repairing a bathroom exhaust fan

In the past, when a bathroom fan failed, I simply removed the cover, unscrewed and unplugged the insert and installed a replacement – this was the NuTone brand and the replacement cost <$15.  However, at the log cabin it was not so simple.  The fan was manufactured in Canada and a replacement blower assembly was not available locally or at Amazon.  It could be purchased from the manufacturer but the cost plus shipping was greater than the $70 cost for a complete unit from Amazon.

Since the manufacturer touted the reliability of its product I considered whether I could simply repair the fan.  When I removed the unit I noticed that the vanes of the blower were clogged with dust and debris.  This was why the fan had sounded weaker and weaker with the passing months – the motor had been struggling to turn the blower.  And perhaps this had burnt out the capacitor or the motor was defective.  If the motor was bad I would have to buy the Amazon unit.  I tested the capacitor with a capacitor meter and it seemed ok.  However this did not mean it was ok.

I could buy a new capacitor for <$4 from the manufacturer but with flat rate shipping of $11 this would be close to $15.  Or I could buy a similar capacitor with the same farad spec from Amazon for approx $5 with no shipping cost add on.  I invested $5 and when I installed the new capacitor the motor turned slowly.  Then I cleaned the vanes and the fan spun to life.  Fixed.  NB – don’t try this unless you know what you are doing, it can be dangerous.

why it failed - you can clearly see the accumulated dust and grime on the inlet vanes of the rotor
why it failed – you can clearly see the accumulated dust and grime on the inlet vanes of the blower

And the lesson – clean the blower vanes with a sized, soft paint brush regularly and you can avoid a lot of aggravation down the road.

2 thoughts on “repairing a bathroom exhaust fan”

  1. Nice tips about how to repair the bathroom exhaust fan. I just wonder where we can buy the new ones in case we cannot repair the old ones? And may I re-post your article on my personal blog with reference link?
    Best Regards,

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *