Exhaust Fan

Bill

Came from a house where we installed a water heater today. HO said she was going to get some company to come in and do one of those tub cover up things, you know the ones, bathfitters maybe? Well she told the people there was mold on her shower walls and was wondering what could be done about it before getting the new stuff put in. They told her that leaving the mold was ok! They wanted to just cover it up! Idiots! I told her to contact a specialist in mold removal and see what they say.

I looked, and again I am no mold expert, the only thing I can see is lack of vent. It is about 25 square foot bath with no windows. There is a shower and toilet. Sink is out side the room in another room. There is about a 1-1/2" air gap under the door. I noticed that the fan was a Broan rated at 50 CFM. Is this big enough to move the moist air? I also noticed the AC vent was partially closed. She said if not it gets real hot in the winter.

I thought maybe someone here may be able to tell me why there is mold in there.

__________________
Is it beer thirty yet
Virginia Department of Licensing
Virginia Plumbing Codes

MALCO.New.York

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SLSTech

It is impossible to tell based on the information available. By the way you stated lack of vent then you described one - is it there & does the fan work? Codes state you must have either a vent or working window.

A few questions I would ask the HO's is do they actually use the vent?

How long do they leave it on after the shower (should be enough to pull out the moisture - 10 to 15 minutes on average) Most HO's turn the switch off after they walk out, that's one reason I spec a timer instead of a switch for the fans.

Hot or cold showers?

Do they leave wash clothes, scrubby's, shampoo or other bottles in the area with the greatest concentration?

Have they considered using a squeegee?

Without finding a way to pull the moisture out - it doesn't matter what happens - the mold will be back

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Bill

Yes, they leave wash cloths. She takes long hot showers, and she says she turns the fan on, did not ask for how long, yes the fan works, and maybe if the fan was wired to the light may help?

__________________
Is it beer thirty yet
Virginia Department of Licensing
Virginia Plumbing Codes

neolitic

The timer sounds like the ticket here.
She's probably shutting it off when
she leaves the room.
The mold is growing in the soap film
(if you call it soap "scum" it sounds
more insulting) so some kind of
cleaning ritual needs to go along with the fan.

She should have been able to see
who she was dealing with,
when those clowns said,
"just cover it up"!

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Put your location in your profile!
(Sorry....it seems there really are dumb questions)

MALCO.New.York

They may have Mold/Mildew because they are dirty SOB's. Both physically and environmentally!

__________________
Something to One may be Nothing to another!

Ultimate Wisdom---------
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OW-cnizLDEE

rayh78

Yes needs a timer.
Nobody leaves the fan on for 20 minutes after a shower like they should and remembers to go back and turn it off.

Double-A

The mold should be taken care of before covering with anything that will not allow the water vapor in that wall to escape. The wall should also be dry inside and out before covering.

The folks installing this surround should know this and make the homeowner aware of it. If not, then the HO should really check their contract and see what it has to say about such things.

A 50 CFM fan is good for about a 70 sq ft room assuming there is enough make up air to let it run at full efficiency. I prefer fans on a humidistat that turn on and off by themselves as the humidity in the room goes up and down from use.

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