\u2026and more. If there\u2019s something wrong with your bathroom exhaust fan, keep reading – you just might find the solution you were looking for. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Why Did My Bathroom Exhaust Fan Stop Working? <\/h2>\n\n\n\n![\"Electric](\"https:\/\/scottsbathrooms.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/electric-bathroom-exhaust-fan.jpg\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\nAs far as I\u2019m concerned, every bathroom should have one of these convenient appliances installed on the ceiling or mounted on the wall. As I mentioned in the intro, a bath fan efficiently removes moisture and unpleasant odors and, in that way, removes the need to open up a bathroom window after showering. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
One very important thing to mention here – and which most homeowners tend to forget – is that the excess moisture can <\/em>and will <\/em>leak out into the other rooms of the house. As you can already guess, this typically leads to rotted wood, rusted door hardware, and, of course, mold issues. <\/p>\n\n\n\nIn case your bathroom exhaust fan is not working, the very first place you need to check is your electrical panel. There, you may encounter a problem that is as simple as a tripped breaker – a plain and straightforward but also very common cause behind non-operational bathroom exhaust fans. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
However, if there\u2019s nothing wrong with electricity but your venting appliance is still not creating enough suction, you\u2019ll have to take a closer look at the fan itself and check if there\u2019s something wrong with one of its parts. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
For example, the cover of the fan may be clogged with debris and dust. If that\u2019s the case, you\u2019ll need to detach the cover, rinse it thoroughly, let it dry off, and then put it back into its place. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
And that\u2019s just one of the many things that may have gone wrong with your bathroom exhaust fan. Let\u2019s take a look at all of them in more detail: <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Read Also: <\/strong>How Much Electricity Does A Bathroom Fan Use?<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\nBathroom Fan Stopped Working – The Overview <\/h2>\n\n\n\n
1. <\/strong>A Tripped Circuit Breaker <\/p>\n\n\n\n2. <\/strong>Is the Bathroom Exhaust Fan on a GFCI Circuit? <\/p>\n\n\n\n3. <\/strong>A Broken or Loose Wall Switch <\/p>\n\n\n\n4. <\/strong>A Broken Bathroom Exhaust Fan Housing Outlet <\/p>\n\n\n\n5. <\/strong>Checking the Bathroom Exhaust Fan Motor <\/p>\n\n\n\n6. <\/strong>A Greasy Bathroom Exhaust Fan Cover <\/p>\n\n\n\n7. <\/strong>Checking the Bathroom Exhaust Fan Blades <\/p>\n\n\n\n8.<\/strong> A Defective or Clogged Fan Duct <\/p>\n\n\n\n1. <\/strong>A Tripped Circuit Breaker<\/h2>\n\n\n\n![\"Tripped](\"https:\/\/scottsbathrooms.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/tripped-circuit-breaker.jpg\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\nLet\u2019s start with the simplest thing first – does your bathroom exhaust fan turn on when you flip the corresponding wall switch? <\/p>\n\n\n\n
As I mentioned above, one of the first places to check when there\u2019s no power to the venting appliance is the electrical panel – maybe you\u2019re dealing with a tripped breaker. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
One thing that can easily cause a tripped breaker is when you have too many devices plugged into the same circuit that the bathroom exhaust fan is plugged in. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
However, keep in mind that the breaker can sometimes trip on its own, without any overloading. This can happen if the breaker is defective. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Take a good look inside your breaker box or the electrical panel and check for any tripped breakers. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
2.<\/strong> Is the Bathroom Exhaust Fan on a GFCI Circuit? <\/h2>\n\n\n\n![\"GFCI](\"https:\/\/scottsbathrooms.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/gfci-switch.jpg\")
Photo by Ppelleti via Wikimedia Commons<\/a> (CC BY-SA 3.0)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\nIf your bathroom exhaust fan is on a GFCI circuit, that may well be the reason why there\u2019s no power to it. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
If you don\u2019t know what a GFCI circuit is, it\u2019s an outlet with two buttons on it – the test and the reset button – whose job is to cut off the power in case of a ground fault. The \u201cGFCI” in its name stands for Ground Fault Circuit Interrupter. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
These kinds of outlets are typically installed in bathrooms and kitchens to prevent people from getting accidentally shocked. They also have a secondary purpose – protecting the downstream outlets from the main GFCI. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
