While most of us enjoy being in our bathrooms where we can relax and rejuvenate, it’s worth remembering that there is a bad side to bathrooms too. These small, enclosed humid spaces can harbour hidden dangers that can adversely affect your health and well-being.

Proper ventilation of a bathroom – whether it’s just a toilet cubicle or a palatial spa zone – is crucial for your health and home maintenance. In fact, it’s so important that it’s a legal requirement. Building Regulations Approved Document F demands that a bathroom has to be ventilated with a window and/or an extractor fan to whisk away the damp air generated while you’re showering or bathing.

Modern wet-rooms, which are built to be airtight and waterproof, are even more in need of ventilation than traditional bathrooms.

Why Bathroom Ventilation Matters

The law requiring suitable bathroom ventilation isn’t there just to make life difficult for bathroom builders and fitters – it’s got very real benefits. The main ones are:

• Mould and Mildew Prevention. Excessive moisture in the air creates a breeding ground for mould and mildew, which can trigger respiratory problems, allergies, and even serious health conditions.

• Reduced Condensation. Poor ventilation leads to condensation, which can damage walls, ceilings, fixtures and fittings, promote the growth of mould and generally create a musty, unpleasant environment.

• Improved Air Quality. Proper ventilation removes stale, moist air, replacing it with fresh, clean air – far more pleasant and easier on the lungs.

• Enhanced Energy Efficiency. A well-ventilated bathroom can help regulate temperature and humidity levels, reducing the need for excessive heating or cooling.

• Eliminating odours. All that concentrated damp, warm and stale air in the enclosed space of a bathroom can trap and even magnify bad odours. Ventilation blows them away.

Is a Window Enough to Ventilate a Bathroom?

Not all bathrooms come with windows, particularly those in small apartments or residences converted into flats. If you are lucky enough to have an opening window – large or small – in your bathroom, that should be sufficient for ventilation, right?

Wrong, I’m afraid. 

According to the law, bathrooms must have an extraction system that offers 15 litres per second of intermittent extraction, or eight litres per second of continuous extraction. That requirement is unlikely to be met by a window or vent alone, and will probably need some mechanical help in the form of an extractor fan.

In the case of a small toilet-only bathroom (classed as “sanitary accommodation” in the regulations) the extraction requirements are lower, so a window will probably suffice. Just to be sure an extractor fan might be a good idea all the same – you don’t want to take any chances in a tiny toilet space for obvious reasons!

There’s also the consideration to take into account that although an open window is great for letting fresh air in to your bathroom, and leeching musty, damp air out, it’s not a very comfortable solution in mid-winter. 

Types of Mechanical Bathroom Ventilation Systems

There are numerous bathroom ventilation products available on the market, all claiming to be the most efficient solution. Ultimately the choice is down to what you can afford, and the features you prefer. Some can be retro-fitted to existing old bathrooms, while others have to be built in when a new build or extension is erected.

The most common type of ventilation system for bathrooms is an extractor fan. These fans work simply by drawing moist air out of the room and expelling it to the outside.

You can opt for an axial extractor fan – typically installed into the wall or ceiling of an external wall and connected through to the outside. They come in various shapes and sizes but ultimately all operate in the same way.

The other type of extractor fans available are centrifugal, or in-line fans. These are more powerful (and therefore often louder) than axial fans, and although they are also fitted into the bathroom wall or ceiling, they can carry the extracted air through a span of ducting to expel it on the outside of the building. These fans are therefore suitable for bathrooms without external walls.

There’s a lot to consider when selecting the right fan for your bathroom. Large bathrooms need more powerful fans that can cope with high humidity levels, for example. You might prefer an energy efficient fan or one that can be set on a timer, or have a humidistat feature to trigger it automatically when the bathroom is very steamed up.

A professional bathroom fitter will be able to do the calculations required regarding room volume and air flow to ensure you get a fan that maximising air extraction for your particular bathroom. 

How to Ensure Effective Bathroom Ventilation

There’s a lot you can do yourself to keep your bathroom fresh and airy, besides making sure you’ve got an efficient extractor fan installed.

• Make sure you use the fan – make it a habit to ensure the fan is running before, during and for awhile after you shower or bathe.
• Let the fan run for at least 15 minutes after you’ve left the bathroom, to make sure all the moist air is removed.
• Keep the fan clean and in good repair – it can get silted up with dust and debris.
• If you have an in-line or centrifugal fan, make sure there is no blockage in duct between the fan and the exterior vent.
• Don’t forget to open the window as well as use the fan to dry out your steamy bathroom.

If you need to have your bathroom ventilation checked, want to have an extractor fan installed or – in fact – would like a full bathroom make-over, get in touch with the experts at Port Marine Bathrooms Ltd. We have a showroom in Portishead (BS20 7AN) where you can see a range of extractor fans and have one of our friendly consultants talk you through proper bathroom ventilation options.

We offer a complete bathroom, kitchen and bedroom design & fitting service across a wide area including the towns of Almondsbury, Bradley Stoke, Brean, Bristol, Nailsea, Thornbury, Yate, Wells, Weston-Super-Mare, and Yatton.