Why you need a Bathroom Extractor Fan

Why you need a Bathroom Extractor Fan

By Ruth MacEachern

Product Manager

There are few things as restful as unwinding in a nice hot bath at the end of a hectic day.  Enjoying the heat and soaking away any aches and stresses that have built up.  The last thing that you want to think about as you relax is that your hot bath is contributing to damp in your home, but the truth is that the steam released during a bath or shower will form condensation that can, in time, contribute to the build up of damp and even mould on walls and ceilings.

When it reaches cool surfaces, the steam from your hot bath condenses to more than a litre of water on walls and ceilings. 

If you have a power shower in your home, then the combination of hot water and spray can create even more condensation than a bath – up to 1.5 litres.  If the condensation is allowed to build up, it can quickly develop into a damp problem and cause unsightly black mould to grow.

There are some steps that you should take to reduce the amount of condensation that a bath can cause.

The first, and simplest thing to do is to ensure that you close the bathroom door while your bath is running and while you are in the bath.  You should also leave the door closed after the bath has drained, as the air will remain very humid for up to an hour after you have finished.  This simple step prevents a lot of the steam from escaping into other rooms in the home and keeps it largely in a room which is designed to cope with steam.

Ideally though, you want to remove that moist air from your home as quickly as possible so that even your bathroom walls are protected from condensation.

Don’t just Leave the Window Open

During the summer, you might just leave the window open while you bathe or shower, but this isn’t the most effective way of preventing condensation from building up.  An open window means air coming into the property.  This might help airflow overall, but its as likely to mean that the wet bathroom air is being blown into other rooms where it can form condensation.  What you need is an extractor fan.

Unlike a window which can have air moving in both directions, a powerful extractor fan only pushes the wet air in one direction: out.  This airflow out of the property means that water vapour from the bathroom is moved out of the house quickly and the slight negative air pressure that it creates in the bathroom pulls air in from other rooms meaning that the damp air cannot escape into your living spaces.

EnviroVent bathroom extractor fans such as the Cyclone 8 feature technology that monitors humidity levels and boost air flow when needed to minimise the risk of condensation.  As efficient products, they can help to reduce energy bills as well as protecting your home from the risk of damp.

If you're worrying about the risk of condensation and damp rather than enjoying a soak in the bath, then contact us today to book a free survey that will help resolve any condensation problems forever.