Do I Need a Humidity Sensor For My Bathroom Fan

A popular addition to a bathroom exhaust fan is a humidity sensor but what is it, what is its function and do I really need one? These are all great questions to ask. Lets take them one by one.

What is a Humidity Sensor?

A humidity sensor is a device that detects the humidity level of the room or surrounding area. You might hear them called humidistats or even dehumidistats. When is comes specifically to bathroom exhaust fans they are either located inside the actual fan or mounted on the wall. A wall mounted device will give a better indication of the overall room humidity where a sensor integrated into the fan will have a quicker response to a rise in humidity – especially when the shower is in use. When the sensor detects a rise in humidity it will turn the exhaust fan on until the humidity decreases. There are many factors that can contribute to how long that might take including items such as size of the room, how long the shower was on, how hot the water was, ambient temperature and so on.

What is the Function of a Humidity Sensor?

Removing the humid air is a key factor in increasing your home’s indoor air quality. If you allow the humidity level to stay very high (above 50%) items like mold and mildew will start to grow and if not mitigated can cause issues with rot as well as health concerns. If you notice a lot of mildew in your bathroom, paint that is peeling, or a musty smell, you probably have a humidity issue. A sensor is a built in way to monitor the humidity level of your bathroom and adjust accordingly without you needing to constantly be monitoring it. Sensors are able to be set for a wide range of humidity level usually from about 5% to 80% relative humidity. The lower the humidity level is set for, the longer the fan will run. The ability to set the humidity level allows you to adjust to your specific needs and geographic location. More humid climates will need to set the humidity level higher than less humid areas. A quick note. If the fan is continuously running, it might be because the normal humidity level is too high and air conditioning or some type of dehumidifier needs to be added.

Do I Need a Humidity Sensor?

As we stated above, humidity sensors provide an automated way to ensure the humidity level of your bathroom is where it should be. Sadly, the exhaust fans in many homes are not used properly or even turned on at all. It is recommended that the exhaust fan run for at least 20 minutes after the shower is turned off and that is in the best-case scenario. In more humid situations that time might go up to an hour or more. Having a sensor in place takes the guesswork out of determining if the humidity level of the room is where it needs to be. Considering if you need a sensor can be determined by answering the following questions:

Is my exhaust fan being used properly by everyone utilizing the bathroom? Is it being turned on and allowed to run for the set time needed to fully exhaust the humid air out?

Do I notice signs of mildew, mold, peeling paint that tells me I need more ventilation?

Are there any building codes in my area that require it? California CALGreen requires any exhaust fan in a full bathroom must have a humidity sensor.

Do I have a rental property? Having all the bathroom exhaust fans on a humidity sensor in rentals is a great way to ensure the fans are being utilized properly.

What to Do Next

If you are in the middle of a bathroom remodel or are looking to replace an old exhaust fan, this is a great opportunity to upgrade to one that has an integrated humidity sensor. If you already have an exhaust fan installed, adding a wall mounted sensor switch is a fairly easy way to ensure the humidity level of the room. We do caution that while this is a project most do-it-yourselfers can handle, if you have any questions or concerns to consult a license electrician. We also caution to make sure your exhaust fans can be used with a humidity sensor. All Air King exhaust fans are able to be used with a humidity sensor and in general most exhaust fan can be used with one, but there may be other brands that can not. One other item to consider when choosing an exhaust fan that will be used with a sensor is the sound level. Fans with sensors are most likely going to run for longer periods of time. If you have a really loud fan, this could cause a less than ideal situation. One of the main reasons people do not turn on the exhaust fan is due to the sound level. Look for a fan around 1 sone or less. These are very quiet fans and will probably provide a much better experience. 

For more information regarding bathroom exhaust fans as well as fans with integrated humidity sensors such as the BFC90H, visit airkinglimited.com. To learn more about a humidistat view our video on YouTube.

Asking a question like if you need fresh air can sound a bit foolish as life would be a little hard to live without it. It is also an open-ended question. When we ask if you need fresh air, we are referring to your home. Does your home feel “stuffy”, have odors, mildew or other things growing other than the house plants? If so, it might be because you don’t have a good influx of fresh air.

Fresh air is a vital part of the indoor air quality of homes and can have a direct impact on the heath of the inhabitants. Let’s start by looking at what fresh air is and why you need it. When it comes to indoor air quality of a home, we are going to define fresh air as outside air (filtered or not) that is brought into the home to dilute and replace the stagnant and contaminated air inside. The home is full of contaminates that are produced from daily living. Just breathing inside of a home is going to produce contaminates. Add to that cooking, laundry, cleaning and we can see how the need grows quickly and we haven’t even mentioned if there is someone who is sick inside the home.

