Protecting bathroom fan from attic cellulose insulation
 

An exhaust fan has been added to the upper floor bathroom. The attic's
insulation (cold climate!) is blown cellulose particles. Is it
customary to cover the fan's top housing with some kind of a cap to
protect it from being contaminated with the insulation dust?

Protecting bathroom fan from attic cellulose insulation
 

Alfred K. wrote:
An exhaust fan has been added to the upper floor bathroom. The attic's
insulation (cold climate!) is blown cellulose particles. Is it customary
to cover the fan's top housing with some kind of a cap to protect it
from being contaminated with the insulation dust?


Hi,
The exhausted air should go outside thru insulated duct. How come are
you worried about dust?

Protecting bathroom fan from attic cellulose insulation
 

On Oct 1, 11:36*pm, Alfred K. wrote:
An exhaust fan has been added to the upper floor bathroom. The attic's
insulation (cold climate!) is blown cellulose particles. Is it
customary to cover the fan's top housing with some kind of a cap to
protect it from being contaminated with the insulation dust?

Vent moist air into an attic and it will be black with mold fairly
quickly. Then follows rot, vent it as they all are supposed to be
done, outside.

Protecting bathroom fan from attic cellulose insulation
 

"Alfred K." wrote in message
...
An exhaust fan has been added to the upper floor bathroom. The attic's
insulation (cold climate!) is blown cellulose particles. Is it customary
to cover the fan's top housing with some kind of a cap to protect it from
being contaminated with the insulation dust?



*No it is not customary, but not a bad idea.

Protecting bathroom fan from attic cellulose insulation
 

On Thu 01 Oct 2009 09:36:50p, Alfred K. told us...

An exhaust fan has been added to the upper floor bathroom. The attic's
insulation (cold climate!) is blown cellulose particles. Is it
customary to cover the fan's top housing with some kind of a cap to
protect it from being contaminated with the insulation dust?

You should *not* be exhausting bathroom air directly into the attic. There
should be a duct (preferably insulated) connected to the exhaust fan and
connected to an appropriate exterior vent through the roof, eave, or sidewall
of the house. This would also apply to exhaust fans anywhere in the house;
e.g., utility room, kitchen, etc.

An insulated duct, of course, is there, connected to an ridge vent on
the roof. I am asking about some possibility of contamination even with
the duct present.

Protecting bathroom fan from attic cellulose insulation
 

On Oct 1, 11:36*pm, Alfred K. wrote:
An exhaust fan has been added to the upper floor bathroom. The attic's
insulation (cold climate!) is blown cellulose particles. Is it
customary to cover the fan's top housing with some kind of a cap to
protect it from being contaminated with the insulation dust?

NO

Protecting bathroom fan from attic cellulose insulation
 

Alfred K. wrote:
On Thu 01 Oct 2009 09:36:50p, Alfred K. told us...

An exhaust fan has been added to the upper floor bathroom. The
attic's insulation (cold climate!) is blown cellulose particles.
Is it customary to cover the fan's top housing with some kind of
a cap to protect it from being contaminated with the insulation
dust?

You should *not* be exhausting bathroom air directly into the
attic. There should be a duct (preferably insulated) connected to
the exhaust fan and connected to an appropriate exterior vent
through the roof, eave, or sidewall of the house. This would also
apply to exhaust fans anywhere in the house; e.g., utility room,
kitchen, etc.

An insulated duct, of course, is there, connected to an ridge vent on
the roof. I am asking about some possibility of contamination even
with the duct present.

No, you won't get contamination. However, I find it actually contrary to the
building code in regards to vapor barrier sealing, that most manufacturers,
even high priced ones, have many holes, opening, gaps and other areas that
water vapor and drafts can easily get through. When I install such fans, I
always cover every hole, opening and joint with metalic duct tape on the
inside and outside of the housing. This gets as close as possible to a good
vapor barrier and prevents the fan's vacuum from pulling insulation dust
into the housing and drafts from entering when the fan is off.

Protecting bathroom fan from attic cellulose insulation
 

On Fri 02 Oct 2009 11:10:46a, Alfred K. told us...

