What Are The Best Bathroom Exhaust Fans With Humidity Sensor?
Contents
- 1 Bathroom Humidity Ventilation Fan vs Dehumidifier to Remove Moisture
- 2 Best Bathroom Exhaust Fan Options
- 3 Seven of the Best Types of Bathroom Extractor Fan with Humidistat Models
- 3.1 Panasonic FV-0511VQC1 WhisperSense Ventilation Fan
- 3.2 Tech Drive Bathroom Exhaust Fan with Humidity Sensor
- 3.3 Broan NuTone QTXE110S Ultra-Silent Humidity Sensing Ventilation Fan
- 3.4 Broan-NuTone AER110SLW Humidity Sensing Exhaust Fan
- 3.5 Panasonic FV-05-11VKL2 WhisperGreen Ventilation Fan
- 3.6 Delta BreezSmart SMT130H Exhaust Fan With Humidity Sensor
- 3.7 Homework’s Worldwide 7146-80-MS Integrated Ventilation
- 4 Bathroom Exhaust Fan With A Humidity Sensor FAQs
- 4.1 What is a bathroom exhaust fan with a humidity sensor, and how does it work?
- 4.2 What are the benefits of using a bathroom exhaust fan with a humidity sensor?
- 4.3 Are there disadvantages to using a bathroom exhaust fan with a humidity sensor?
- 4.4 Can I install a bathroom exhaust fan with a humidity sensor myself, or do I need a professional?
- 4.5 What features should I look for when selecting a bathroom exhaust fan with a humidity sensor?
- 4.6 Can a bathroom exhaust fan with a humidity sensor be used in a room other than a bathroom?
- 4.7 Can a bathroom exhaust fan with a humidity sensor help reduce my energy bills?
- 5 In Conclusion
Bathrooms are a unique place within any house. Unlike many other rooms within your house, it is the place where humidity from a hot bath or shower can cause serious damage without proper ventilation. That is where the best bathroom exhaust fans with humidity sensor can really help.
In most cases, to improve ventilation, this means you will need to install a humidity extractor fan. This is especially important if opening a window is not an option. Without good ventilation, excess moisture can cause not only damage to your property, but it can also affect your health.
| Image | Model | Air Extracted (CFM) | Noise Rating (Sones) | Rating | Price & More Info |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 | Panasonic FV-0511VQC1 WhisperSense DC Ventilation Fan, 50-80-110 CFM | 50-80-110 | n/a | 4.8 out of 5 stars |  |
 | Tech Drive Bathroom Exhaust Fan with Humidity Sensor | 110 | 0.8 | 4.4 out of 5 stars | |
 | Broan NuTone QTXE110S Ultra-Silent Humidity Sensing Ventilation Fan | 110 | 0.7 | 4.5 out of 5 stars | |
 | Broan-NuTone AER110SLW Humidity Sensing Exhaust Fan | 110 | 1.5 | 4.8 out of 5 stars | |
 | Panasonic FV-05-11VKL2 WhisperGreen Ventilation Fan | 50-80-110 | n/a | 4.6 out of 5 stars | |
 | Delta BreezSmart SMT130H Exhaust Fan With Humidity Sensor | 130 | <0.3 | 4.6 out of 5 stars | |
 | Homework’s Worldwide 7146-80-MS Integrated Ventilation | 80 | 1.5 | 4.5 out of 5 stars | |
The next time you visit your bathroom, take a good look around. If you spot any of the following:
- condensation on walls, ceiling or windows after a shower,
- cracked paint,
- wallpaper that is peeling,
- mold or mildew growth, or
- cabinets that don’t function properly anymore due to warping,
then you’re likely to have a humidity problem.
Bathroom Humidity Ventilation Fan vs Dehumidifier to Remove Moisture
Humidity in other areas of the house may be able to be controlled with a dehumidifier. However, bathrooms create a unique environment. Hot showers and baths that typically produce a lot of steam create intense bursts of humid air. This calls for a device that is specifically-designed to handle this type of situation.
