Ventilating bathrooms and shower rooms

  1. Ventilating bathrooms and shower rooms
  2. The potential problem
  3. Window
  4. Extractor fan
  5. Leave the door open

Ventilating bathrooms and shower rooms

A common problem with shared houses is ensuring that bathrooms and shower rooms are adequately ventilated.  The problem applies to both, but for the sake of simplicity, we refer to bathrooms only below.

The potential problem

The problem is the result of humid air created by washing and showering being trapped in the bathroom and unable to escape because of poor ventilation.

As the most humid room in the house, bathrooms are prone to condensation.  The earliest warning which you might notice is condensation forming on the ceiling, mirrors, windows or toilet cisterns.  If you ignore the early signs you can get black mould and damage to decorations, tile grouting and seals.

Whilst the problems are worse during colder weather, it is important to ventilate the bathroom throughout the year.  This is achieved by the following means all of which, when you think about them, are obvious.

Window

Even in cold weather, your bathroom window should be open when showering or running a bath, and for at least twenty minutes after with the bathroom door closed.  During warmer weather the window might be left open much longer.

Many modern UPVC windows have the facility where they can be locked in a slightly open position, so security is not compromised.  If your bathroom window has a trickle vent this allows a small amount of ventilation and it should always be open.

Extractor fan

Many of our bathrooms are fitted with Envirovent filterless extractor fans similar to the photograph, left.  These run slowly permanently and then automatically speed up when moist air is formed.  If you have one of these fans and it does not speed up when the bathroom is being used, please report the fault to repairs@apyork.com.

Otherwise, where turned on manually the extractor fan should be on when showering or running a bath, and for at least twenty minutes after, with the bathroom door closed.

The fan may be linked into the lighting circuit, requiring the light to be on to operate it.  Many extractor fans have an isolation switch which should never be used to turn the extractor fan off permanently.  We do understand that some extractor fans are a little loud, but they must be used.

Leave the door open

Even if you have done your best with opening the window and using the extractor fan with the door shut, it is quite possible there will be some moist air remaining.  Quite simply, the best thing to do is always leave the bathroom door open as wide as possible, but even only a few inches if that is all that is practical, when the room is not is use.  This allows the remaining moist air to disburse and is especially important if there is no window and for smaller bathrooms.

Please call 01904 411111 if you have any questions, or would simply like more information, alternatively contact us now.