Ventilation Fans in the Bathroom

If you're carving out a new bathroom in a small house, or renovating an older bathroom, you tend to get familiar with building codes pretty quick. In Boston at least, codes say that bathrooms (even half baths) need to have an exhaust fan installed even when the bathroom has a window. If you're not involved in picking out the fan (and who would be?), the plumber is likely to put in a big square thing with a grill. In a small bathroom, this can be a bit ugly, not to mention make a ton of noise. We did a bit of research for an old bathroom we had to bring up to code and found a great vent fan that's also a recessed light...

We would have loved to have taken photos of some of our UFO-looking bathroom fans from past apartments. They had these big grills that collected dust and there was no hiding them. But this recessed fan light from Broan/NuTone was a revelation to us because it's actually also a working recessed light and doesn't stick out at all. It's quiet and unobtrusive and even UL Listed to use over a bathtubs or shower. We love that we never even know it's there. Now the next time you go into a bathroom you're going to notice the vent fan.

>>> Broan-Nutone website

>>> Recessed Fan Light - Model 744

Comments (19)

My contractor recommended this fixture when I renovated my bathroom. It's a huge improvement over the ugly square thing I had in there before.

posted by Kathryn on March 11th 2009 at 5:22pm
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We have this. Love it.

posted by wig3000 on March 11th 2009 at 5:28pm
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It's nice - But how do they get that big box through that little hole in the ceiling???

posted by bepsf on March 11th 2009 at 5:30pm
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I just got these for an addition-the electrical installers hadn't seem them and were impressed. I am excited that I don't have to go with some big honking fan !

posted by pelicolina on March 11th 2009 at 5:38pm
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Thank you! I'm bookmarking this page and will buy at least two very soon...

posted by home body on March 11th 2009 at 5:48pm
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bepsf - you would have to cut a larger hole and then put gyp board or whatever your ceiling finish is, around the fixture. Most of these types of lights also have a "renovation" version that requires a smaller hole to be cut out of the ceiling.

posted by hessilou on March 11th 2009 at 7:04pm
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I can't picture this installed in. Does it just dangle from the ceiling like that? Or is installed into the ceiling?

posted by SIUCarbondale10 on March 11th 2009 at 7:54pm
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Oh wow! Never mind. I just figured out that the first picture is actually of the ceiling fan. That's INCREDIBLE. I had no clue it was even there (obv).

Very cool. Thank you for sharing.

posted by SIUCarbondale10 on March 11th 2009 at 7:56pm
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THANK YOU!!! THANK YOU!!! THANK YOU!!!

I just finished a bathroom remodel in my house and all I could find was this HIDEOUS KLUNKY ALMOND COLORED turd! Its so noisy and made of the ugliest cheapest plastic...it RUINS my remodel. This is exactly what I have been looking for!

THANK YOU!!!

posted by parttimedesign on March 11th 2009 at 8:16pm
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I love this! I wish I had seen this a few months ago - we just renovated our bathroom.

posted by emilymch on March 11th 2009 at 8:17pm
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oh to have a ventilation fan in my bathroom. it would be so, so nice. :(

posted by grafxnerd on March 11th 2009 at 8:28pm
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I just had this installed in both of my 1950's bathrooms last weekend. It works great.

posted by elizgonz on March 11th 2009 at 8:41pm
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Damn! Wish I'd seen this a year ago...

posted by modtramp on March 11th 2009 at 9:09pm
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Thank you AT for posting this. I was looking for lighting for my bathroom, which is terribly dim, and was hoping to do something about the ugly, dusty ceiling vent in the ceiling. This is perfect.

posted by frontiersperson on March 11th 2009 at 9:37pm
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ah! I am renovating my bathroom next week; this post couldn't be more welcome. thanks!

posted by swanroad on March 11th 2009 at 10:14pm
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Thanks! I'm sticking this in my list of resources for when I finally get a chance to renovate my bath. Though.... I actually approve of loud exhaust fans. I think it's nice to give people the option--especially guests--of some auditory privacy.

posted by RKN on March 12th 2009 at 8:17am
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DANG! I just had the normal, ugly rectangle installed a few months ago - this would have been a huge improvement.

@bepsf, if there's an attic above your bathroom, they can also just go up there and drop it into place, so to speak.

posted by leepert on March 12th 2009 at 8:42am
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We just renovated our bathroom in Boston last fall. Our contractor told us that, according to code, only a vent fan can be centered over the tub area. If it has a light, it must be moved out into the middle of the room so that it isn't directly over the tub. Not sure if that's true, but we went with it.

posted by jppedi on March 14th 2009 at 7:18pm
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If you do end up having to go with one of the square ones - mount it lower on the wall. The standard for the architecture firm I used to work for was to mount one of the square ones (high end ones aren't too bad looking) at 18" off finished floor - usually in a space much less obvious than hanging over your head... this requires planning ahead in pretty far in advance to route the venting down the wall instead of leaving it to the last - the HVAC or electrician person will most likely route to the ceiling.

posted by psteiner on March 14th 2009 at 9:26pm
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