Bathroom exhaust vent fans are needed to remove excess humidity that can lead to mold or mildew and cause damage to your walls or ceiling. Unlike older vent fans, new models are much quieter and more efficient. Here’s how to replace an existing vent fan with a new one:

• When choosing a vent fan for your bathroom, look for a model that is quiet (1.5 sones or less) and moves enough cubic feet per minute (CFM) of air as discussed in sizing a bathroom vent fan.
• Cover the bathroom floor to protect it from scratches.
• Turn off the circuit breaker that controls the bathroom vent fan.
• Remove the cover on the bathroom vent fan.
• Disconnect the wiring and remove the fan motor from the housing.
• Disconnect the vent pipe from the fan housing.
• Remove the vent fan housing.
• If needed, adjust the existing hole in the ceiling to fit the new vent fan housing.
• Attach the vent fan housing to the ceiling joists.
• Connect the electrical wires to the vent fan housing.
• Connect the vent pipe to the fan housing.
• Attach the vent fan motor and electrical wires to the housing.
• Snap the cover or trim on the vent fan.
• Turn on the circuit breaker and test the vent fan to make sure it’s working properly.

Watch this video to find out more.

Further Information

• How to Size a Bathroom Vent Fan (article)
• Installing a Bathroom Vent Fan Through a Wall (article)
• How to Maintain a Bathroom Vent Fan (video)
• Not Your Old Bath Vent Fan (article/video)

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