Most people would agree that the list of contaminates above are not good to have lingering in the air inside the home for everyone to be breathing in. The next question is what do we do about it? How fresh air is brought into the home will be dependent on many factors. Here are a few:

The age of the home.

Newer homes are being built to more stringent codes that make them more energy efficient. This is a good thing but is also diminishes the amount of natural air coming into the home. That means that you will probably need to have some type of mechanical solution like a fan that brings air in that also works with exhaust fans to take the stale air out. Older homes will have more natural fresh air coming into the home (that is a fancy way of saying drafts).

The climate.

Living in a mild climate means you can have window and doors open more often, allowing air to come in. For homes located in more extreme climates, either cold or hot, natural fresh air might not be as much of an option. Think Arizona in the summer or Minnesota in the winter. In these locations a mechanical solution is almost a must.

Location of the home.

If the home is located where the outdoor air quality is high, then bringing air into the home can be done without any filtration. If the home is located in areas such as cities, high car traffic areas or areas prone to wildfires producing smoke and so forth, having a fresh air solution that also includes some type of air filtration is going to provide the best option. It is possible that in extreme conditions you could actually be bringing in worst air than what is already inside the home. Statistic show that the air inside many homes can be up to 5 times more polluted than outside air, so even in more urban setting and with all the outside contaminates, it will still be beneficial to bring fresh air in.

Air King offers multiple fresh air intake fans that can be sized for most residential applications with models that include the ability to add air filtration, settings for humidity as well as temperature and more. To learn more about these visit the Fresh Air section on the Air King website at airkinglimited.com. To learn more about indoor air quality, make sure to read through our resource of blogs on the topic.

My Exhaust Fan Isn't Working Properly

A question we get on a regular basis is people telling us their exhaust fan isn't working properly. It is a simple enough question but it has a multitude of answers. While it is impossible to list every scenario, we will look at some more common issues that happen with exhaust fans no matter who the manufacturer is. Generally when an exhaust fan isn't working properly it can be classified into one of two categories – mechanical or installation.

Mechanical issues generally occur over time and are affected by a host of factors such as usage, environmental issues (living near salt water), where the unit is located and so forth. Some issues that might seem like they are mechanical could actually be installation issues and we will get into those in the next section. Generally if the fan does not operate right after installation it is most likely an installation issue rather than a mechanical one – not always but most of the time. Some of the common mechanical issues are:

The fan stops operating.

This could be the motor has worn out and has stopped running. You can expect this in older fans that have been operating for a long time. If it is a newer fan, check your warranty as many fans have at least a one-year warranty and some up to a 5 year warranty.

Fan starts making loud noises – “metal” sounds.

More than likely this is because something inside or around the fan has come loose. This could be something in the mounting system, a weld on the housing, the motor mount has come loose and so on. If it is the mounting, simply tightening the mounting screws or re-enforcing the connections to the joist or stud should solve it. If the welds on the housing have come undone this is a little harder to fix and you might be better off replacing the unit – especially if it is an older unit.

Fan starts making loud noises – “rattling” sounds.

This is typically attributed to the fan blade becoming out of balance and can sometime sound like the fan is pulsing. This happens in one of two ways. The first is the blade becomes warped. This can happen if there is excess heat or chemicals. A more common reason for this is the fan blade my be dirty and have a build-up on it causing it to be out of balance. Refer to your unit’s instructions sheets for care and maintenance. The good news is this is usually a fairly simple fix.

Doesn’t seem as if the fan is moving the same amount of air as it used to.

If the amount of air being moved decreases over time or the sound of the fan increases over time, the main culprit is usually a build up in the ducting or a blockage at either the wall or roof cap. Bird’s nests are a common issue. Check to see if there is anything blocking where the fan is exhausting.

If you determine it is not a mechanical issue, then the reason your exhaust fan isn't working could be an installation issue. In general you should notice these issues right away but there are some that will show up a little later. Some of the common installation issues are:

Fan does not turn on.

This is usually a wiring issue where they were not connected properly. Check the wiring diagram in your installation instructions. Another common issue is that sometimes people forget to restore power to the unit either at the circuit board or at the wall switch (don’t worry, it happens to the best of us).

Fan does not operated as expected.

