Even if you feel like you can handle the work yourself, you should still see if a permit is necessary. Doing the work without a permit, if one is required, might violate your homeowner’s policy.
Sones measure the loudness of a fan. The lower the number, the quieter the fan. CFMs measure the number of cubic feet of air a fan can move out of a room per minute. Generally, the higher the number, the better. High CFM fans may not be necessary for small bathrooms. If your bathroom is large, however, you’ll really want to get a fan with a high CFM rating.
Drop cloth Screwdriver Circuit tester (AKA voltage detector – the non-contact variety will be easiest to use) Drill and bits Drywall knife HVAC tape Wire connectors
If you don’t see screws, the cover probably just snaps in place. Look for a tab you can push to pop the cover off. If there’s not one, take a flathead screwdriver and gently pry at the edge of the fan cover (where it meets the ceiling) to remove the fan cover.
If you see wires leading from the ceiling to plastic connectors, then from the connectors to the housing, remove the plastic connector to separate the wires. If you see the wires, but not the plastic connectors, unscrew the junction box cover on the fan’s housing, and you should find them inside. Some fans will instead have a standard plug leading to an outlet above the ceiling (attached to a joist, for instance). If you see one of these, just unplug it.
The vent pipe may be attached to the housing with HVAC tape. If so, peel this away. The pipe may also be held in place by a clip or screwed assembly. Using a screwdriver if necessary, remove this as well. Once the tape and/or clips are removed, just gently tug at the vent pipe until it is removed from the fan housing.
Lay down a piece of plywood across joists in your attic so you’ll have a surface to kneel on. Have someone help you. Let them hold the housing while you remove the screws. Once the screws are removed, pull the old fan housing out of the ceiling.
You can also install a fan that has a housing smaller than your old one’s. If the new fan’s cover does not cover the entire hole, you can patch the ceiling drywall to get rid of the extra space.
Go into your attic above the bathroom fan. Lay down a piece of plywood across ceiling joists so you have a surface to work on, if necessary. Have someone help you by holding up the fan housing from below. Brackets will be attached to the fan housing. Some may slide out to extend to the ceiling joists. Drive screws through the bracket’s holes into the ceiling joists until the housing is securely in place. If your fan has holes for screws to go through the ceiling, and brackets to hold it from above, use both.
Some fans may have a separate duct connector that you must set in place and attach to the fan housing before securing the vent pipe. Read your model’s instructions to be sure.
Make sure that you join the correct colored wires (white to white, black to back, yellow to yellow, etc. ). Push the wire connections back into the housing and replace the junction box cover when you’re done. If your fan has a standard plug instead of bare wires, just plug it into the outlet in your attic.