While dehumidifiers are great for their intended purpose, they are not designed for situations like this. Dehumidifiers are better for other areas of the house where moisture is more constant (like living rooms, garages, basements, etc), rather than the intense environments created in bathrooms.
Instead of removing the moisture from the air (which is how a dehumidifier works), in environments like bathrooms, it’s better to actually remove the air and replace it with air that is less moist. This is what a bathroom extractor fan does. And by adding a humidity sensor, this automates the process, so you don’t even have to worry about it.
This is why the best option to keep your bathroom moisture-free is to use a bathroom exhaust fan with humidity sensor. However, if you need information on choosing a good dehumidifier, click here.
Best Bathroom Exhaust Fan Options
Before you head down to the hardware store and pick out one of the best bathroom exhaust fans with humidity sensor to solve all your bathroom humidity issues, let’s go over some of the things you need to consider before you make this purchase.
The Volume Of Air That The Fan Can Extract
You can’t identify the best bathroom exhaust fan for your needs just by grabbing the first one you see. You need to do a bit of homework so that you know roughly what kind of fan you need.
One of the main specifications of bathroom exhaust fans is the amount of air the fan can move each minute. This is measured in cubic feet per minute, or CFM. The CFM number should be noted on the packaging of any bathroom fan with humidity sensor.
Along with that notation will likely be a suggested room size the fan can easily service. Not sure what size to get? If you know the square footage of your bathroom, aim for a humidity ventilation fan that is close to that square footage figure.
The Amount of Noise That The Humidity Extractor Fan Makes
When was the last time you used a bathroom with an extractor fan that was so quiet you couldn’t hear it? Probably never. No-one wants a noisy fan, as these can be intrusive and disturb your sleep at night. Because of this, it has become a selling point for the best bathroom exhaust fans. And that’s why exhaust fan with humidity sensor manufacturers provide this data along with the other information you will find on the box of the fan you are considering purchasing.
The noise that the average humidity controlled extractor fan emits is rated in a measurement called sones. The majority of fans have a rating that falls somewhere between 0.5 and 6.0 sones. The lower the sone figure, the less noise the fan makes.
To help you further, a quiet refrigerator makes about 1.0 sones so any fan rated 1.0 or fewer sones is going to be as close to silent as possible. Fans that are rated at 4.0 sones or more are more noticeable and are probably going to disturb you, especially in quieter times such as when you are relaxing or at night.
Other Optional Extras
Some people shopping for a bathroom exhaust fan with humidity sensor like to have additional features. Depending on the make and model, you can find some with:
- a fan/light combination. The inclusion of a light is a common extra and makes for a clean look on the bathroom ceiling.
- Some have a sensor that detects motion and will automatically turn on the light. This is a handy feature if you find yourself wandering into the bathroom late at night.
- Humidity sensors are another added feature worth considering. What these do is automatically turn on and pull air out of the bathroom once a pre-programmed humidity level is reached.
- Some humidity ventilation fan models have a built-in nightlight that will provide a comforting glow throughout the night.
- Some bathroom fans contain a built-in heater that will warm up the bathroom making it more comfortable on a cold winter’s night.
Where To Install The Fan and Blow Out The Air
So, you have found the best bathroom exhaust fan with humidity sensor and light. Now, what do you do with it? Well, let’s think about that for a moment.
If your goal is to move humid air away from the bathroom, it has to go somewhere. You can’t blow it into the hallway, as this will just move the humidity problem into another part of your house. This has to be considered when buying a bathroom extractor fan since units come with different attachments depending on where the exhaust air is wented.
Some homes are built in such a manner that the exhaust fan sends humid air from the bathroom into the attic. Since that air isn’t released to the outdoors, mildew and mold can form in the attic which can create more issues.
If your bathroom is on the first floor and you have a two-story home, you can install a bathroom exhaust fan, but you would need to ensure that ducting runs through the ceiling joists to an exterior wall and then outside of the house.
