I just moved into a house in Southern Ontario, and I've noticed that the upstairs bathroom doesn't have an exhaust fan. I'd like to install one and vent it through the exterior wall rather than the roof. Does anyone know how far away the vent needs to be from windows and soffits? Thanks in advance!
4 Answers
Opening a window might be a cost-effective solution too, especially if you're not ready to dig into installation costs just yet!
I had a similar situation with a second-floor bathroom that lacked an exhaust fan. I opted for a ceiling-mounted combo LED light and exhaust fan setup. I vented it into the attic and out through the soffit. The trickiest part was crawling into the attic space to connect the flexible vent tubing. Drilling the hole for the soffit vent while balancing on a ladder was a bit risky, but I managed to get it right. Just make sure you avoid hitting any beams while you're at it. It turned out great, and the soffit vent is actually above the window, which helps direct airflow away from the house!
If you're on a lower floor, venting straight out the side should be fine. But for top-floor bathrooms, you might have to consider venting through the roof instead. You might find specific requirements in the Ontario building code or Canadian standards.
In the US, the common distance for venting is around 5 feet away from any windows or soffits. There are actually all-in-one Panasonic models that can go through the wall, but remember you'll need power for it. In my last place, we had to vent through the wall into a closet and then run ducting under the floor—it required all rigid ducting to do it right.
That's true, but it gets a bit tricky when it's -30 outside during winter! ?