Bathroom fan - how long to leave on?
How long do you leave the fan on after you take a shower? And is it
better to open the bathroom door afterward and let the steam escape into the rest of the house, or leavethe door closed and let the fan remove it? -- The folly of mistaking a paradox for a discovery, a metaphor for a proof, a torrent of verbiage for a spring of capital truths, and oneself for an oracle, is inborn in us. ....Paul Valery |
Bathroom fan - how long to leave on?
You leave the fan on until the room's humidity has returned
to normal, obviously. If you can't tell just by feeling the air, then turn the fan off a few minutes after the mirror finishes unfogging. Unless you've got a smoke detector right outside the bathroom door, it's fine to open the door. This will allow the room to defog faster (both because some of the steam leaves through the door, and because opening the door will increase the air flow through the fan), which means less wear and tear on the fan and on the paint or wallpaper (which don't particularly like being wet). Opening the door is a problem when there's a smoke detector near it because steam escaping from the bathroom can set off the smoke detector. If you want to be particularly obsessive about this, note that there are fans which have moisture sensors and shut off automatically when they're no longer needed. |
Bathroom fan - how long to leave on?
Steve writes:
How long do you leave the fan on after you take a shower? About 5 minutes for my small bathroom is all the fan needs to make things normal again. Then again, the fan never fogs up when it's on, so it does a pretty good job. I've had other bathrooms where things didn't work so well. And is it better to open the bathroom door afterward and let the steam escape into the rest of the house, or leavethe door closed and let the fan remove it? It depends. If your door is cut short enough to actually be letting air into the room, you could do either and all would be well. Letting it open while running the fan wouldn't be bad in any case though, because typically (at least around here) you're running a humidifier in the house in the winter anyway, an it will just contribute to the comfort of the house. -- Todd H. http://www.toddh.net/ |
Bathroom fan - how long to leave on?
I just heard on a home show that you should leave the fan on for 20
minutes after finishing in the shower. Leave the door open, unless your home is tiny with a humidty problem already. |
Bathroom fan - how long to leave on?
I agree with the other posters in that 5-15 minutes should be fine and if
you can see evidence that the humidity has cleared, that would be your indicator. What made me post is that I have always believed that having the door closed is better if it has a gap at the bottom (which mine has). This way the airflow is such that it is sweeping the air throughout the room moreso, from bottom to top. Having the door open means that a great percentage of air is coming in at the top of the room, leaving the bottom of the room with less air exchange. I close my door and run the fan for about 3-5 minutes (the time it takes me to dress) and all is fine. I don't walk away from it because I will forget.... Tomes (a notorious sievehead on turning things off) "Steve" wrote in message ... How long do you leave the fan on after you take a shower? And is it better to open the bathroom door afterward and let the steam escape into the rest of the house, or leavethe door closed and let the fan remove it? -- The folly of mistaking a paradox for a discovery, a metaphor for a proof, a torrent of verbiage for a spring of capital truths, and oneself for an oracle, is inborn in us. ...Paul Valery |
Bathroom fan - how long to leave on?
Tomes wrote:
I close my door and run the fan for about 3-5 minutes (the time it takes me to dress) and all is fine. I don't walk away from it because I will forget.... I used to have that problem until I installed timers in my bathrooms. Now I just set the fans to run 10-15 minutes and walk away. The timers took the places of the original on-off switches. -- Mortimer Schnerd, RN VE |
Bathroom fan - how long to leave on?
I used to open the door after a shower, and let the steam out. But
then I noticed that the screws holding the headboard to the bed had become rusted somehow, maybe from that steam? -- The optimist proclaims that we live in the best of all possible worlds. The pessimist fears this is true. ....James Cabell |
Bathroom fan - how long to leave on?
This depends on many factors: size of bathrooom, how long the shower
was running, how cold it is outside (window condensation), what area the humid air will flow to if the door is left open, etc. Keep in mind that while that fan is running, it's sucking conditioned air out of the house, wasting energy. In the winter, most homes could use the extra moisture instead of venting it out, provided it flows out of the bathroom fast enough. Forced air will be better in this regard than other systems, like baseboard heat. In my house, the master bath is large and has two doors into different rooms. I never use the fan after showering. |
Bathroom fan - how long to leave on?
On Wed, 01 Mar 2006 03:00:20 GMT, someone wrote:
.... I close my door and run the fan for about 3-5 minutes (the time it takes me to dress) and all is fine. I don't walk away from it because I will forget.... That's why I have a timer on mine. Cheap and simple twist knob that replaces the on/off switch. We DO walk away from ours, and let it shut off by itself. Reply to NG only - this e.mail address goes to a kill file. |
Bathroom fan - how long to leave on?