In the event of a ground fault – or if the electricity is off-balance – the GFCI circuit will instantly (in 1\/40 of a second) shut off the electrical power to that outlet. There\u2019s a pretty good chance that your GFCI outlet has tripped in case there is no power to the whole bathroom. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Fortunately, solving this problem is as easy as it gets. Once you have located the main (\u201cmaster\u201d) GFCI outlet, restore the power to it by pressing the aforementioned reset button. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
3. <\/strong>A Broken or Loose Wall Switch <\/h2>\n\n\n\n![\"Broken](\"https:\/\/scottsbathrooms.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/broken-bathroom-fan-switch.jpg\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\nIn case you\u2019ve checked both your GFCI circuits and <\/em>your electrical panel breakers and none of these have tripped, the next thing you should take a look at is the wall switch. <\/p>\n\n\n\nWhat you\u2019ll want to do here is determine whether the switch is working correctly and whether its wires are properly connected. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
This is a very easy task. To remove the cover, you\u2019ll need to take a screwdriver and unscrew the screws that are holding it in place. After that, take a voltage tester and connect its black and red wires to the terminals on the outlet. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Once you\u2019ve done that, simply flip the wall switch on and off while checking whether the voltage on the tester is turning on and off as well. When the wall switch is in the \u201con\u201d position, you should see 120 volts on your voltage tester. If you need a new switch, check out the best bathroom exhaust timer switches<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n4. <\/strong>A Broken Bathroom Exhaust Fan Housing Outlet <\/h2>\n\n\n\nAfter checking the electrical panel breaker, the GFCI circuit, and the wall switch, the next thing you\u2019ll want to take a look at is the outlet on the housing of your bathroom exhaust fan. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
A lot of the older appliances of this type have their own outlets, typically located inside the housing. As you can already guess, this outlet is where the fan\u2019s engine is plugged into. In order to access it, you will have to remove the bath fan\u2019s cover. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
To do this, pull on the edges of the cover until there\u2019s a 1-inch gap between the cover and the rest of the appliance. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Put your fingers inside this gap and feel for the two clips – these are usually made out of metal and their job is to keep the cover secured to the fan. To release these clips from their slots, just squeeze them. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
And once you have detached the cover and found the outlet (if there is <\/em>one, that is), unplug the fan\u2019s motor from it. After that, take your voltage tester and check whether there\u2019s any electricity in it. <\/p>\n\n\n\nIf you don\u2019t have a voltage tester, try plugging in a small lamp to check whether the outlet is working or not. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
5. <\/strong>Checking the Bathroom Exhaust Fan Motor <\/h2>\n\n\n\nOnce you\u2019ve checked the housing outlet and if you’ve determined that there\u2019s nothing wrong with it, you will want to do the same thing with the motor of the bathroom exhaust fan. If you\u2019re really unlucky, the motor may have burned out. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
And to determine whether this is true or not, plug the bath fan engine into an extension cord that\u2019s plugged into a working wall outlet. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
If you do this and the engine still won\u2019t turn on, you\u2019re almost certainly dealing with a burned-out motor. If this is the case, you\u2019ll have no other choice but to get yourself a brand new bathroom exhaust fan. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
6. <\/strong>A Greasy Bathroom Exhaust Fan Cover <\/h2>\n\n\n\n![\"Dirty](\"https:\/\/scottsbathrooms.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/dirty-bathroom-fan-vent-cover.jpg\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\nUnfortunately, a lot of homeowners don\u2019t really pay much attention to their venting appliances. The result of this is typically a clogged bathroom exhaust fan cover that makes it difficult for the device to suck in the humid air. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
In case you\u2019ve noticed that there\u2019s little to no airflow and that your bath fan just isn\u2019t doing its job as it should, take a good look at its grille. If it’s visibly greasy, you will have to take it down and give it a thorough rinsing. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Keep in mind that greasy, clogged bath fan covers can prevent as much as 90% of the humid air from getting sucked into the appliance. In other words, a dirty grille is definitely not something that should be underestimated. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
