Can I Vent My Bathroom Exhaust Fan Into The Attic? (Find Out Now!)

After dealing with a stuffy bathroom for so long, you’ve finally decided to install an exhaust fan. You’re excited about the new addition, but suddenly, you realize that there’s a bit of a problem. Right now, the exhaust from your bathroom has nowhere to go.

You may have looked up in search of an area to use for bathroom exhaust disposal and thought of your attic. Can you indeed use your attic as a receptacle for all that bathroom exhaust?

Using your attic to get rid of the exhaust from your bathroom fan is a bad idea in many ways. You should avoid using your attic as a receptacle for bathroom exhaust because building codes prohibit it. Plus, you may effectively ruin your attic if you opt to use it for that purpose.

Many homeowners may look at their attic as a potential disposal spot for their bathroom exhaust. Find out if that’s a wise move to make by continuing with the rest of this article.

If you only use your attic for storage, dumping your bathroom exhaust into it may seem acceptable. Since no one’s up there anyway, you figure that filling it with bathroom exhaust is not going to do any harm.

Before you push through with that move, it’s important to understand some things about your attic. Learning about those things will tell you if venting bathroom exhaust into your attic is a good idea. Review them by reading through the entries below.

Why should you avoid directing your bathroom exhaust into your attic? The number one reason to avoid that is because building codes specifically outlaw it.

This document prepared by the Environmental Protection Agency sheds more light on the matter. The International Residential Code highlighted in the document notes that “air shall not be exhausted into an attic”. The only exception to that rule is whole house ventilation, but that’s not what we’re talking about here.

Chances are that a contractor will reject your request if you ask them to direct your bathroom vent into your attic. In all likelihood, they will suggest a different location in your home that can accommodate that vent. Don’t be frustrated if that happens because they are just following the residential building code.

The fact that venting bathroom exhaust into your attic is illegal should be reason enough to forget the idea. Some homeowners are stubborn though. They may want to push through believing they won’t get caught.

Even if you don’t get caught, releasing the bathroom exhaust into your attic can still turn out badly. That’s because the kind of air coming from your bathroom can be damaging to your attic.

Bathroom exhaust is typically very humid because it includes the residue from your warm showers. The way your bathroom is designed can also lead to the production of more moisture. All that moisture going from your bathroom to your attic is a problem. The porous wood in your attic is going to absorb that moisture. After some time, you may find pockets of mold growing in your attic.

Constant exposure to an excessive amount of moisture can also cause the wood in your attic to start rotting away. Continue dumping exhaust into that part of your home and you could effectively ruin it.

Too much moisture in your attic is bad not just because it can damage that part of your home. It can also be bad for your health.

The presence of mold can cause a variety of health issues. Per the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, people sensitive to mold may develop a stuffy nose in its presence. They may also start to feel itchy all over.

Folks who are allergic to mold may suffer from more serious health problems. They may develop a fever after prolonged exposure to mold. They may also have some difficulty breathing.

You do not want to share your household with mold. Count that as another reason why you must avoid using your attic as a container for bathroom exhaust.

Related Questions

How Long Will Your Bathroom Exhaust Fan Last?

Bathroom exhaust fans can last for years assuming proper maintenance. Clean them regularly because they will inevitably get covered in dust and all kinds of debris as they work.You can tell that bathroom fans are about to give out when they start to rattle loudly while in use. Pick up a replacement fan as soon as you start hearing those noises.

What Kind of Bathroom Exhaust Fan Do I Need?

When choosing a bathroom exhaust fan, you need to consider where you’ll install it and the size of your bathroom. Many bathroom fans are designed to be mounted on ceilings while others can be installed on walls. Purchase the model that fits your desired setup.Meanwhile, the size of your bathroom will tell you just how powerful your exhaust fan needs to be. Refer to the cubic feet per minute (CFM) rating of the fan to determine how powerful it is.Generally speaking, a fan with a CFM rating of 50 will fit a bathroom that spans 50 square feet. You can add one point of CFM rating for each additional square foot.