Bathroom exhaust fans remove moist air from your bathroom and move it outside. When a bathroom exhaust fan is installed in the basement, finding a place to run a vent to is tricky since most of your basement lies below grade. Getting into your attic is also harder since the ceiling of your basement is the first floor of your home. The best alternative is running the venting through the floor joist space to the exterior wall. This space is about 12 inches above grade and allows an easy and clean exit.
Instructions
1. Mark out a location where you want your bathroom exhaust fan to vent out, using a pencil. Drill a 1/4-inch hole through the outside wall to make a reference point outside.
2. Drill a 4 1/4-inch hole from the outside with the hole saw, using the 1/4-inch reference point as your center.
3. Remove any wood shavings and debris from the hole. Slide the vent hood into the hole. Level it and fasten it to the wall with a cordless screw gun and screws. Caulk around the vent hood with a caulk gun and exterior caulk that closely matches your wall color.
4. Measure the distance from the vent outlet on the exhaust fan in the bathroom to the stub of pipe coming from your vent hood. Use a measuring tape.
5. Install the galvanized sheet metal pipe from the vent outlet on the fan to the vent hood pipe stub. Connect the pipe by sliding the non-crimped end of one piece over the crimped end of the previous piece. Secure each connection with the cordless screw gun and sheet metal screws.
6. Cut the pipe as necessary to allow for needed shorter lengths and use elbows if turns are needed. Use tin snips to cut the pipe. Cut pieces must be manually crimped on one end with your pipe crimper.
7. Support the pipe if the total length exceeds 5 feet. Secure with galvanized pipe strapping by screwing one end of the strap to a ceiling joist with the cordless screw gun, then wrap the strapping around the pipe and screw the other end of the pipe strap to a ceiling joist.
Tags: vent hood, cordless screw, , with cordless screw, 4-inch hole, bathroom exhaust, ceiling joist