Efficient bathroom ventilation is crucial as it helps remove excess moisture, steam, and smells from your home, while reducing the risk of mould growing in your home. Bathrooms will see varying levels of moisture and humidity on a daily basis due to their typical usage, such as bathing or showering. Unlike other rooms, a bathroom will often release water vapor into the rest of the home.
Why is Poor Ventilation a Problem?
Odours remaining in the bathroom combined with an overall lack of efficient ventilation in a house can contribute to a generally damp atmosphere. This can create stale air in a building, which can cause discomfort and an increased risk of respiratory problems.
Condensation is contributing factor towards damp and mouldy conditions. Created when steam from a room meets a cooler surface – like a window for example. Without good ventilation, condensation can cause considerable damage to a home like peeling wallpaper or the growth of black mould.
Common Signs of Poor Ventilation
Knowing the warning signs for poor ventilation can galvanise residents and homeowners to improve their airflow and humidity control. For example, the presence of constant condensation on windows and mirrors is a common sign that moisture is struggling to escape a bathroom or kitchen. Another sign that can point to trapped humidity is a musty odour or a lingering damp smell developing, which again can indicate an inadequate ventilation system. Other factors can include:
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Peeling paint or wallpaper thanks to prolonged moisture exposure
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Black mould or mildew forming in corners or around bathroom fixtures
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Aggravated respiratory issues caused by the stale air
How to Stop Poor Ventilation
The Building Regulations Document F1 (2006 Edition) highlights the importance of ventilation in a home, and requires ventilation to be installed in kitchens and bathrooms.
All Vimark extraction fans comply with BS EN 60335-2-80, making them the perfect choice for removing humidity in key locations before it makes its way throughout a house.
Minimum Ventilation Requirements
There are some specific requirements for ventilation within The Building Regulations Document F1 (2006) that need to be adhered to for different areas of a house.
Bathrooms / Shower Rooms require an intermittent fan capable of minimum extract capacity of 15 litres/second or 8 litres per second for a continuous fan. For rooms without an openable window, the fan needs to be fitted with a 15 minute over-run timer. Toilets (separate from a bathroom) require an intermittent and continuous fan to be capable of a minimum extract capacity of 6 litres/second. Just like a normal bathroom / shower room, the fan needs to have a 15 minute over-run timer if there is no openable window in the room. Utility Rooms require intermittent fans to be capable of a minimum extract capacity of 30 litres/second, while continuous running fan must have a minimum high rate of 8 litres/second.
Vimark’s wide range of intermittent extraction fans have a minimum extraction rate of 24 litres/second, making them all able to be used in bathrooms, shower rooms, and toilets that are separate from a bathroom. For utility rooms, the Vimark 150m Axial Fan (6”) features a 71 litre/second extraction rate, making them the perfect choice for installation.
Proper ventilation is a necessity for maintaining a healthy and safe bathroom environment. By understanding bathroom zones and selecting the appropriate fan for each zone, you can ensure long-term safety and performance.