"Jonathan Kamens" wrote in message ... "Tomes" writes: What made me post is that I have always believed that having the door closed is better if it has a gap at the bottom (which mine has). This way the airflow is such that it is sweeping the air throughout the room moreso, from bottom to top. Having the door open means that a great percentage of air is coming in at the top of the room, leaving the bottom of the room with less air exchange. I dn't think this is a problem, because the humid air is hotter and rises naturally, and because humidity diffuses quickly in air in any case. LOL - the point of the above text was addressing how to best remove the air, not whether the air was good to have around. Tomes |
Bathroom fan - how long to leave on? - Timer switch
"Mortimer Schnerd, RN" wrote in message m... Tomes wrote: I close my door and run the fan for about 3-5 minutes (the time it takes me to dress) and all is fine. I don't walk away from it because I will forget.... I used to have that problem until I installed timers in my bathrooms. Now I just set the fans to run 10-15 minutes and walk away. The timers took the places of the original on-off switches. -- Mortimer Schnerd, RN Oh yeah? I like this thought. How much did they cost if you remember? My trouble here would be that I already have a triple switch here (light/fan/heater) in only one regular sized box (3 horizontal rocker switches), and I hesitate to believe I would have room for this.... Tomes |
Bathroom fan - how long to leave on?
I wish I had that setup. My bathrooms (both of them) are dead ends. I
think most are this way. Tomes wrote in message oups.com... This depends on many factors: size of bathrooom, how long the shower was running, how cold it is outside (window condensation), what area the humid air will flow to if the door is left open, etc. Keep in mind that while that fan is running, it's sucking conditioned air out of the house, wasting energy. In the winter, most homes could use the extra moisture instead of venting it out, provided it flows out of the bathroom fast enough. Forced air will be better in this regard than other systems, like baseboard heat. In my house, the master bath is large and has two doors into different rooms. I never use the fan after showering. |
Bathroom fan - how long to leave on?
Tomes wrote: I wish I had that setup. My bathrooms (both of them) are dead ends. I think most are this way. Tomes I think you are right. I have a contemporary, with the master bedroom and den at one end of the house on the first floor. The master bath is in between the two, so there is an access door from the bedroom and from the den, which makes it really convenient. I never saw that config before, but I like it a lot. wrote in message oups.com... This depends on many factors: size of bathrooom, how long the shower was running, how cold it is outside (window condensation), what area the humid air will flow to if the door is left open, etc. Keep in mind that while that fan is running, it's sucking conditioned air out of the house, wasting energy. In the winter, most homes could use the extra moisture instead of venting it out, provided it flows out of the bathroom fast enough. Forced air will be better in this regard than other systems, like baseboard heat. In my house, the master bath is large and has two doors into different rooms. I never use the fan after showering. |
Bathroom fan - how long to leave on?
"Tomes" writes:
I dn't think this is a problem, because the humid air is hotter and rises naturally, and because humidity diffuses quickly in air in any case. LOL - the point of the above text was addressing how to best remove the air, not whether the air was good to have around. Perhaps I was not clear. Let me try again. Since the humid air rises naturally, it rises to the ceiling and is exhausted by the fan even if the bathroom door is open and thus airflow isn't strictly bottom-to-top. Since humidity diffuses quickly, even if airflow isn't strictly bottom-to-top, the humidity in the lower air diffuses quickly into the upper air and is thus exhausted by the fan. |
Bathroom fan - how long to leave on? - Timer switch
Tomes wrote:
"Mortimer Schnerd, RN" wrote in message m... Tomes wrote: I close my door and run the fan for about 3-5 minutes (the time it takes me to dress) and all is fine. I don't walk away from it because I will forget.... I used to have that problem until I installed timers in my bathrooms. Now I just set the fans to run 10-15 minutes and walk away. The timers took the places of the original on-off switches. -- Mortimer Schnerd, RN Oh yeah? I like this thought. How much did they cost if you remember? My trouble here would be that I already have a triple switch here (light/fan/heater) in only one regular sized box (3 horizontal rocker switches), and I hesitate to believe I would have room for this.... Tomes If you have a regular sized switch box, you will need to replace it with a double size box. The mechanical timers require a single position since they are about the size of a standard toggle switch. See, for example: http://www.smarthome.com/4267w30.html These Intermatic spring timers are very nice and long lasting. -- Phil Munro Dept of Electrical & Computer Engin Youngstown State University Youngstown, Ohio 44555 |
Bathroom fan - how long to leave on? - Timer switch
On Thu, 2 Mar 2006 13:47:59 +0000 (UTC), someone wrote:
You can get a triple-gang faceplate.... Jon, I think he is saying that he already has a 3-switches-in-a-single-sized box arrangement. These are like mini-switches that are sold by accessory makers like Nutone, etc. intended for use with combo fan light units. Like I have 4 switches in a double box in one of my tub rooms, each switch is a horizontal rocker, there are two on each side of the box. (And now that I think about it, that particular room, doesn't have a timer.) Reply to NG only - this e.mail address goes to a kill file. |
Bathroom fan - how long to leave on? - Timer switch
Tomes wrote:
I used to have that problem until I installed timers in my bathrooms. Now I just set the fans to run 10-15 minutes and walk away. The timers took the places of the original on-off switches. Oh yeah? I like this thought. How much did they cost if you remember? $15.99 at Home Depot. You can probably find something similar at any home center. http://www.homedepot.com/prel80/HDUS...k.0& MID=9876 -- Mortimer Schnerd, RN VE |
Bathroom fan - how long to leave on?
