*This is NOT a Sponsored post* These are just my opinions based on what I have learned, and I hope they will be helpful to you.
Who knew that a DIY project like the Kohler bathroom install and the Armstrong Floors and Ceiling install could lead to so much learning. We planned this bathroom over the last year and we had a very good idea of what we wanted the bathroom to look like, and all the pieces we would need, but a few pieces have thrown me for a curve. I want to focus on an bathroom exhaust fan today and share with you what I have learned.
I call in the experts when it is time for me to do a DIY project that I want to learn about before I start planning and shopping. I plan meticulously with the help of my husband who is one owner of a construction firm and we consult with my brother-in-law who is a wonderfully talented carpenter with owns remodel/woodworking company. Betwixt the two guys and all their plumbing friends, and electricians we succeed as we are able to ask questions and learn as we go!
The Bathroom Fan has exhausted me. The purpose of a Bathroom Exhaust Fan is to get the ‘poopy’ smell out and all the moist, warm air which causes mold as well as mildew if left in a room without a window or if left to fester. Bathrooms present many challenges, but exhaust fans are a key piece in bathroom installation. When you choice the right fan, with enough CFM’s(a whole other topic) and you will successfully move moist air out. If moisture stays in the room, you have humidity and again humidity breeds unwanted mold and mildew. Noise becomes a factor in purchases as well and while there are some great bathroom exhaust fans out there, just because they are powerful and can suck out the odors and humidity does not mean that you need to hear them all over the house! In fact many of the ‘cheaper’ fans out there will have you grabbing ear plugs when someone turns them on to use, if they are turned on at all because they are so darn noisy.
The SONE effect
See the Sone Level On This Fan, I would NOT choose this fan, personally because it was at a 2.0 and I wanted lower sones.
My brother-in-law quickly pointed out that a quiet fan would be more attractive for users and more people would use the fan if it did not make too much noise. Also depending on where the room in the house is that hosts this fan, it can make a lot of noise causing a distraction, and embarrassment to the user. How do you know that your fan is going to be ‘whisper quiet?’ Don’t let the packages fool you, just because they say Whisper Quiet does not mean they are actually Whisper Quiet, look at the SONES the bathroom exhaust fan outputs in order to know how truly quiet the fan is.
Run from this fan, as it will be noisy.Fan noise is known as a SONE and it is rated as such. The Sones can run from .5 to 1.5, and 1.5- 2.0 is a decent quiet operating level(compare to the hum of a refrigerator cycling or a quiet summer fan moving) if you are looking for a moderate investment on a fan that won’t make a ton of noise and will probably get used. From 2.0 on up the noise level just increases. In many of the new neighborhoods that are being mass produced you will find economy fans, as the building company has bought them in bulk and the noise level is insane, I know as we were blessed with one of these fine units. Your cost on a unit like this will start at the very least, $65 and will travel all the way up in the hundreds level, depending which unit you choose, and if you want lights, or a fancy cover.
The ‘cheaper’ fans or ‘deal’ fans generally run at 4.0 sones or more making them very loud and not very attractive to the end user. They may work wonderfully, but the sound trade-off make them stay turned off in more cases than not. The one I have listed above is a 4.0 Sones and the price is indicative of what you are about to obtain.
The fan we chose has only .5 Sones and yes I paid a bit more for it, the investment was well worth the noise reduction and the fan is built to last for years, so the price really translates to a few dollars a year.
Overall, your price will offer up a great deal of information before you know anything else. The brands that I looked at are all pretty much the same across the board, but the Sones were all different, the prices were different, and the lights(available in some models) made a few differences in pricing. We also needed at least a 100 CFM, but that is a different blog story. If you are looking for a QUIET Fan, do not trust a box top along that states, ‘whispering quiet’, check the Sones and make an informed decision before you buy. Spend more and get less noise. The less Sones, the less noise, the bigger the Sone number the more noise. It’s that simple. Good luck on buying your quiet fan!