Here is where it gets a little more difficult to pinpoint the issue and it requires a bit of investigative work. First, check to see if the size of the duct collar on the unit matches the duct size you are connecting to. If the duct you are connecting to is smaller, you will loose airflow (CFM) and increase sound (sones). Going from smaller to larger ducting is fine but reducing it can cause some issues. Second, determine how long and how many turns the ducting has before the air leaves the home. The longer the ducting and the more turns it makes, the more static pressure the air has to overcome. This will cause the fan to work harder, reduce the airflow and in many cases increase the sound. A best practice is to keep the ducting as short and straight as possible. Third is what type of ducting is being used. It is always recommended that straight, ridged ducting be used. While flexible ducting is easier to use, it can decrease the performance of the fan – especially if it has a bunch of turns and twist like was mention above. Sometimes these items can’t be avoided. If you can identify them in the planning phase however, you might be able to address them there by using a higher power and quieter fan to compensate for the performance “lose” you might experience.

Fan makes loud or rattling sounds immediately after installation.

We touched on a few of these items above, but if they are happening immediately after installation it probably has to do with how the fan was installed. With the power OFF, check to make sure the fan’s housing is securely fastened to the joist or stud. Next check to see if the fan blade is out of balance or is hitting the housing as it spins (you can spin it with your hand). Check the duct collar and connections to make sure they are all secure. Check the motor mount. Many fans have what is called a venturi or a venturi plate that holds the motor in place within the housing. If this is not installed properly or securely it might rattle or cause the fan to be out of balance.

Identifying why your exhaust fan isn't working properly can sometimes be a tricky but utilizing the suggestion we laid out in this post will hopefully help. For more information about exhaust fans, visit airkinglimited.com. If you are looking for a specific Air King model, utilize the search feature or access instruction and user manuals here.

Can I Use a Duct Reducer With My Exhaust Fan?

You decide it is finally time to replace your old exhaust fan in your bathroom. You go out and buy the new model and are excited to get it installed. One issue. When you take out the old one you notice that the duct size is different – now what? This is a common issue when replacing exhaust fans. Codes have changed over the years and where 3” duct might have been common, it is now 4” duct. Many codes and builders across the USA are even going up to 6” duct as standard. So what do you do if you have smaller size ducting in your home than the duct coming from your exhaust fan?

A common solution is to use a duct reducer. This attaches to the duct collar coming off the exhaust fan and reduces the duct size down. For instance, if your fan has a 6” duct collar but your ducting is 4”, you can use a 6” to 4” reducer. Seems simple and easy – right. Well, unfortunately it is not that simple. Many fans are not designed to be used with a duct reducer. By reducing the ducting you are creating more resistance and not allowing the air to flow as freely as it was designed to do. This will cause the amount of air you can move to be reduce and in many cases will increase the sound level of the fan. It will also make the fan work harder and possibly reduce the lifespan. This falls into the category of if it is your only option other than replacing all of the ducting and the wall or roof cap, then you might consider it.

A better option is to try and get ahead of the game so to speak. When researching a replacement for your fan, try to determine what size ducting you already have in place. There are a few ways you can do this.

1. Find the model number of the fan you are replacing and do a search online to find out the duct size. This is generally accurate but you do need to keep in mind that the person who installed it could have also used a duct reducer. 

2. When you remove the old fan you can see what size duct was used and if a reducer is in place. The issue with this is we know most people like to have the new fan on hand before taking the old one out.

3. If you have access to the fan from above (attic) you can measure the size of the existing ducting.

What about if the ducting in my home is bigger than the ducting from the exhaust fan? In almost all situations going form smaller to larger ducting will not create any issues. You will need to have an adapter installed to properly connect the smaller ducting to the larger but you shouldn’t see any increase in sound or decrease in airflow.

To learn more about exhaust fans and ventilation visit airkinglimited.com or consult a professional in your area.

Anatomy of Kitchen Range Hoods

Kitchen Range Hoods are a critical component in maintaining the indoor air quality of our homes. The kitchen is one of the leading sources of contaminates in our homes and utilizing a range hood decreases these contaminates and makes our homes healthier to live in. So how do kitchen range hoods work?

Having an understanding of how range hoods work and what they are providing is an important component to making sure they are utilized correctly. Range hoods have a two-function purpose. The first is to provide protection to the cabinets above the cooking area. Almost all cabinets are made out of wood so to protect them if there is a flare up on the cooktop is important. Over the years range hoods have greatly advanced to more than just basic protection. They have become part of an indoor air quality solution. The basic principle of kitchen range hood is to take the “bad” air being generated during the cooking process and move it (exhaust it) out or filter it.