On Thu 01 Oct 2009 09:36:50p, Alfred K. told us...

An exhaust fan has been added to the upper floor bathroom. The attic's
insulation (cold climate!) is blown cellulose particles. Is it
customary to cover the fan's top housing with some kind of a cap to
protect it from being contaminated with the insulation dust?

You should *not* be exhausting bathroom air directly into the attic.
There should be a duct (preferably insulated) connected to the exhaust
fan and connected to an appropriate exterior vent through the roof,
eave, or sidewall of the house. This would also apply to exhaust fans
anywhere in the house; e.g., utility room, kitchen, etc.

An insulated duct, of course, is there, connected to an ridge vent on
the roof. I am asking about some possibility of contamination even with
the duct present.

If the duct is sealed to the exhaust fan outlet, I can't imagine how dust
would enter the system from the attic. You could, of course, seal all
perceptible joints, corners, screw holes, etc., on the housing with duct
tape.

We had a similar installation in a previous house with similar insulation.
Nothing additional was required and we had no problem.

Was it in the area with very hot summers? I am thinking of potential
overheating if the fan housing is sitting deep in the cellulose without
any air gap surrounding it.

Protecting bathroom fan from attic cellulose insulation
 

Alfred K. wrote:
On Fri 02 Oct 2009 11:10:46a, Alfred K. told us...

On Thu 01 Oct 2009 09:36:50p, Alfred K. told us...

An exhaust fan has been added to the upper floor bathroom. The attic's
insulation (cold climate!) is blown cellulose particles. Is it
customary to cover the fan's top housing with some kind of a cap to
protect it from being contaminated with the insulation dust?

You should *not* be exhausting bathroom air directly into the attic.
There should be a duct (preferably insulated) connected to the exhaust
fan and connected to an appropriate exterior vent through the roof,
eave, or sidewall of the house. This would also apply to exhaust fans
anywhere in the house; e.g., utility room, kitchen, etc.

An insulated duct, of course, is there, connected to an ridge vent on
the roof. I am asking about some possibility of contamination even
with the duct present.

If the duct is sealed to the exhaust fan outlet, I can't imagine how
dust would enter the system from the attic. You could, of course,
seal all perceptible joints, corners, screw holes, etc., on the
housing with duct tape.

We had a similar installation in a previous house with similar
insulation. Nothing additional was required and we had no problem.

Was it in the area with very hot summers? I am thinking of potential
overheating if the fan housing is sitting deep in the cellulose without
any air gap surrounding it.



The motor is cooled by the airflow

Protecting bathroom fan from attic cellulose insulation
 

On Fri 02 Oct 2009 07:05:45p, Alfred K. told us...

On Fri 02 Oct 2009 11:10:46a, Alfred K. told us...

On Thu 01 Oct 2009 09:36:50p, Alfred K. told us...

An exhaust fan has been added to the upper floor bathroom. The
attic's insulation (cold climate!) is blown cellulose particles. Is
it customary to cover the fan's top housing with some kind of a cap
to protect it from being contaminated with the insulation dust?

You should *not* be exhausting bathroom air directly into the attic.
There should be a duct (preferably insulated) connected to the
exhaust fan and connected to an appropriate exterior vent through the
roof, eave, or sidewall of the house. This would also apply to
exhaust fans anywhere in the house; e.g., utility room, kitchen, etc.

An insulated duct, of course, is there, connected to an ridge vent on
the roof. I am asking about some possibility of contamination even
with the duct present.

If the duct is sealed to the exhaust fan outlet, I can't imagine how
dust would enter the system from the attic. You could, of course, seal
all perceptible joints, corners, screw holes, etc., on the housing with
duct tape.

We had a similar installation in a previous house with similar
insulation. Nothing additional was required and we had no problem.

Was it in the area with very hot summers? I am thinking of potential
overheating if the fan housing is sitting deep in the cellulose without
any air gap surrounding it.




Yes, very hot but not humid. No problems at all. A lot depends on the
quality of equipment you buy.

--

~~ If there's a nit to pick, some nitwit will pick it. ~~

~~ A mind is a terrible thing to lose. ~~

************************************************** ********

Wayne Boatwright