Ceiling Exhaust Fan
Have you ever walked out of your shower and mistaken your bathroom for foggy night in London, even though your exhaust fan sounds like it's running? Does your bathroom exhaust fan sound like a 747 taking flight? These types of problems are commonplace in many homes because the bathroom exhaust fan is rarely near the top of anyone's list of concerns. That being said, it is extremely important that your bathroom exhaust fan work properly as it can encourage mold growth and many other potential problems if it doesn't.
Instructions
Problem: Exhaust Fan Not Running
1. If your ceiling exhaust fan is not running, there are a few things that may be causing the problem. Check whether your ceiling exhaust fan has a light fixture on it. If it does, is the light also not working or does the light turn on? If the light doesn't turn on, check your circuit breakers. The breaker may have tripped, causing both the light and fan to not work.
2. If the circuit breaker is on, or you don't have a light on the fan, remove the exhaust fan cover. With the cover removed, you should see the fan and a short cord that gets plugged into an outlet. Make sure the wall switch is off and then double check that the plug is inserted in the outlet. Try turning the switch on again to see if it was a poor connection. If it still doesn't work, turn the light switch off once more.
3. Unplug the exhaust fan motor's power cord from the outlet. Turn the switch back on and test the outlet for power. If you read 120 volts with your voltage tester, then the motor is bad on the exhaust fan. If you don't read any voltage, then the switch may be bad.
Problem: Exhaust Fan Running But Not Sucking
4. Tear off a short piece of toilet paper. Turn the exhaust fan on and hold the toilet paper up to the exhaust grill. If the toilet paper does not remain in place, there is an exhaust issue with the fan.
5. Turn off the fan and remove its cover. If there is any lint collected on the grills, clean it thoroughly.
6. Clean the blades of the exhaust fan and the surrounding area. If this doesn't solve the problem, you may have to gain entrance into your attic and clean out the exhaust line yourself, or hire a professional to do it for you.
Problem: Exhaust Fan is Very Noisy
7. Check that the exhaust fan's cover is not loose. Sometimes, the cover can loosen due to the constant vibrations of the motor and it can cause a very loud nose.
8. Remove the cover and inspect the fan blades. If one is broken or warped, it can be causing an imbalance that is causing the loud rumbling sound.
9. Check the exhaust fan's housing and make sure that the entire unit is tight and secure.
10. If everything looks good, but the motor still creates a grating sound, the bearings may be going bad in the motor and the motor should be replaced.
Tags: bathroom exhaust, Problem Exhaust, toilet paper, your bathroom, , does light