There are two types of methods a range hood uses to better the indoor air quality. The first is to utilize an odor filter and recirculate the air back into the room. This type of range hood does not require ducting. While this will provide some improvement to the indoor air quality of the kitchen, they really are not very effective as the filters used only catch a small percentage of the contaminates you really want to remove from the living space. This type falls into the “better than nothing” category. A much better way is to have the air exhaust to the outside. These hoods still have some type of grease filter that prevents grease from building up on the hood’s motor/blower as well as in the ducting. The big benefit is all of the contaminates the hood captures will be exhausted to the outdoors and away from the living area. 

Most kitchen range hoods also have some type of lighting feature to them. These might be LED, incandescent or even halogen. When looking for a range hood, take note of the light both from an efficiency standpoint as well as the location. Generally a hood with the light at the front will provide better overall coverage of the cooking surface.

The next part of the range hoods is the duct collar for hoods that are being exhausted to the outdoors. Hoods that are recirculating the air back into the kitchen typically have an exhaust vent build into the hood itself. Hoods that are exhausting to the outdoors will have some type of duct collar either built into the hood or one that attaches to the hood. Common sizes for these collars are 3.25” x 10” or round. Round duct collars range from 5” to 10” and larger. Many of the duct collars are going to also incorporate a backdraft damper that prevents or at least lessens the amount of air coming back into the home through the ducting. A quick note – if you feel drafts coming from your range hood, you might want to upgrade your backdraft damper. Air travels through the ducting from the range hood to either a wall cap or a roof cap. While these components are not necessarily part of the fan, they are integral components that are required. Wall and roof caps vary in function, features and costs. Two common features are bird screens that prevent birds from building nests in the ducting (yes, it does happen and it is more common than you think) and backdraft dampers. Backdraft dampers on the wall or roof cap provide an extra layer in addition to the one on the range hood to prevent backdrafts.

These are the main components of kitchen range hoods. In addition some fans will have extra features like continuous operation, thermostats that turn the unit on or off and more. For more information of the range hoods available through Air King visit airkinglimited.com

Anatomy of Exhaust Fans

Exhaust fans play a pivotal roll in maintaining the indoor air quality of our homes. Utilizing them decreases contaminates, reduces moisture and makes our homes healthier to live in. So how do exhaust fans work?

Having an understanding of how exhaust fans or as they are sometimes called – bath fans work is an important component to making sure they are utilized correctly. The basic principle of an exhaust fan is to take the “bad” air inside your living space and move it (exhaust it) out. That air is then replaced with fresh air. It is a fairly simple concept.

The exhaust fan’s main component is a blower of some type. Lower end units will utilize a fan blade that looks similar to a typical portable fan. Higher end units will utilize a blower wheel or as some people refer to it, a squirrel cage. Blower wheels generally are able to produce more ventilation at a quieter sound level. In either case the wheel or blades turn and generate airflow that is directed through the fan’s duct collar.

The next part of the exhaust fan is the duct collar. Exhaust fans must be ducted to the outdoors and run through ducting in the home to either a wall cap or a roof cap. While these components are not necessarily part of the fan, they are integral components that are required. The duct collar of the fan is connected to the ducting from the home. Ducting can range from 3 inches to 6 inches in typical residential homes. More and more new construction is moving to 6 inch ducting as it provides better airflow with less resistance. It is important to match the ducting size to the size of the exhaust fan. For instance if you have 4 inch ducting but have a 6 inch ducted exhaust fan you will need to reduce the ducting down to fit. This will make the fan work harder, reduce the airflow and increase the sound level.

A second part of the duct collar is the backdraft damper. This is a flap that closes to prevent drafts from coming back into the home. Backdraft dampers are usually either gravity closing or spring loaded. The way they work is when the fan is operating and blowing air out of the collar the force of the air opens the damper. Once the unit is shut off the damper will either “fall” down on gravity type dampers or close with spring-loaded dampers, sealing off the ducting.

The next component of an exhaust fan is the housing. The housing holds everything together and is what is installed into the ceiling. Housings come in many different sizes and are installed in different ways. Common installations include hanger bars that slide into a channel on the housing and then extend out to connect to the ceiling joists. A second mounting type is mounting tabs. These are tabs on the housing that install directly to the ceiling joist. Other mounting types are ones such as with the Air King BFQ series that have a snap-in bracket.

So far all the components we discussed are ones you won’t see once the fan is installed. The one that you will see is the grill. Like housings, grills come in all different sizes and shapes. The grill has a few functions. First is to cover up and protect all the inter workings of the fan. Second is to be aesthetically pleasing - no one wants an ugly hole in their ceiling. Lastly the grill provides a balance of décor and function as it needs to be able to allow enough air to come into the fan without restricting that air.

