The bathroom vent fan is an important addition to your bathroom. It serves some great purposes. It helps to get rid of unwanted odors, moisture and other airborne contaminants in the air. If your bathroom vent fan gets covered in dust, then it will not work efficiently. Eventually, this leads to unwanted mold and mildew growth. So it is necessary to keep your bathroom vent fan clean by avoiding dust buildup. If you could make way for a thorough cleaning of your bathroom vent fan every 6 months, then it will be well and good. If the bathroom vent fan is used continuously, you may also clean it off every 3 months. If you think that getting your bathroom vent fan cleaned is a big headache, then it’s a myth. This article explains how to clean bathroom vent fan with light in simple steps.
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Steps Involved In Cleaning Bathroom Exhaust Fan With Light
Cleaning bathroom vent fan is no big deal. With proper care and by following the instructions, you can achieve the best results without taking much time. Let us see how we can clean bathroom vent fan with light in simple steps.
Turn Off The Power
Turn Off the power supply to the fan and the light. This ensures that you do not end up getting electrocuted. You can ensure additional safety by turning off the circuit at the breaker box.
Removing The Light Cover
For bathroom vent fan with light, you need to remove the light cover first. In most cases, you just need to pull the light cover down. You can also try squeezing together the sides of the light cover which may pop it right off. Keep the light cover plate aside for cleaning.
Removing The Light Bulb
As the power is already turned off, you can remove the light bulb without the fear of getting an electric shock. Keep it aside carefully.
Removing The Center Nuts
Starting off from this step, you will have to deal with many small parts like nuts and screws. It is better to place a towel over the shower drains as there is chance that if these nuts and screws fall off accidentally, they may fall in the shower drain and you may lose them.
As the light bulb gets removed, the center nuts will get exposed. These actually hold the base plate firmly to the center post. In order to get the center nuts removed, you can make use of flat head screwdrivers or pliers.
Removing The Fan Grating
When the nuts get removed, the base plate or the grating will drop down freely on its own. You need to pull it down slowly or else the wiring connections may get damaged. Unplug the wire connector and remove the light kit. Keep it aside for cleaning.
Cleaning The Parts Of The Fan Without Removing The Motor
Removing the fan from the ceiling is not actually a recommended course of action. You can clean the dry dust off the fan blades by using an old toothbrush or vacuum. Remember that this will lead to dust shower all over the floor. You can put on a mask to avoid inhaling the dust. If you use a toothbrush, be gentle as you apply pressure on the fan blades while getting it cleaned. Excessive force can cause the fan blades to bend. Using a vacuum to clean off the dust will be much more effective as it will let you have access to even the hard to reach areas and get the dust removed with ease. You can use the crevice attachment and get most of the dust removed. With the brush attachment, you can clean the fan motor parts and the fan housing.
Now you can take a damp microfiber cloth to wipe down the fan components and housing which will completely remove any remaining dirt.
Cleaning The Parts Of The Fan After Removing The Fan Motor
Though not recommended as a DIY activity, if you are determined for a thorough cleaning, you can also try disassembling the fan. You need to unscrew the fan motor from the housing using a magnetic tip screwdriver. Now unplug the connector or the wire powering the fan and get the fan motor removed. For this, you need to unscrew the mounting screws holding the fan motor to the housing. You need to hold the fan motor with one hand while removing the last screw or else it may fall off. You can then lower the fan motor from the housing.
Now you can vacuum the motor and fan blades to get the dust removed. You can also make use of a soft bristle old toothbrush to clean up the parts. Use a damp microfiber cloth to wipe down the motor, fan blades and the housing off any remaining dust.
Cleaning The Other Removed Parts
You can now clean the other removed parts, which have already been kept aside for cleaning.
You can clean the bulb by using a dry cloth. For thorough cleaning, you may also use a wet cloth, but make sure the bulb is fully dry before you reattach it back.
The fan cover plate can be cleaned by soaking or rinsing it off with soapy water. You can also make use of a damp cloth with water and mild detergent to achieve the same. You need to gently clean the cover plate and dry it completely before reassembling it back.
For the plastic fan grating, you can proceed by soaking or rinsing it off in warm soapy water.
Reassembling The Vent Fan With Light
After properly cleaning the parts of the vent fan with light, you can proceed on to reassembling the parts. If you have removed the fan motor, then the first step is to put it back in place and replace the screws. Plug in the fan. Now you may put in the fan’s cover plate. Ensure to plug in the wire connector which was unplugged in step 5. Now you need to reattach the grating by screwing in the nuts properly.
The next step is to put the light and light cover back in its place. You can turn on the power supply to ensure that the vent fan and the light are working properly.