As I said above, most homeowners simply don\u2019t pay attention to the looks of their bath fans, let alone think about cleaning them. But this is an exceptionally easy task to accomplish – to remove the lint and the dust, you just have to take the grille down and wash it with warm, soapy water. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
7. <\/strong>Checking the Bathroom Exhaust Fan Blades <\/h2>\n\n\n\n![\"Bathroom](\"https:\/\/scottsbathrooms.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/bathroom-exhaust-fan-blades.jpg\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\nOnce you\u2019ve inspected the grille – and cleaned it in case it was dirty – the next thing you\u2019ll want to do is to check whether the fan blades are dirty or defective. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Most appliances of this type will be equipped with either a centrifugal fan (\u201csquirrel cage\u201d) or with a propeller. In any case, you will have to detach the cover in order to be able to access it. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
And once you have removed the fan cover, get a flashlight and take a good look at the blades. To determine whether they are spinning freely, push them with a screwdriver or your fingers. If the blades are not <\/em>spinning freely, you will have two options – oiling them or buying a new bathroom exhaust fan. <\/p>\n\n\n\nIf you\u2019d like to try oiling the blades, make sure to check my article on oiling bathroom exhaust fans<\/a>. There, you\u2019ll find a comprehensive and informative step-by-step guide on how to quickly and easily oil one of these appliances. <\/p>\n\n\n\nObviously, if you find that the blades of your bathroom exhaust fan are dirty, make sure to give them a thorough cleaning. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
8. <\/strong>A Defective or Clogged Fan Duct<\/h2>\n\n\n\nAfter inspecting the blades and the grille of your bathroom exhaust fan, you should turn on the appliance and go outside to check the vent cover. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
If you haven\u2019t noticed anything wrong during the steps described above, there\u2019s a pretty good chance that the flapper of the vent cover is stuck-closed. There could also be a bird’s nest inside <\/em>the vent. This is a very common issue when it comes to ventilation ducts. <\/p>\n\n\n\nBefore removing the nest, make sure to put on a mask, a pair of goggles, and a pair of thick gloves – bird nests are often full of bacteria and tiny mites. With the help of a flashlight, long screwdriver, and needle-nose pliers, carefully remove all the twigs, sticks, and leaves and your fan duct will finally be able to \u201cbreathe\u201d again.\u00a0Read our guide on how to stop condensation in a bathroom exhaust fan<\/a> as well.<\/p>\n\n\n\nThe Takeaway <\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Having a bathroom exhaust fan that just refuses to work can be a genuinely frustrating experience. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
However, as you can see from above, there are a few very common causes behind this kind of an issue, and most of them can be taken care of relatively easily. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
If there\u2019s no power to the unit, you will want to check its housing outlet, wall switch, circuit breaker, grille, fan blades, and exterior vent cover. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
<\/figure>\n\n\n\nAs far as I\u2019m concerned, every bathroom should have one of these convenient appliances installed on the ceiling or mounted on the wall. As I mentioned in the intro, a bath fan efficiently removes moisture and unpleasant odors and, in that way, removes the need to open up a bathroom window after showering. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
One very important thing to mention here – and which most homeowners tend to forget – is that the excess moisture can <\/em>and will <\/em>leak out into the other rooms of the house. As you can already guess, this typically leads to rotted wood, rusted door hardware, and, of course, mold issues. <\/p>\n\n\n\n In case your bathroom exhaust fan is not working, the very first place you need to check is your electrical panel. There, you may encounter a problem that is as simple as a tripped breaker – a plain and straightforward but also very common cause behind non-operational bathroom exhaust fans. <\/p>\n\n\n\n However, if there\u2019s nothing wrong with electricity but your venting appliance is still not creating enough suction, you\u2019ll have to take a closer look at the fan itself and check if there\u2019s something wrong with one of its parts. <\/p>\n\n\n\n For example, the cover of the fan may be clogged with debris and dust. If that\u2019s the case, you\u2019ll need to detach the cover, rinse it thoroughly, let it dry off, and then put it back into its place. <\/p>\n\n\n\n And that\u2019s just one of the many things that may have gone wrong with your bathroom exhaust fan. Let\u2019s take a look at all of them in more detail: <\/p>\n\n\n\n Read Also: <\/strong>How Much Electricity Does A Bathroom Fan Use?