The Toilet Paper Test Wondering Does my does my bath fan do anything besides make noise? Preparing 1. Insert ear plugs (in ears). 2. Turn on bath fan. 3. Get a step stool if you can't reach the fan grill. 4. Have a single sheet of toilet paper in hand. Testing Place the toilet paper on the fan grill. Analyzing If the toilet paper clings to the grill, the fan passes the test! It is effectively exhausting air. But about half of all bath fans exhaust warm, moist air directly into the attic. So you have to check the back end of the fan to see that the exhaust is headed safely outdoors through a duct. If the toilet paper falls to the floor, your fan is not working. If it
is making a lot of noise, get rid of it and start over. But if the fan seems
to be running well, there may be a duct problem. It could be too long, loaded
with water, or kinked. The exterior flap may also be stuck. The vinyl coated
wire duct commonly used for cloths driers is not the best choice for a bath
fan. These hoses make a rough path for air to flow through and will make
a weak fan bog down. |