Types of exhaust fans explained

A home will have a variety of exhaust fans. You’ll find the obvious variations in say, bathroom fans versus kitchen fans, but you also get hooded fans for heavier air flow, inline fans for ducts, and even whole house fans for large homes. Here’s what you need to know about the various types of exhaust fans you can get for your home.

Kitchen exhaust

This is your standard exhaust fan. It comes in varying diameters and is fundamentally just a fan that sits in a hole in the kitchen wall. It’s designed for high air flow and extended operation and does a pretty good job in the average kitchen. However, it doesn’t block outside light or prevent lizards and the like from entering from outside. It also moves all of the air inside the kitchen and so isn’t very efficient or targeted. These fans also tend to get gunked up thanks to a build-up of oil deposits. For best results, these fans are best placed directly over the stove. They’re primarily used because they’re cheap and easy to install.

ALSO READ: Difference between exhaust fan and ventilation fan

Ducted exhaust

This is like a regular exhaust except that the fan is placed inside a duct. This duct is in turn placed over the stove, say, to directly capture and exhaust the air before it permeates the kitchen. Short of a chimney, which is much more expensive, ducted fans work great in kitchens. More advanced versions will, like chimneys, include detachable grease traps and filters.

Bathroom exhaust

These are primarily designed for privacy and short-term use. Bathroom exhausts are usually built into a mini duct with flaps that open only when the fan is in operation. The angle of the flaps is also such that they point downwards. This ensures that anyone outside the bathroom will only see the ceiling. These fans can sometimes include motion and humidity sensors for automatic operation.

Whole-house exhaust

Whole-house fans are rarely seen in homes because they’re primarily designed for very large or multi-story homes that don’t have good natural ventilation. They’re like kitchen exhausts but are much larger in diameter. They also move more slowly as they don’t need to move air quickly. These help clear out hot air from heat traps and can make a big difference in an badly ventilated home. On a side note, even larger and faster versions of these can be found in warehouses and factories.

When shopping for an exhaust fan you only need to look for ones that are compatible with your home. Basic bathroom exhausts will suffice, but when it comes to the kitchen, you’ll need to look at the volume of your cooking to determine what works best for you.