How Bathroom Exhaust Fans Work

Every bathroom has—or should have—a bathroom exhaust fan for proper moisture control and ventilation. Exhaust fans have two different methods by which they can move air in your bathroom.

Types of Exhaust Fans in the Bathroom

Propeller or Axial Fan. The first type of bathroom exhaust fan is the propeller fan or axial fan which is similar to a standard house fan or the type of fan that is used to cool the power supply in a computer. These types of exhaust fans are capable of moving a lot of air without requiring a lot of pressure.

Centrifugal Fan. The other type of bathroom exhaust fan is a centrifugal fan, and these are quite similar in nature to centrifugal water pumps. They have a plate that has radial vanes and the air is then forced out using centrifugal force.

The more common bathroom exhaust fan is the axial fan, primarily because they are the most cost effective in terms of production and they also tend to be more compact. One disadvantage to the axial fan, however, is that it is incapable of producing higher pressures and are limited to about 80 pa.