<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n 1. <\/strong>A Tripped Circuit Breaker <\/p>\n\n\n\n 2. <\/strong>Is the Bathroom Exhaust Fan on a GFCI Circuit? <\/p>\n\n\n\n 3. <\/strong>A Broken or Loose Wall Switch <\/p>\n\n\n\n 4. <\/strong>A Broken Bathroom Exhaust Fan Housing Outlet <\/p>\n\n\n\n 5. <\/strong>Checking the Bathroom Exhaust Fan Motor <\/p>\n\n\n\n 6. <\/strong>A Greasy Bathroom Exhaust Fan Cover <\/p>\n\n\n\n 7. <\/strong>Checking the Bathroom Exhaust Fan Blades <\/p>\n\n\n\n 8.<\/strong> A Defective or Clogged Fan Duct <\/p>\n\n\n\n Let\u2019s start with the simplest thing first – does your bathroom exhaust fan turn on when you flip the corresponding wall switch? <\/p>\n\n\n\n As I mentioned above, one of the first places to check when there\u2019s no power to the venting appliance is the electrical panel – maybe you\u2019re dealing with a tripped breaker. <\/p>\n\n\n\n One thing that can easily cause a tripped breaker is when you have too many devices plugged into the same circuit that the bathroom exhaust fan is plugged in. <\/p>\n\n\n\n However, keep in mind that the breaker can sometimes trip on its own, without any overloading. This can happen if the breaker is defective. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Take a good look inside your breaker box or the electrical panel and check for any tripped breakers. <\/p>\n\n\n\n If your bathroom exhaust fan is on a GFCI circuit, that may well be the reason why there\u2019s no power to it. <\/p>\n\n\n\n If you don\u2019t know what a GFCI circuit is, it\u2019s an outlet with two buttons on it – the test and the reset button – whose job is to cut off the power in case of a ground fault. The \u201cGFCI” in its name stands for Ground Fault Circuit Interrupter. <\/p>\n\n\n\n These kinds of outlets are typically installed in bathrooms and kitchens to prevent people from getting accidentally shocked. They also have a secondary purpose – protecting the downstream outlets from the main GFCI. <\/p>\n\n\n\n In the event of a ground fault – or if the electricity is off-balance – the GFCI circuit will instantly (in 1\/40 of a second) shut off the electrical power to that outlet. There\u2019s a pretty good chance that your GFCI outlet has tripped in case there is no power to the whole bathroom. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Fortunately, solving this problem is as easy as it gets. Once you have located the main (\u201cmaster\u201d) GFCI outlet, restore the power to it by pressing the aforementioned reset button. <\/p>\n\n\n\n In case you\u2019ve checked both your GFCI circuits and <\/em>your electrical panel breakers and none of these have tripped, the next thing you should take a look at is the wall switch. <\/p>\n\n\n\n What you\u2019ll want to do here is determine whether the switch is working correctly and whether its wires are properly connected. <\/p>\n\n\n\n This is a very easy task. To remove the cover, you\u2019ll need to take a screwdriver and unscrew the screws that are holding it in place. After that, take a voltage tester and connect its black and red wires to the terminals on the outlet. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Once you\u2019ve done that, simply flip the wall switch on and off while checking whether the voltage on the tester is turning on and off as well. When the wall switch is in the \u201con\u201d position, you should see 120 volts on your voltage tester. If you need a new switch, check out the best bathroom exhaust timer switches<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n After checking the electrical panel breaker, the GFCI circuit, and the wall switch, the next thing you\u2019ll want to take a look at is the outlet on the housing of your bathroom exhaust fan. <\/p>\n\n\n\n A lot of the older appliances of this type have their own outlets, typically located inside the housing. As you can already guess, this outlet is where the fan\u2019s engine is plugged into. In order to access it, you will have to remove the bath fan\u2019s cover. <\/p>\n\n\n\n To do this, pull on the edges of the cover until there\u2019s a 1-inch gap between the cover and the rest of the appliance. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Put your fingers inside this gap and feel for the two clips – these are usually made out of metal and their job is to keep the cover secured to the fan. To release these clips from their slots, just squeeze them. <\/p>\n\n\n\n And once you have detached the cover and found the outlet (if there is <\/em>one, that is), unplug the fan\u2019s motor from it. After that, take your voltage tester and check whether there\u2019s any electricity in it. <\/p>\n\n\n\n If you don\u2019t have a voltage tester, try plugging in a small lamp to check whether the outlet is working or not. