Benefits of Bathroom Fans Revealed
Friday, November 27th, 2009ENERGY STAR® bathroom room fans are an important part of a home’s ventilation system. In the past, bathroom fans have been mostly recognized for their indoor air quality and health benefits. They remove odours from the house and improve indoor air quality. They also remove moisture, which decreases the level of humidity in the house. High humidity can damage building materials and can cause mold growth. In addition to indoor air quality and health, there are numerous energy-saving benefits to improving the ventilation system and these benefits are outlined below.
ENERGY-EFFICIENCY
Natural Resources Canada (NRCan) estimates that ENERGY STAR® qualified ventilation fans, use on average, 65% less energy than standard current models. Right now, it’s difficult to quantify the energy-savings against older fans (15+ years) since, the equipment does not contain the energy-rating system that is available on current models. With that being said, annual savings of up to 6 – 7% of heating costs can be achieved by using economical ventilation fans rather than opening windows. Also, operating the ventilation fan continuously can cost less than $20 a year and will save hundreds in heating costs.
In addition, it’s estimated that bathroom fans utilizing a DC motor reduce the energy consumption by about 80% (under continuous operation) compared to older fans (15+years). Additionally, new bathroom fans are required to meet performance standards whereas older fans are not. Therefore, we know that we get significantly better air-flow, thus reducing energy consumption.
NOISE, INDOOR AIR QUALITY & HEALTH
Aside from energy-consumption, we’ve found that because of the “noise” caused by older fans, people aren’t using the existing equipment. Therefore, when you choose to open windows in order to ventilate your residence it wastes more energy. By using a bathroom fan to regulate air-flow, we’ll reduce consumption because it controls evacuation of stale and damp air. It’s a well known principle of building science that tells us that it costs more to heat cold, damp air versus the heating of fresh air regulated by a bathroom fan.
In terms of indoor air quality, lack of adequate ventilation sometimes has negative repercussions on the health of a home’s occupants. Pollutants and dampness trapped inside a house can cause serious respiratory problems and lead to the deterioration of the building’s structure.
If you are interested in improving the ventilation in your home and would like to find out more about bathroom fans, book a free in-home consultation, visit our showrooms or call 604.697.5700. Stay tuned for a new addition to our website on Ventilation and Insulation coming soon!