But what if you can’t get ducting to pass through the ceiling joists? If the bathroom has at least one exterior wall, you can vent the humid air outside by installing a wall-mounted fan.
If your bathroom is located directly below the attic, you can still use a ceiling exhaust fan to blow the moist air into the attic. However, you will have to do something else to vent this air from the attic. You can either add a soffit under the eaves of the roof to let the moist air escape outside or run a vent pipe to the outside through the roof.
If all you are doing is replacing an existing humidity sensor extractor fan that has given up or passed its effective lifespan, you can probably just install the new one where the old one was. This means you can make use of existing venting or other material that ensured that the moist air from the bathroom was released outside of your house.
Seven of the Best Types of Bathroom Extractor Fan with Humidistat Models
We’ve talked a lot about what bathroom exhaust fans do and why you need one in your bathroom. We’ve also covered the important things to look for when shopping for a bathroom extractor fan. Now we will look at seven of the best bathroom exhaust fans available in today’s market with a review of each.
Panasonic FV-0511VQC1 WhisperSense Ventilation Fan
This bathroom fan with humidity sensor can be operated in one of three different speed settings – you just choose which one is best for your needs. The settings range from 50-80-110 CFM.
The unit uses smart flow technology which simplifies the fan speed selection process. Combined with the quiet motor, this fan will do its job and as quietly as it is effective.
The dual sensor technology provides built-in assurance that the light goes on when someone approaches the bathroom, and the fan turns on once it reaches a pre-determined humidity level. The Flex-Z bracket that is included makes installation easy and effortless.
Pros
Cons
Tech Drive Bathroom Exhaust Fan with Humidity Sensor
This quiet humidity ventilation fan extracts up to 110CFM to reduce moisture in high humidity areas, and has a noise rating of 0.8 sones.
It runs in 2 modes… wither manual where the fan will run continuously, or humidity-sensing mode, where the fan will turn on automatically when humidity is high.
With an Energy Star rating, you know you won’t be using up a lot of power for this fan to do its job correctly.
Pros
Cons
Broan NuTone QTXE110S Ultra-Silent Humidity Sensing Ventilation Fan
This is one of the best bathroom exhaust fans with humidity sensor on the market. This bathroom fan with humidity sensor is quiet, rated at just 0.7 sones. It’s effective in removing moist air at a rate of 110 CFM.
The manufacture promotes it as being versatile because it does a great job of removing humidity, tobacco smoke, and cooking odors from wherever it is installed. Speaking of installation, it’s easy and comes with 6-inch ducting and hanger bars for fast installation.
The built-in humidity sensor automatically turns the fan on when humidity level increases are detected and will activate an auto on/off switch which can be programmed to run up to 60 minutes.
Pros
Cons
Broan-NuTone AER110SLW Humidity Sensing Exhaust Fan
At first glance, it doesn’t look anything like a humidity sensor extractor fan. If anything, it looks more like a bathroom light than anything else. That’s okay because that’s what it is meant to look like.
However, this product happens to be a high-quality humidity sensing fan that operates quietly with 110 CFM of moist air extraction and producing just 1.5 sones while doing so.
Installation is easy with a four-point mounting system that permits you to attach it directly to the joist system. The integrated LED light is dimmable and energy-efficient. The complete unit comes with a three-year limited warranty.
Pros
Cons
Panasonic FV-05-11VKL2 WhisperGreen Ventilation Fan
Rated at 110 CFM, this is easily the best bathroom exhaust fan produced by this manufacturer. It has a Pick-A-Flow Airflow Selector where you can choose one of three speeds for operation. They range from 50-80-110 CFM and when this is combined with SmartFlow technology, the selection process is simplified. In other words, this product is energy efficient and does a great job of moving air away from the room it is installed in.
The unique Plug ’N’ Play modules provide space for up to three additional value-added features of your choice. The grill design suits almost any decor and the Flex-Z Fast single hinge bracket makes installation simple and fast.
