Home inspectors cite when they find a bathroom fan vent into attics, but many don’t understand why it’s bad.
Bathroom fans are a critical component of a bathroom ventilation system and essential to good indoor air quality. A bathroom vent fan is a mechanical exhaust system that moves up to 130 cubic feet of warm moist air. The bathroom air must vent outside to prevent ceiling joists and drywall damage.
You should not vent a bathroom fan into an interior space, including the attic, wall or ceiling cavity, or crawl space. Venting a bathroom fan into an interior space or attic is against IRC building codes and can cause mold growth and even damage the wood roof structure.
But what happens if you vent the bathroom fan into the attic? In this article, we will explore what happens when you vent a bathroom fan into the attic and whether or not it is a good idea. We will also discuss how to properly vent a bathroom fan so that it does not cause problems in your home.
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Why Can’t a Bathroom Fan Vent into Attic?
In older homes, it was common for bathrooms to be vented by an operable window. The problem is that most of the older homes have inoperable windows or the windows are too small. When installing a bathroom exhaust vent in an older house, they often do not have a discharge pipe, or the discharge pipe will discharge in the vicinity of the soffit, gable, or ridge vent.
The best practice is to direct the vent pipe completely outside. Discharging moisture-rich air in the vicinity of a passive vent can still cause mold growth and doesn’t satisfy local building codes.
For example, moist air discharging inside the attic near a gable vent may not exit the attic area. The proper way is to cut a hole in the gable wall to ensure the moist air is discharged outside.
Bathroom fans are designed to remove excess moisture and odors from the bathroom. They need venting to the exterior of the home. If you vent a bathroom fan into the attic, it can cause many problems.
Moist Bathroom Exhaust Causes Mold Growth
Bathroom fans work by moving a lot of moist air. When you vent a bath fan into the attic space, that moist warm air will condense, causing the wood, insulation, and drywall to get wet. This can lead to mold and mildew growth, which can damage your home and cause health problems for you and your family.
Moist Bathroom Air Can Cause Ice Dams
Bathroom fans can also cause ice dams if you live in a cold climate. Ice dams are formed when your bathroom fan’s warm, moist air hits the cold wood sheathing. This can cause the snow on your roof to melt and then re-freeze, forming a dam of ice that can damage your roof and cause leaks.
Bathroom Exhaust Fan Venting Options?
There are three options for venting a bathroom fan in the attic. You can either vent through the roof, exterior wall, or soffit.
Venting Through the Exterior Side Wall
Venting through the exterior wall is the best option, allowing the humid air to escape directly out of your home. Venting through the exterior wall is the best way to ensure the bathroom exhaust doesn’t flow back into the attic.
Venting Through the Roof
Venting through the roof is the next best option. However, you will need to ensure that the roof vent is sealed correctly to prevent roof leaks. Venting through the roof also provides an unimpeded path to the exterior. However, roof vents are prone to leaks.
Venting Through the Soffit
Some people ask is it ok to vent bathroom fan into soffit? Venting through the soffit is the least desirable option, as it can cause moisture problems in your home. Vented soffits draw outside air into the attic.
This exhaust air can be picked up and flow back into the attic through the soffit vents by venting a bath vent fan near a soffit vent. This will increase the humidity in the attic, which can lead to mold and mildew growth.
Does Your Bathroom Fan Vent into the Attic?
If your bathroom is discharging into the attic crawl space, we recommend having a professional contractor inspect your home for signs of mold or wood rot. It would be best if you also worked with your contractor to create a plan to vent your bathroom fans outside.
How to Vent a Bathroom Fan from the Attic to the Outside?
Do Bathroom Exhaust Fans Have to Vent Through the Roof?
No, bath exhaust fans can be vented through a side wall or the soffit. However, venting through the roof is often the best option to prevent moisture problems in your attic. If you can’t vent through the exterior wall or soffit and don’t want to vent through the roof, you can install ventless bathroom fans, but you’ll need to change the filters every three to six months.
Is it Better to Vent the Bathroom Fan Through the Roof or Soffit?
It is better to vent the bathroom fan through the roof than through the soffit. Venting through the soffit is the least desirable option, as it can cause moisture problems in your home. Soffit venting draws air into the attic.
By discharging a bathroom fan near a soffit vent, the moist air can be picked up and flow back into the attic through the soffit vents. This will increase the humidity in the attic, which can lead to mold and mildew growth.
If your roof does not have a vented soffit, then discharging out the soffit is ok.
What is the International Residential Code for Venting a Bathroom Fan?
According to the International Residential Code (IRC), bathroom exhaust fans have a few essential requirements. Most of the code is found in IRC Chapter 15 Exhaust Systems and IRC Chapter 16 Duct Systems. However, consult your local building code or department for the final verdict, as these codes may vary.
Exhaust Vents Must be 10 Feet Away From Intakes
The IRC states in section 1504.3 that bathroom fans should be no closer than 10 feet from ventilation intakes. Intakes include furnace fresh air intakes and soffit venting, for example.
According to the IRC, you can have the bathroom fan vent hood above a furnace as long as it is at least 3-ft away. You also must ensure that the exhaust is 3-ft away from windows, doors, intake vents, and property lines.
Fan CFM Rating & Duct Diameter Determines the Maximum Duct Length
Many clients ask me the maximum length a bathroom fan (or dryer) duct can be, and the Internation Residential Code (section 1504.2) has a helpful table on this topic.
You can vent a bathroom fan up to 40 feet from the bathroom to the outlet. However, we recommend that you have a professional plan for venting your bathroom fan if you intend to vent farther than 20 feet, as this can increase the risk of moisture and mold problems in your home.
Bathroom Exhaust Fan Venting Code Requirements
You will need your bathroom fan’s fan speed or CFM. The CFM is usually between 50 and 150, but it can be as high as 300 for commercial exhaust fans. The CFM represents the cubic feet of air movement the fan generates. According to the IRC, a home’s minimum CFM requirement is 50-CFM (section 1505.4.4)
Duct Diameter
Many older bathroom vents have a 3-inch vent pipe, while newer and more powerful models use 4- to 6-inch diameter pipes.
Bathroom Vent Fans Can’t Discharge inside an Attic
Don’t make the mistake of venting your new bathroom fan into a ceiling cavity or attic- it’s against building codes. According to IRC sections 1505.2 and 1501.1, bathroom fans must be vented outside the home and not into an attic or crawl space.
Installing an insulated flex duct is highly suggested if you vent your bathroom fan exhaust into unconditioned space, such as an attic or crawlspace.
Insulated flex ducts help eliminate condensation issues on the duct itself. Insulated ducts often come in 25-foot lengths and include a layer of fiberglass insulation.
A Window Can Replace A Bathroom Fan
According to the IRC code (R303.3), an appropriately sized and openable window is allowed to take the place of a bathroom fan. The IRC stipulates that a bathroom fan is not required if you have a window with at least 3 square feet of area and half of it is openable.
How to Vent a Bathroom with no Window or Outside Access?
If you have a bathroom with no outside access, install a ventless bathroom fan with a carbon filter. This type of bathroom fan will not vent to the outside but recirculate the bathroom air and filter out any odors. Ventless fans have an activated-charcoal filter that you must replace at least every 6-months.
Get FREE quotes from the best local handyman services in your area today. Whether you need a ceiling fan installed, a fence mended, closet or garage organization, minor painting, etc., We Can Help! All handyman services are screened, licensed, and insured.
