Consumers spend thousands of dollars on HVAC systems to keep their homes comfortable throughout the year. Bathrooms are no exception, although this room is an overlooked area when it comes to ventilation.
Mold, stale air, and unpleasant odors can leave people wondering how to vent a bathroom with no outside access. Having excellent ventilation in a bathroom can alleviate all of those issues and more.
It’s also something many homeowners can achieve without calling in a professional. We’re going to tell you the best ways to vent these areas when you don’t have outside access, regardless of the design or location of the bathroom.
Signs of Poorly Ventilated Bathroom
Before you decide to spend time and money figuring out how to vent a bathroom with no outside access, think about the room itself and what the issues are.
Is it a half-bathroom with stale air and no windows?
An air purifier or small fan may do the trick. If there’s a shower in the bathroom, you’re likely to experience issues with excess moisture from humidity.
Steamy showers in a closed bathroom with no windows or vents leave moist bathroom air behind, leading to mold and mildew. That can cause unpleasant odors, and you’ll also spend more time cleaning the bathroom.
When the air feels stale or stuffy in a bathroom with a vent already installed, it could be underpowered or need to be replaced.
If the bathroom is in a basement, it presents its own set of problems, just like any bathroom located in the interior or a home away from exterior walls.
How to Vent a Bathroom with No Outside Acces
When you understand why your bathroom has poor ventilation, it’s time to address it. We’ve found four ways to improve airflow in bathrooms without outside access, and several of these tasks are considered DIY-friendly.
We’re going to start with simple fixes before moving on to things that may require additional help from a contractor or HVAC technician.
Install a Ceiling Vent Exhaust Fan
The most effective way for most homeowners to vent a bathroom without outside access is to purchase a ceiling vent fan.
They come in various sizes with a design that will send air from the bathroom into ductwork located in an attic or overhead area.
You can find vent fans with a built-in light fixture, which are ideal for replacing existing overhead fixtures in a bathroom. There are powerful, well-built ceiling vents like the Broan-NuTone CleanCover ceiling vent fan that features a CCT LED light with four settings.
It also has a quiet fan capable of ventilating rooms up to 105 square feet. Alternatively, a budget-friendly ceiling vent fan doesn’t come with lights and isn’t as sleek.
The only drawback to a ceiling vent fan comes into play with interior or basement bathrooms that have an existing room above instead of attic space.
In that case, the fan’s ductwork may need to be routed through the wall, or you could opt for the next option on our list.
Floor Venting
When using a ceiling vent fan isn’t an option, you may be able to vent excess moisture or odors from a bathroom into the floor.
A floor duct vent isn’t as effective as a ceiling vent fan considering heat rises, but they can have a significant impact when properly installed.
Whether floor duct vents the right choice for your home depends on the location of your bathroom and existing ductwork.
In some cases, these fans will simply send air into the basement ductwork but could require running ducts through an exterior wall like some ceiling vents. This type of vent fan doesn’t have additional features and is more challenging to install than an overhead model.
Add a Recirculating Fan
Using a recirculating fan instead of a vent fan is not very effective with clearing a bathroom from moisture, but it can help with odors and freshen up the air in the area.
Using a small fan with the bathroom door open in any bathroom after showering will help move warm air from the room and speed up the drying process. Recirculating fans are affordable and can be put away when not in use.
If you have an overhead fixture but no ductwork, you may want to consider a ductless fan. These affordable systems can circulate bathroom air and remove odors with built-in filters. They are no substitute for a ducted fan, however.
Expand Existing Bathroom Ductwork
If you are unhappy with your current vent fan or airflow in a bathroom, one of the more drastic steps involves replacing the existing ductwork in these areas with poor ventilation.
This isn’t a task most homeowners can handle and something you’ll want a professional assessment on beforehand.
Adding larger ducts in a bathroom ensures higher airflow and allows for the use of a larger bathroom vent fan as well.
This method will completely solve any moisture issues in a bathroom regardless of how large it is or the design. It also provides a unique solution in older homes where the ductwork has been undersized for decades.
Do I Need a Professional to Vent a Bathroom With No Outside Access?
Now that you know the options available, it’s time to consider if venting a room with no outside access is something you can handle on your own. One question clears things up quickly for many homeowners, however.
Are you comfortable working with electricity and doing a bit of light wiring?
Any vent fan requires power, so they have to be wired in unless you plan to use a dehumidifier or household fan. You will also have to deal with existing ductwork or run new ones.
The cost to have a professional install a bathroom vent fan can run between $250 to well over $1,000. If they are only replacing a low-powered vent fan with a new model, the cost will come down to labor, parts, and the vent fan price.
When a contractor has to reroute or enlarge an air duct, the price will go up considerably. Always remember to get several estimates before settling on a contractor.
The Bottom Line
Adding a vent fan or extra ventilation to any bathroom in a home will cut down on maintenance while improving air quality in the room. It’s the best way to rid a bathroom of unpleasant odors and will keep mold and mildew at bay.
If you’re renting or unable to use any of the methods in our guide, there are still some steps you can take.
Hanging damp towels in another area will help, along with wiping down walls and opening up the area after a steamy shower.
FAQ
What size ventilation fan do I need for a bathroom?
To size a bathroom vent fan, you need to measure and multiply the length by the width of a room. This gives you the square footage, which you can match to any electric bathroom fan.
Do you have to replace a bathroom vent fan often?
We found that most bathroom fans have a lifespan from 5 to 10 years on average. When cleaned and maintained, these fixtures can last for several decades.
Can I vent a bathroom exhaust fan directly into a basement or attic?
These unique systems work as advertised by removing “odors” from an area. They will freshen up a small bathroom but can’t combat moist air.
Will a dehumidifier remove moisture and prevent mold growth like a bathroom fan?
Using a dehumidifier is no replacement for proper ventilation from ventilation fans, but it will make a difference by improving bathroom ventilation through reducing lingering moisture from the air.