Pros
Cons
Delta BreezSmart SMT130H Exhaust Fan With Humidity Sensor
This attractive humidity extractor fan has an indicator light that appears under the grill to tell you that the fan is running. That’s handy because this fan is so quiet.
It operates automatically responding to the humidity level you set for it to act upon. The fan will run a full speed when it hits that level of humidity, which is 130 CFM. You can set the fan to run at different levels ranging from 0 to 50, 70, and 90 CFM.
This product has been awarded the Energy Star which means it is an efficient bathroom exhaust fan with humidity sensor and won’t use a lot of energy providing you with that service.
Pros
Cons
Homework’s Worldwide 7146-80-MS Integrated Ventilation
This exhaust fan with humidity sensor is rated at 1.5 sones and 80 CFM. this means it is quiet and will pull moisture out of your bathroom with ease.
With galvanized steel construction, this fan is corrosion resistant and includes a motion-sensing 15 watt LED light that automatically turns on and off when needed.
The humidity sensor automatically activates and shuts off when relative humidity is below 60%. The humidity-controlled extractor fan is easy to install with a ceiling mount and the product comes complete with a three-year limited warranty.
Pros
Cons
Bathroom Exhaust Fan With A Humidity Sensor FAQs
What is a bathroom exhaust fan with a humidity sensor, and how does it work?
A bathroom exhaust fan with a humidity sensor is a type of fan that automatically detects and removes excess humidity and moisture in the air. It operates by monitoring the humidity levels in the bathroom and turning on and off the fan as necessary. The fan will switch on to remove the extra moisture from the air when the humidity levels above a predetermined threshold. The fan will automatically shut off when the humidity levels fall below the set threshold. As a result, mold, mildew, and other germs that prefer moist conditions are less likely to grow.
The fan is normally mounted on the bathroom’s wall or ceiling and can be linked to a vent that exhausts the damp air outside the building. Other features, like built-in heaters or lighting, may be added to some versions to increase functionality.
What are the benefits of using a bathroom exhaust fan with a humidity sensor?
There are several benefits to using a bathroom exhaust fan with a humidity sensor, including:
– Prevention of mold and mildew: Excess moisture in the bathroom can lead to the growth of mold and mildew, which can cause health problems and damage to your home. A humidity-sensing exhaust fan can prevent this by automatically removing moisture from the air.
– Improved air quality: Moisture and humidity can also cause unpleasant odors in the bathroom. A bathroom exhaust fan with a humidity sensor helps to improve the air quality in the room by removing excess moisture and preventing the buildup of odors.
– Energy savings: A humidity-sensing exhaust fan only operates when necessary, which can help to reduce energy costs by avoiding unnecessary operation of the fan.
– Extended fan lifespan: By reducing the workload on the fan, a humidity-sensing exhaust fan may last longer than a fan that is manually operated.
– Convenience: With a humidity-sensing exhaust fan, you don’t have to remember to turn the fan on and off. It operates automatically based on the humidity levels in the room, providing convenient and hassle-free operation.
Are there disadvantages to using a bathroom exhaust fan with a humidity sensor?
There are a few disadvantages to using a bathroom exhaust fan with a humidity sensor:
– Cost: Bathroom exhaust fans with humidity sensors tend to be more expensive than standard bathroom exhaust fans. However, the benefits of the sensor in preventing mold and mildew growth and improved air quality may be worth the additional cost.
– Installation: Installing a bathroom exhaust fan with a humidity sensor may be more complex than installing a standard bathroom exhaust fan. It may require additional wiring and electrical work, and you may need to hire a professional to do the installation.
– False triggers: Humidity sensors can sometimes be triggered by other sources of moisture, such as a shower or bath in another room or steam from cooking. This can cause the fan to turn on unnecessarily, which may be annoying and could also reduce the lifespan of the fan.
– Compatibility: Not all bathroom exhaust fans are compatible with humidity sensors, so you may need to do some research to find a fan that is compatible with the type of sensor you want to use.
