Follow these 3 steps to help you buy the right type of HVAC exhaust fan at the right price! These are key pieces of equipment for proper ventilation to keep you healthy and comfortable indoors.
The HVAC exhaust fan is a simple but important piece of mechanical ventilation equipment. These fans improve the air quality in your home or workplace by removing humidity, odors, and contaminants. Bad air is pulled from the room though duct work or directly blown outside.
You probably use your manual exhaust fans more in the spring and summer, when allergy season peaks and the air is hot and humid, but proper ventilation is just as critical in wintertime. Keeping your attic ventilated during winter will help prevent damage to your roof.
Also, while your windows are sealed shut and your heater is running, well ventilated air improves your health and comfort. When stale air builds up and fresh air can’t circulate, it becomes difficult to breathe. Not only that, but imagine all of the airborne germs that are hanging around! (learn more about healthy climate solutions by Lennox)
Are you shopping for an HVAC exhaust fan to replace a broken or outdated one? Or perhaps you’re looking to order exhaust fans in bulk for a new house or building project. There are different types to consider depending on what your needs are.
1. Choose Type of HVAC Exhaust Fan for Your Home
Wall and Ceiling Mounted Units – These are commonly used in residential bathrooms and showers to remove moisture, contaminants, and odors
Range Hood Exhaust Fans – Your oven probably uses this type of HVAC exhaust fan to remove odors, steam or smoke from a kitchen when cooking
In-Line HVAC Exhaust Fans – These models connect directly to the duct work to extract fumes and stale air through the existing ventilation system
Residential Inline Exhaust Fans
2. Calculate Power Needed for Room Size
There’s a lot that goes into HVAC exhaust fans and ventilation that you don’t need to know. You may not care to learn about MERV Rating and Airflow or how split systems work. Unless you’re trying to start a career as an HVAC technician, you don’t need to know the jargon or functional details.
However, if you’re buying an HVAC exhaust fan you do need to know what size is right for your space. Before you buy one, calculate the CFM or cubic feet per minute of air exchange needed for the size of your room.
Follow this formula by HVACquick.com to determine the volume of your room and the CFM required to properly ventilate the space:
– Add the volumes of the bathroom(s) to be ventilated
where Volume = length x width x height (bath1) + length x width x height (bath2) etc. If you are venting a single bathroom using the fan, then calculate the volume for only that bathroom.
– Required air flow in CFM (cubic feet per minute ) = Volume / 7.5
This is the minimum air flow required to achieve 8 air changes per hour – more is usually better.
It’s recommended to buy an HVAC exhaust fan with at least 65 CFM no matter how tiny your space is.We recommend that you provide a minimum of 75 CFM for even the smallest bathrooms.
If the formula above was too difficult to follow, there are some shortcuts to try. Here’s an online HVAC calculator tool you can use to help you find this info! Don’t skip this step- you could end up buying an HVAC exhaust fan that isn’t powerful enough to effectively ventilate the air in your room.
3. Shop Around to Get the Best Price
There are different options for buying an HVAC exhaust fan. You can order from an online supplier like HVAC Direct or even find some on Amazon. You can go to an appliance store in your area such as Lowes or Home Depot. Shopping around takes more time but it’s a rewarding step because you’ll know where you can get the best price on the model you chose.
Usually, you will save even more money buying an HVAC exhaust fan through an HVAC contactor like Garden City Plumbing & Heating – especially if you’re getting it professionally installed. Ordering through a service provider gives you access to wholesale pricing discounts and overall you’ll probably spend less than if you bought your HVAC exhaust fan on your own.
Call for a Quote and Get Started on Your HVAC Project!
If you live in Missoula, Montana area you can get a free quote on your project. Get in touch with Garden City Plumbing & Heating to get started. Whether you bought your equipment elsewhere an need help installing it, or you want to order through Garden City to get the wholesale savings, call (406) 728-5550 and get answers from a professional today!