"Jonathan Kamens" wrote in message
... "Tomes" writes: I dn't think this is a problem, because the humid air is hotter and rises naturally, and because humidity diffuses quickly in air in any case. LOL - the point of the above text was addressing how to best remove the air, not whether the air was good to have around. Perhaps I was not clear. Let me try again. Since the humid air rises naturally, it rises to the ceiling and is exhausted by the fan even if the bathroom door is open and thus airflow isn't strictly bottom-to-top. Since humidity diffuses quickly, even if airflow isn't strictly bottom-to-top, the humidity in the lower air diffuses quickly into the upper air and is thus exhausted by the fan. Ah, OK, I see your angle now. Makes sense. Tomes |
Bathroom fan - how long to leave on? - Timer switch
"Mortimer Schnerd, RN" wrote in message
m... Tomes wrote: I used to have that problem until I installed timers in my bathrooms. Now I just set the fans to run 10-15 minutes and walk away. The timers took the places of the original on-off switches. Oh yeah? I like this thought. How much did they cost if you remember? $15.99 at Home Depot. You can probably find something similar at any home center. http://www.homedepot.com/prel80/HDUS...k.0& MID=9876 What did you search for here Mortimer (and thanks for looking)? This link came up with something else for me (a gazebo, fridge, grill..., lol) [happens a lot on these search type links...]. I don't want to hack into my wall to install a double-wide box; I would need 2 switches and a timer to all fit into one standard size box. If that can be done I am interested. |
Bathroom fan - how long to leave on? - Timer switch
"v" wrote in message ... On Thu, 2 Mar 2006 13:47:59 +0000 (UTC), someone wrote: You can get a triple-gang faceplate.... Jon, I think he is saying that he already has a 3-switches-in-a-single-sized box arrangement. These are like mini-switches that are sold by accessory makers like Nutone, etc. intended for use with combo fan light units. Like I have 4 switches in a double box in one of my tub rooms, each switch is a horizontal rocker, there are two on each side of the box. (And now that I think about it, that particular room, doesn't have a timer.) Yeah, v's got it right. I already have that 3-switches-in-a-single-sized box arrangement... Don't want to bust up the wall to install a double-wide box (maybe if I ever re-wallpaper, but it is good now). Looking for a single-wide answer if there is one: 2 switches and a timer. I would swap out the NuTone style set for this, I am thinking. Tomes |
Bathroom fan - how long to leave on? - Timer switch
Tomes wrote:
"Mortimer Schnerd, RN" wrote in message m... Tomes wrote: I used to have that problem until I installed timers in my bathrooms. Now I just set the fans to run 10-15 minutes and walk away. The timers took the places of the original on-off switches. Oh yeah? I like this thought. How much did they cost if you remember? $15.99 at Home Depot. You can probably find something similar at any home center. http://www.homedepot.com/prel80/HDUS...k.0& MID=9876 What did you search for here Mortimer (and thanks for looking)? This link came up with something else for me (a gazebo, fridge, grill..., lol) [happens a lot on these search type links...]. I don't want to hack into my wall to install a double-wide box; I would need 2 switches and a timer to all fit into one standard size box. If that can be done I am interested. Hacking into a wall to replace a box is something that can be done. It takes some work -- maybe cutting ceramic tile or drywall or plaster and/or lath, but it can be done, and can be fun if you like diy stuff. On the other hand, keep looking. Maybe you can find a very small electronic timer to fit in a single box with two other switches. But I doubt it. --Phil -- Phil Munro Dept of Electrical & Computer Engin Youngstown State University Youngstown, Ohio 44555 |
Bathroom fan - how long to leave on? - Timer switch
Tomes wrote:
I just set the fans to run 10-15 minutes and walk away. The timers took the places of the original on-off switches. Oh yeah? I like this thought. How much did they cost if you remember? $15.99 at Home Depot. You can probably find something similar at any home center. http://www.homedepot.com/prel80/HDUS...k.0& MID=9876 What did you search for here Mortimer (and thanks for looking)? This link came up with something else for me (a gazebo, fridge, grill..., lol) [happens a lot on these search type links...]. Good God! What happened to the link? Anyway, go to homedepot.com and search for "timer 60 minute" and it'll cut right to the chase. Sorry about that. -- Mortimer Schnerd, RN VE |
Bathroom fan - how long to leave on? - Timer switch
"Mortimer Schnerd, RN" wrote in message ... Good God! What happened to the link? Anyway, go to homedepot.com and search for "timer 60 minute" and it'll cut right to the chase. Sorry about that. Mortimer Schnerd, RN Thanks Mortimer, I found it that way. However, that switch takes up the whole box. Much appreciated. Tomes |
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