicone caulk on the vent cap. Insert vent into the hole. Drill in galvanized screws to secure the vent cap and add additional caulk or roofing cement around the seams to prevent leaks. Attach the ductwork to the vent. Power on the circuit breaker or fuse box and test the fixture.
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