Is your exhaust fan working fine?

Whether it is a simple home appliance or not, we always want to make sure it functions properly.

"Is there a problem with my bathroom fan if it works non-stop? Especially if it does not depend on any button?"

If you live in British Columbia, particularly in the Tri-Cities, the answer is,

None, your exhaust fan works just fine.   

A continuous vent fan is a BC building code rule to ensure ventilation within your unit. It was a method chosen by the builder of the home. With in-floor hydronic heating, which you have in your unit, there isn't a direct method to draw fresh outside air (unlike furnaces that draw fresh air from outside directly and blow it to each room). 

You will notice a vent in the rooms (usually circular ones) that can control the amount of fresh air, and the bath fan is continuously on to draw stale and moist air out.

A continuous exhaust fan is part of the BC building code and is normal.

We at Lucullan have long avoided exhaust-based fans to handle moisture and air freshness. Instead, we use HRVs or ERVs to control the air mechanically. These devices manage the levels based on actual humidity and or temperature automatically. They both do a bit of mixing to ensure heat or energy is not wasted or on all the time. HRV unit itself heats the incoming air so that you're not paying to heat that air coming into the home. An ERV takes an extra step and manages the moisture as well.

This article was last updated on May 27, 2023