Bathroom & Kitchen Vents Serve a Purpose
USING THESE VENTS CAN SAVE YOU IN REPAIRS LATER
The bathroom and the kitchen. Maybe the two most used rooms in a house, the two rooms with some of the most complex equipment, and the two rooms that can often cause the most trouble.
As home inspectors, we often see the kitchen and bathroom as the places where plumbing issues, electrical problems, and DIY-gone-wrong installments are. But there are many common-sense ways you can take care of your kitchen and bathroom so they continue to function properly and be safe places. Today, we’re going to look at just one simple but very important thing you can do: use your exhaust vents!
In most modern bathrooms and kitchens, there are exhaust systems. The bathroom has a vent that you can flip on, and the kitchen has a range hood above the stovetop. Both of these systems serve to keep these rooms free of odors and moisture.
WHY USE BATHROOM EXHAUST VENTS
In the bathroom, the exhaust fan vents air outdoors. The primary time to use this is when you take a shower. The fan helps dry out the room so the steam of the water and the humidity and moisture it creates doesn’t just sit there and dampen the walls and appliances. Letting moisture hang around the bathroom creates the perfect conditions for mold and bacteria to grow and fester. Towels can attract mildew (this is usually given away by a smell) and wood, which absorbs moisture and expands, can become damaged. Metal appliances grow rusted. Let the fan run during the shower and for at least thirty minutes after. Running the fan occasionally outside of a shower is just as helpful in improving air quality and preventing microorganism growth.
WHY USE KITCHEN EXHAUST VENTS
As for the kitchen, the fan serves several functions. While cooking, it takes up steam and smoke (helpful for those of us who set off the fire alarm every time we try frying something!) Along with this air pollution, the fan sucks up moisture, odors, and food particles. If you have a gas stovetop, the fan can reduce carbon monoxide buildup. The fan can help remove all of the natural grime that can build up in the kitchen, which in turn keeps it safer, healthier, and cleaner. When cooking on the stove, flip on the fan a few minutes before you start and leave it on 10-15 minutes after you finish.
IT’S A SIMPLE AND EASY WAY TO MAINTAIN YOUR KITCHEN AND BATHROOMS
And that’s it! Simply using the fans in your bathroom and kitchen is an easy way to do preventative care and keep these spaces clean. If you don’t have a vent installed, opening a window and/or using a small electric fan can also help. These rooms will thank you, and so will an inspector down the line!
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Sources:
https://andersonaircorps.com/blog/general/run-range-hood/
