Bathroom fan not pulling air? The reasons for a bathroom fan not pulling air include a faulty or dirty fan and ducting problems such as gaps where air can escape or bends in the ducting.
This post will cover five reasons why you have a bathroom fan not pulling air. I will discuss how you can do some basic fault-finding to find the problem with your bathroom fan. Hopefully, you can use this information to save yourself either time or money with the repairs (or whatever you choose to do.)
Bathroom Fan Not Pulling Air – Reason #1
Dirty Fan
Before calling the electrician, it’s probably a good idea to inspect the fan to make sure that no obstructions are blocking airflow.
A dirty fan can absolutely block airflow.
Working as an electrician, I’ve seen many houses with absolutely filthy fans. It’s quite easy for fans to become dirty over time.
Over time, fans tend to collect grime, dust and hair. This dirt builds up until airflow starts to become obstructed.
Fans which are up high also get overlooked when it comes time to cleaning.
So the first thing you should do to avoid an unnecessary electrician callout is to clean your bathroom fan and try testing it again to see if it will pull air.
Bathroom Fan Not Pulling Air – Reason #2
Holes In Ducting
Bathroom fan not pulling air? You might have ducting problems, specifically gaps in your ducting.
The gap in the ducting will be located somewhere between the vent in your bathroom (where the air gets sucked in) and the inline fan motor located in the ceiling cavity.
Obviously this won’t apply if you have a wall or ceiling fan. If you do have a wall or ceiling fan, go to reason #4.
To check if there are gaps in your ducting, you will need to make a trip into your ceiling cavity.
Check the ducting between the bathroom vent and the fan motor.
In my experience, the points where the ducting connects to the vent and the fan can be prone to problems.
The ducting can come off at either of these points.
If there are air gaps between the vent and the fan motor the bathroom fan will not pull air.
Bathroom Fan Not Pulling Air – Reason #3
Ducting Not Straight
If you haven’t found any gaps in your ducting, don’t come down from the ceiling cavity just yet.
The next thing you will want to check is whether or not the ducting between the bathroom vent and the fan motor are in a reasonably straight line.
If the ducting is bent, then that can make it harder for the bathroom fan to draw air.
Bent ducting can also have small holes or rips in it which will also make it hard to pull air. If you have some duct tape you can cover these holes.
You will want to straighten the fan as much as possible. If the ducting is too long, you can push the ducting together to get it in a straighter line. Having less resistance to airflow inside the duct will help the bathroom fan pull air better.
Bathroom Fan Not Pulling Air – Reason #4
Faulty Fan
If you’ve tried cleaning your fan and checked that the ducting doesn’t have holes and you still have the problem of the bathroom fan not pulling air then there is another possible reason – a faulty fan.
A faulty fan can be caused by things like wear and tear due to age and obstructions in the fan causing it to wear out.
If the bathroom fan sounds like it is struggling to work, or is making weird sounds in general, then it might be a good idea to replace the fan. Bathroom fans tend to be manufactured cheaply and not made to last. If your fan is a wall or ceiling fan, then make sure you get a replacement which will fit the existing hole. For example, if the hole size is 150 mm then make sure to get a fan for 150 mm.
Bathroom Fan Not Pulling Air – Reason #5
No Power To The Fan
Lastly, there might not be any power to the bathroom fan at all. This would be a good reason why you have a bathroom fan not pulling air.
No power to the fan can be caused by many things such as problems at the light switch which controls the fan. A registered electrician will be able to diagnose this, and replace or repair the switch, if required.
Conclusion
Hopefully this post has helped you work out why you have a bathroom fan not pulling air. You can use this information to find the cause of the fault yourself and hopefully save yourself either time or money when it comes to hiring an electrician.
Next Steps
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