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Once you\u2019ve checked the housing outlet and if you’ve determined that there\u2019s nothing wrong with it, you will want to do the same thing with the motor of the bathroom exhaust fan. If you\u2019re really unlucky, the motor may have burned out. <\/p>\n\n\n\n And to determine whether this is true or not, plug the bath fan engine into an extension cord that\u2019s plugged into a working wall outlet. <\/p>\n\n\n\n If you do this and the engine still won\u2019t turn on, you\u2019re almost certainly dealing with a burned-out motor. If this is the case, you\u2019ll have no other choice but to get yourself a brand new bathroom exhaust fan. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Unfortunately, a lot of homeowners don\u2019t really pay much attention to their venting appliances. The result of this is typically a clogged bathroom exhaust fan cover that makes it difficult for the device to suck in the humid air. <\/p>\n\n\n\n In case you\u2019ve noticed that there\u2019s little to no airflow and that your bath fan just isn\u2019t doing its job as it should, take a good look at its grille. If it’s visibly greasy, you will have to take it down and give it a thorough rinsing. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Keep in mind that greasy, clogged bath fan covers can prevent as much as 90% of the humid air from getting sucked into the appliance. In other words, a dirty grille is definitely not something that should be underestimated. <\/p>\n\n\n\n As I said above, most homeowners simply don\u2019t pay attention to the looks of their bath fans, let alone think about cleaning them. But this is an exceptionally easy task to accomplish – to remove the lint and the dust, you just have to take the grille down and wash it with warm, soapy water. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Once you\u2019ve inspected the grille – and cleaned it in case it was dirty – the next thing you\u2019ll want to do is to check whether the fan blades are dirty or defective. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Most appliances of this type will be equipped with either a centrifugal fan (\u201csquirrel cage\u201d) or with a propeller. In any case, you will have to detach the cover in order to be able to access it. <\/p>\n\n\n\n And once you have removed the fan cover, get a flashlight and take a good look at the blades. To determine whether they are spinning freely, push them with a screwdriver or your fingers. If the blades are not <\/em>spinning freely, you will have two options – oiling them or buying a new bathroom exhaust fan. <\/p>\n\n\n\n If you\u2019d like to try oiling the blades, make sure to check my article on oiling bathroom exhaust fans<\/a>. There, you\u2019ll find a comprehensive and informative step-by-step guide on how to quickly and easily oil one of these appliances. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Obviously, if you find that the blades of your bathroom exhaust fan are dirty, make sure to give them a thorough cleaning. <\/p>\n\n\n\n After inspecting the blades and the grille of your bathroom exhaust fan, you should turn on the appliance and go outside to check the vent cover. <\/p>\n\n\n\n If you haven\u2019t noticed anything wrong during the steps described above, there\u2019s a pretty good chance that the flapper of the vent cover is stuck-closed. There could also be a bird’s nest inside <\/em>the vent. This is a very common issue when it comes to ventilation ducts. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Before removing the nest, make sure to put on a mask, a pair of goggles, and a pair of thick gloves – bird nests are often full of bacteria and tiny mites. With the help of a flashlight, long screwdriver, and needle-nose pliers, carefully remove all the twigs, sticks, and leaves and your fan duct will finally be able to \u201cbreathe\u201d again.\u00a0Read our guide on how to stop condensation in a bathroom exhaust fan<\/a> as well.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Having a bathroom exhaust fan that just refuses to work can be a genuinely frustrating experience. <\/p>\n\n\n\n However, as you can see from above, there are a few very common causes behind this kind of an issue, and most of them can be taken care of relatively easily. <\/p>\n\n\n\n If there\u2019s no power to the unit, you will want to check its housing outlet, wall switch, circuit breaker, grille, fan blades, and exterior vent cover. <\/p>\n\n\n\nBathroom Fan Stopped Working – The Overview <\/h2>\n\n\n\n
1. <\/strong>A Tripped Circuit Breaker<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
<\/figure>\n\n\n\n2.<\/strong> Is the Bathroom Exhaust Fan on a GFCI Circuit? <\/h2>\n\n\n\n
3. <\/strong>A Broken or Loose Wall Switch <\/h2>\n\n\n\n
<\/figure>\n\n\n\n4. <\/strong>A Broken Bathroom Exhaust Fan Housing Outlet <\/h2>\n\n\n\n
5. <\/strong>Checking the Bathroom Exhaust Fan Motor <\/h2>\n\n\n\n
6. <\/strong>A Greasy Bathroom Exhaust Fan Cover <\/h2>\n\n\n\n
<\/figure>\n\n\n\n7. <\/strong>Checking the Bathroom Exhaust Fan Blades <\/h2>\n\n\n\n
<\/figure>\n\n\n\n8. <\/strong>A Defective or Clogged Fan Duct<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
The Takeaway <\/h2>\n\n\n\n