Basement Bathroom - installing new exhaust fan and sealing grout
When we initially finished our basement bathroom we were up to our eyeballs in expenses. In an effort to keep costs down we went with a very simple, yet name brand, exhaust vent. It moved an average amount of air and provided a heat lamp. Unfortunately this unit quickly developed a very loud humming noise whenever it was on. It also had a thermal protection circuit that would activate the vent if the heat lamp got too hot. This circuit quickly burnt out. Even though the thing sounded like a chain saw I could have lived with it. The last straw however was that even with the vent on the bathroom still got too steamy during when using the shower. It got steamy to the point that moisture was collecting on the ceiling duct work and causing them to rust through the paint. We decided it was time to replace this unit. We scrapped our Home Depot bought NuTone unit and got the top of the line from Broan from Lowes. The various units in each lineup look identical. It would not surprise me if they were the same units just rebranded for each box store. This unit moves about twice the air at about half the noise as the NuTone when it was brand new. After about 3 hours the new unit was fully installed. I did test it out with by taking a hot shower and I am blown away, no steam, no moisture on the ceilings, even the mirror was perfectly clear. Broan will be my new best friend if this unit keeps working this well for years to come.
