I’ve recently installed a Broan vent fan for a 1/2 bath ( roughly 27 sq ft) . The expandable aluminum duct was preexisting from a previous install. Duct run is 5′ (+-) straight line. Beside the 1/2 bath is our walk-in closet. It would seem the odors are venting into the closet ! This would seem to be highly improbable, yet the nose doesn’t lie. The bathroom does get ‘vented’. Anyone have a thought as to why this seems to occur. The closet odors were not occurring before this fan was installed. I will need to access the outside vent louvre from a ladder ( in the NE cold) to assess the duct connection on the exhaust end.
Is it possible the expandable aluminum duct is permeable ? It is not insulated. The exhaust louvre does not seem to open much with the fan on; its a run of the mill vent louvre that was standard at the time of its original installation (previous to this particular fan). And the new fan is oversized for the square footage of the bathroom. Going to check the exhaust connection while I await responses.
Replies
I'm guessing the duct has come completely loose, or has a major rip in it. Even a minimal 50CFM fan should blow the louver all the way open when running.
But note that strong odors may be due to a cracked sewer vent or some such.