How to Remove a Bathroom Vent
If your bathroom has a window, it may not need an exhaust fan. A bathroom with no windows, however, needs some type of ventilation to eliminate moisture in the air from bathing or showering, or your bathroom could be ripe for mold formation. A bathroom vent is just the ticket. Ducted to the outside, an exhaust vent keeps your windowless bathroom free of humidity and moisture. If your current bathroom vent is not working, remove it for repair or replacement. Does this Spark an idea?
Things You'll Need
- No-touch electrical tester
- Nut driver set
- Phillips screwdriver
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Instructions
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1
Turn off the circuit breaker controlling the bathroom vent at the main electrical box. If your main electrical box has replaceable fuses instead if circuit breakers, unscrew and completely remove the fuse controlling the vent.
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2
Twist the thumbscrew that secures the vent grille to the bathroom ceiling counterclockwise to remove. Lower the grille and set it aside.
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3
Hold a no-touch electrical tester close to the vent's electrical wires. Continue if the tester does not beep. Turn off the correct electrical circuit if the tester beeps, indicating the wires still have current running through them.
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4
Pull apart the wiring connector on the vent's fan motor. Remove the retaining screws from the motor and fan assembly, using the nut driver. Lower the motor and fan assembly out of the vent housing and set it aside.
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5
Back out the retaining screws on the vent housing, using the nut driver or Phillips screwdriver, depending on the fasteners used. Slide the housing over to one side or the other until you see the vent ducting above the housing. Peel away the duct tape that secures the ducting to the housing and discard. Remove any screws still holding the ducting to the housing with a nut driver or Phillips screwdriver. Slide the end of the ducting off the housing.
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Lower the housing from the ceiling slightly until the electrical wiring from the ceiling is visible above the housing. Unwrap and remove any black electrical tape from the wiring connections. Unscrew the wire nuts revealed after removing the tape. Continue lowering the housing from the ceiling, being careful to fish the wiring from its access hole in the top of the housing. Remove the housing and set it aside.
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Install the bathroom vent or its replacement in reverse order of removal.
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Tips & Warnings
If you are replacing the bathroom vent, purchase a vent as close to the same size as the original as you can. A vent housing that is larger than the original may require that you enlarge the hole in the ceiling with a drywall saw. A smaller housing means you will have to replace an entire drywall section with a new piece and cut the appropriate size hole.
Leave the circuit breaker off or the fuse out until the vent is installed or replaced and the electrical connections are made. Current flowing to bare wires could cause electrocution if you touch them.
