Why Does My Bathroom Extractor Fan Drip?

Bathroom extractors may drip from time to time and this happens for two main reasons. First, it could be an indication of poor insulation and secondly, the bathroom extractor fan could be dripping simply because it is not being used. Whatever the reason, the solution is quite simple and it should not cause worries to you whatsoever.

This article intends to highlight these two causes of a dripping bathroom extractor in depth in an attempt to help those who may be facing this problem. Before we delve into the article, it is worth noting that condensation is what causes the bathroom extractor to drip. This means that condensation takes place either because of the poor insulation or due to lack of use. However if you feel the bathroom extractor fan requires replacing, check out our handy guide covering the latest models

Drips Caused by Poor Insulation

Poorly insulated ducting in abathroom extractor fan could cause the moist air from the bathroom to condense in the duct and eventually drip. Since this may not be the obvious case, it is always important to do a checkup. The first place to check is the attic. The duct could either be poorly insulated or not insulated at all. Sometimes the problem could be a loose insulation requiring refastening. Other times, you may need to do afull insulation from scratch. If this is the case, you can obtain a duct insulation at a nearby store and use zip ties or aluminium tape to do the fastening.

Drips Due to an Abandoned Bathroom

If you check the attic and find that the insulation is fine, then the other possible cause is lack of use. This happens a lot to those bathrooms that are reserved for guests at home. The design of a bathroom extractor fan features a valve that prevents outside air from entering through. However, this valve does not prevent warm air in the duct from escaping. This means that there is some air that is always escaping the duct whether you are using the bathroom extractor fan or not. This air tends to condense during cold days thus causing a drip from the fan. This happens a lot with guest bathrooms because they are the ones that are unused for longer in the home. Luckily, there is a way you can prevent this from happening. It is advisable to turn the bathroom extractor fan on more often and for longer periods. This will help to prevent the air from condensing in the ducts thus causing some visible drips. This will take care of the stress of having to remember to turn on the fan even when you are not using the bathroom. Bathroom extractor fans are great to have if they are functioning properly. Once they get a problem, you’d wish you never had them. Thankfully, the issues that often affect these fans are always easy to fix provided you are able to follow instructions. Therefore, do not panic a lot the next time you realize you extractor fan is dripping.