The bathroom is one of the warmest and humid environments in the home.  It is important, then, that it is ventilated properly.  The majority of bathrooms have some type of ventilation fan, usually fitted into the bathroom ceiling.  The fan is connected to a duct, which if properly installed, should lead to the exterior of the home.  You may have noticed, though, that your bathroom fan does not seem to be extracting as much moisture as it should, what could be some reasons for this?

One, rather simple, reason could be that too much dirt and dust has accumulated, leaving the fan clogged up.  This will stop it working efficiently.  Give the fan a thorough cleaning and see if that fixes the problem if not, there could be other causes for it not working.

In some homes, the ductwork connecting to the fan might not be attached to the exterior of the home, but only go so far as the attic space.  While this may not seem like a huge problem at first, with time, it could cause a lot of damage to the attic, such as the decaying of materials used in the space.  Mold could even start to form.

What are some of the ways to tell if your bathroom fan is not functioning correctly?  There are a few tell-tale signs in the bathroom itself.  For example, does there seem to be excessive amounts of moisture on the walls and ceiling of the bathroom?  You might find that metal bathroom fixtures are starting to corrode or, there might be bubbling and peeling of paint due to too much humidity.

If you feel concerned that the bathroom fan is not working well or are worried that it is only venting into the attic, please feel free to contact us and we can schedule and inspection of these areas.  We are happy to assist you with all of your home inspection needs.