These are the main components of an exhaust fan. In addition some fans will have extra features like a light, heater function, humidity sensor, motion sensor and more. For more information about the exhaust fans available through Air King visit airkinglimited.com.

5 Ways to Improve Your Holiday Indoor Air Quality

With the holiday season upon us, family and friends will be gathering to celebrate in homes across the country. Just at the mention of the holidays might evoke smells of cookies, pine trees, the roast cooking and so many others. These are all wonderful things that make our homes welcoming to our guests. The question however is what are we doing to ensure the holiday indoor air quality of our homes? Here are 5 common things we do around the holidays that affect the indoor air quality of our homes and what we can do to improve them.

Cooking and Baking

Nothing says the holidays more than the smells coming form the kitchen. Whether it is Christmas cookies baking, a big pot roast, or other holiday favorites. You might be getting hungry just reading about it. The challenge to IAQ is when these items are cooking they are also releasing contaminates into the air in the form of smoke, moisture, carcinogens and more. Yes, we know – way to ruin the holidays by talking about this. Before we panic and serve carrot sticks instead of cookies, there is a solution – ventilation. Making sure the kitchen range hood is operating and venting to the outdoors while cooking will alleviate most of these contaminates. If your range hood does not currently vent to the outdoors, consider replacing it with one that does. If venting to the outdoors is not an option consider utilizing an air purifier.

Lighting Candles

Candles have become a holiday tradition across the country. The smell of pumpkin spice, apple spice, holiday spice and the other endless scents waffling through the air turn our homes into a delight for the senses. We even use candles for holiday traditions and ceremonies. The issue is that when we light a candle we basically have an open fire inside our home and no place for the smoke to go so we end up breathing it in. Air King has a whole blog post dedicated to candles and IAQ that you can read here. The solution is to have a ventilation strategy when using candles. That could be utilizing the exhaust fan in the bathroom, having general ventilation in other areas of the home and so forth.

Hosting Parties

Tis the season for homes full of friends and family. It warms the heart just thinking about it. However, we already have the food cooking in the kitchen causing contaminates. We have lit candles around the home to fill it with the smells of the holidays but creating smoke and now we have a home full of people who are breathing which fills the room with CO2 as well as any other contaminates they are breathing out (we really do know how to ruin the fun of the holidays). As with cooking and candles, the solution is ventilation and fresh air. As the home fills up and the room temperature rises, many of us will open a window or door to cool off. This is a fantastic idea as it allows fresh air in and pushes the stale, contaminated air out. The issue is we typically need a little more. Having a centralized exhaust fan operating or the range hood operating even if nothing is cooking can dramatically increase the indoor air quality. An HVAC expert can help you identify how you can more effectively ventilate your home and ensure you have the right balance of fresh air coming in while ventilating out the bad.

Crafts

You can’t have the holidays without decorations. For a lot of people that means breaking out the craft kits gluing, painting and so forth. What a lot of us miss is that if you look at most of the craft kits, paint and glue – it says right on the bottles “use in a well ventilated area”. Unfortunately in most homes, the living room, dinning room or craft room is not a well-ventilated area. Something simple like doing the craft on the kitchen table or counter with the range hood running can have a positive impact. Another thing to remember is that many paints continue to produce air contaminates as they dry so once the project is done, moving them outside the home to a garage or storage space is very helpful. 

Cleaning

A holiday tradition that no one likes is the cleaning. You have a full guest list coming but the house is a mess (from all the cooking) so it needs to be cleaned. If you have read this far, you know something bad is coming. Here it is. Using cleaners can have a real negative effect on IAQ. Cleaners can be really nasty – bleach, ammonium, and so forth produce a ton of contaminates that fill the air we breathe. They are very effective in killing the bacteria and germs but it is at the expense of the IAQ of the home. That is why it is crucial that exhaust fans are utilized when the cleaning is happening. When the bathroom and powder room is being cleaned, make absolutely sure the exhaust fan is turned on and stays on until the smell of the cleaners is gone. When cleaning the kitchen, turn the range hood on. If you are able to open windows, do so.

With a little thought and some simple steps including a plan for ventilation and fresh air, you can drastically improve the holiday indoor air quality of your home, truly making it an inviting place to gather.

For more information about Air King’s exhaust fans, fresh air solutions, and range hoods utilize the links at the top of this page. Also make sure to visit Lasko’s page for a full line of air purifiers.