Overall, while there are a few disadvantages to using a bathroom exhaust fan with a humidity sensor, the benefits typically outweigh any drawbacks.
Can I install a bathroom exhaust fan with a humidity sensor myself, or do I need a professional?
Installing a bathroom exhaust fan with a humidity sensor can be a bit more complex than installing a standard bathroom exhaust fan, as it may require additional wiring and electrical work. Consequently, it might be preferable to engage a professional to install the fan if you don’t have any experience with electrical work.
What features should I look for when selecting a bathroom exhaust fan with a humidity sensor?
When selecting a bathroom exhaust fan with a humidity sensor, there are a few features to consider. The following are some of the most important aspects to consider:
– Sensitivity of the humidity sensor: Look for a fan with a humidity sensor that can be adjusted or that can be set to the amount of sensitivity you want. By doing this, you can be confident that the fan will successfully remove extra moisture from the air.
– Noise level: Choose a fan with a low noise level so you won’t be bothered by it when using the restroom.
– Airflow capacity: To ensure efficient and effective moisture removal from the air, look for a fan with a large airflow capacity.
– Energy efficiency: To keep your energy costs down, look for an energy-efficient fan. A low-wattage motor or a timer that turns the fan off after a set amount of time could be examples of such features.
– Easy installation and upkeep: Choose a fan that is simple to install and care for. These could include attributes like plug-and-play installation, detachable and washable filters, and pieces that are simple to swap out.
– Design and style: Search for a fan that complements the look and feel of your bathroom. From plain white versions to ornamental fans with built-in lights or heaters, there are many different shapes and designs to choose from.
Can a bathroom exhaust fan with a humidity sensor be used in a room other than a bathroom?
While a bathroom exhaust fan with a humidity sensor is specifically designed for use in a bathroom, it is possible to use it in other rooms that experience high humidity, such as a laundry room, kitchen, or basement.
However, it’s important to note that bathroom exhaust fans are typically sized and designed for use in smaller, enclosed spaces. If you’re considering using a bathroom exhaust fan with a humidity sensor in a larger or more open space, it may not be as effective in removing excess moisture from the air.
Additionally, you should also consider the fan’s noise level, airflow capacity, and design when using it in other rooms. A fan that is designed for a bathroom may not be as quiet or powerful as a fan specifically designed for use in larger spaces.
It is best to examine the manufacturer’s specs to make sure the bathroom exhaust fan is appropriate for usage in that particular space before placing it somewhere other than a bathroom.
Can a bathroom exhaust fan with a humidity sensor help reduce my energy bills?
Yes, a bathroom exhaust fan with a humidity sensor can help reduce your energy bills in a few different ways.
First, a humidity sensor-equipped fan will only operate when it detects excess moisture in the air, which means that it won’t run unnecessarily, unlike a traditional bathroom fan that runs continuously when turned on. This can lead to significant energy savings over time.
Second, many bathroom exhaust fans with humidity sensors are designed to be energy efficient, with low-wattage motors and other features that help keep energy usage to a minimum. Some models also have built-in timers that allow the fan to run for a set amount of time before automatically shutting off, reducing the chances of the fan being left on accidentally for an extended period.
Finally, a bathroom exhaust fan with a humidity sensor can help improve the overall air quality in your home by removing excess moisture, which can lead to mold and mildew growth. This can help prevent the need for costly remediation or repair work down the line, which can also save you money in the long run.
In Conclusion
There you have it. A complete look at all you need to know about your bathroom extractor fan with humidistat. So, the next time you are in the market for a bathroom fan, you will know what to look for and from our reviews, and you will also know what to expect.
Remember, these fans are designed to control the humidity by remove moist air from your bathroom, and they do a good job as long as you have the right fan installed for the size of the room. The best bathroom exhaust fans with humidity sensor depends on your specific needs. However, the bathroom humidity extractor fans mentioned above are good solid choices and will do a great job of keeping your bathroom moisture free.