Exhaust fan - what is it, characteristics, purpose, types, how to choose, installation

When there is an unpleasant smell in the house, there is nothing to talk about coziness and comfort. Air fresheners will help prevent the situation, but often the problem is that the ventilation system does not work well in the room. In this case, electric exhaust fans are installed in places where unpleasant odors accumulate.

Timely ventilation helps prevent mold and stench from spreading throughout the apartment. The device is especially useful for owners of premises who smoke in the toilet and do not want the smell from smoked cigarettes to spread throughout the room.

Brief characteristics of the exhaust fan

The device is a small object that, due to the rapid twisting of the blades, distills air through the channels of the ventilation system. At the same time, it does not disrupt the natural air exchange process if it does not have a check valve.

Purpose

An electric hood fan plays an important role in places where excess moisture, smoke or odors accumulate. Unfavorable factors contribute to the formation of mold in the bathroom or the appearance of soot on the ceiling.

To eliminate such problems, it is necessary to quickly and promptly restore the air content to normal. It is then that the exhaust fan allows you to solve this issue.

Place of installation

In houses and apartments, the methods of air flow in the room differ from each other. The complexity of the exhaust system directly affects the location of the fan. They can be located:

• on the wall;
• on the ceiling;
• in the channel.

The wall and ceiling fan (or surface-mounted) is directly mounted. It is attached to the base of a ventilation shaft that goes through a wall or ceiling obstruction. There is also a mixed version, when the hood works through the wall and ceiling at the same time.

Duct electric fans are mounted in the ventilation pipe, and not at its base. Such a device can drive air from several rooms at the same time, for example, from a bathroom and toilet.

Minus one - inconvenient service. Access to them is usually closed because the ventilation pipe runs behind the walls or ceiling of the room.

Fan types

The direction of movement of the entrained air and the speed of its entrapment depend on the shape of the blades and the electric fan itself. Axial and centrifugal models are used to exhaust the bathroom.

The first group represents products with an axis and rotating blades on it. The motor is located behind this system. The fan is installed in bathrooms or small toilets. With its low performance, low noise level and a reasonable price, this product is considered the most popular of all those presented in the store.

Centrifugal ones resemble a spinning drum with blades on its sides. A quick twist picks up air and propels it into the ventilation duct. These devices are recommended for installation in large rooms and in industry.

To save energy, space for installation and less noise, choose models with backward curved blades. These electric fans can generate a lot of noise inside the chimney.

How to choose an exhaust fan?

A wide range of such products makes you think about a future purchase. The cost of the product also depends on the appearance, technical characteristics.

Wanting to buy a quality product, a consumer can overpay a lot and install a powerful and expensive fan, although a simpler and cheaper model would suit him for his home. What should you pay attention to?

External signs

The hood fan can have different grille shapes and colors, which do not in any way affect the technical characteristics. The housing must be made of plastic. The product is assigned a certain class of protection against moisture (preferably at least IP 24).

Air exchange method

This characteristic is usually called the productivity of the device, that is, the amount of removed air per hour. Measured in cubic meters.

The larger the serviced room, the higher the air exchange should be. For bathrooms and toilets in ordinary apartments, it is enough to install a fan with a capacity of 100 to 120 cubic meters. m / hour.

Noise level

The electric fan can work both at night and during the day. If the device will be used between 11 pm and 7 am, models up to 30 dBA should be selected. For the rest of the time, all devices that reach the maximum permissible noise level of up to 55 dBA are suitable in residential premises.

Mounting type

Wall fans are considered easy to install. They make less noise and are installed in the opening of the duct, and not inside it.

Device power

Before choosing, think about whether the exhaust fan will work for a long time? If the answer is negative, therefore, the power must be selected insignificant for this device. A long period of operation of a low-power device can lead to its rapid breakdown.

Check valve

Installed on some types of fans. When turned off, it prevents other unpleasant odors from entering the room through the ventilation pipe from neighboring apartments. There is a minus of the check valve - the lack of natural ventilation. In this case, the device must work continuously.

Method of inclusion

Fans can be turned on:

• automatically when pressing the electric lighting key;
• manually using a switch;
• using a motion or humidity sensor.

Automatic devices allow you to save energy if you turn off the lights on time and prevent high humidity in the bathroom.

Installation and connection of the exhaust fan

In the process of repair or after it, before installation, it is necessary to consider the electrical connection system of the device. The wires can be pulled before the tiles are laid inside the duct, or they can be run outside through a fan.

Before installation, you must de-energize the house or apartment to avoid electric shock. Then take the following steps:

• Remove the back panel of the device and pass the wires through it.
• Fix the wires to the terminals of the device. White - attaches to the clip marked L, and blue - white (zero) - to N.
• Fasten the front part of the fan and check that it works.
• If the device is working properly, start fixing it.

Reference! Installing a fan to a ceramic tile is problematic due to the laboriousness of making holes for fastening bolts. Most often, this method of fastening is replaced by the usual gluing of the side parts of the electric fan and the walls of the channel.

DIY fan

In order to save and not waste time looking for the necessary device, some owners are trying to make an exhaust device on their own.

Tools and materials for work:

• cooler from a computer with a power of 12 V, 120 mm wide;
• plastic sheet;
• cell phone charger;
• hacksaw;
• switch;
• screwdriver;
• marker and tape measure.

Attention! This ventilation system is intended for small areas such as a bathroom, toilet, basement or utility room.

Step-by-step instruction

The installation of such a device is best done before laying the tiles. The plastic sheet on which the cooler will be mounted must be hidden in the wall under tiles or plastic panels. The work must be done as follows:

• Take a cooler and attach it to the sheet. Circle it along the contour.
• Cut a hole with a hacksaw. Cut the edges of the sheet at a distance sufficient to secure it to the wall.
• Screw the cooler to the cutout hole.
• Connect the power supply to the switch and cooler.
• Check the functionality of the device.
• Fix the invention to the wall with self-tapping screws and screws.

Important! If the switch is not needed, the wires can be connected directly. The device is also being improved, new details are added. It should be remembered that the cooler has low power.

Conclusion

Thus, the reader is provided with complete information about the exhaust fans, their types, features and characteristics. This material will allow you to quickly select the desired product or create a device yourself.