Can Exhaust Fan Reduce Humidity? How It Can Help

Can exhaust fans reduce humidity, or do they only enhance the air circulation in your house?

In another article, we saw that you can use an exhaust fan to lower humidity in the bedroom.

There is some controversy when it comes to using exhaust fans to lower humidity. But that is why you are reading this short post.

So, really, can you use exhaust fans to remove humidity? If the air outside is drier than the air inside the house, the exhaust fan can help. The exhaust fans are designed to remove hot, damp, and polluted air from bathrooms and kitchens. That is how they reduce humidity.  

You can order the iLiving 18-inch exhaust fan on amazon.com. It has many features such as different speed modes, has a big space rating, and it is used in different applications such as sheds, garages, attics, or others.

What do exhaust fans do?

Can exhaust fans reduce humidity

Exhaust fans are installed in the high-humidity spaces so that they can pull the damp air from the interior space and pass it outside. These spaces include the bathroom and the basement.  In that regard, they will lower humidity.

Since the bathroom is such a high-humidity space, if left unchecked, the excess moisture can cause the development of mold.

When mold matures, it produces spores that float in the air. That is how it spreads to the other rooms. That is why you need to keep the indoor humidity within the range of 30 to 55%.

Also read: Pure Enrichment humidifier not working

Secondly, exhaust fans in the bathroom remove odor. You know, the nasty smells that can come out of the toilet.

If you do not have an air purifier for smells, just install an exhaust fan. It will help take out the odor through the vent and bring in fresh air from outside.

Do fans reduce humidity?

Image of do fans remove humidity

When people ask this question, what they want to know is whether running a wall or ceiling-mounted fan can help to improve indoor humidity.

Well, in another article on how to control humidity in a grow tent, we saw that you can install wall and floor fans to help move the air around.

The essence of installing the floor fans is to help the damp air rise and move out of the tent through the vents. Due to the stack effect, damp air rises while dry air stays closer to the ground.

But really, do fans remove the humidity? They do, albeit not as effectively as a humidifier. They make you feel comfortable in your living room by helping the air circulate well.

Also read: Why is my dehumidifier blowing cold air?

However, if the outdoor air is drier, you can place a portable fan near a window so that it can pull the dry air in. It can also help push the humid indoor air out.

For fans to help with humidity, well, at least run them in a well-ventilated room. They will make the room comfy enough for you.

But remember, they will only make the indoor space comfortable if you have slightly high humidity.

By whipping the air around, the fans help to cool the room. There is a relationship between humidity and temperature.

Warmer air holds more moisture than dry air. However, even if you lower the temperature in a room with high humidity, the humidity stays.

The ultimate solution is to use a Pure Enrichment, Everlasting Comfort, or Honeywell cool mist humidifier to lower the humidity.

How exhaust fans help with humidity: FAQ

If you are still not sure that you can use an exhaust fan to remove humidity, well, these frequently asked questions and their answers might help you:

Can exhaust fans cool a room?

That is specifically what exhaust fans do. They remove the hot air in the kitchen and bathroom through the vent. Once the hot air is expelled outside, cooler air can circulate inside the room.

Does the exhaust fan reduce humidity?

Yes, it does, albeit indirectly. Because warm air holds more dampness, when the exhaust fan removes the hot air from the room, it can lower the humidity.

Does the exhaust fan dry the bathroom?

Most modern homes are built with exhaust fans in the bathroom to help remove hot air. The hot air in the bathroom contains a lot of moisture. Thus, when the exhaust fan dispels the hot air, it goes out with the moisture. So yes, it can help to make the bathroom dry.

Also read: How do I stop humidifier white dust?

Will an exhaust fan help with humidity in the basement?

An exhaust fan is going to create air movement in the basement, and it will leave it dry. However, if the humidity is too high in the basement, you should run a dehumidifier. Make sure it is connected to the drain hose so that it can pull water continuously.

When should you use a bathroom exhaust fan?

The exhaust fan in the bathroom should not run for too long. You should run it for a maximum of 20 minutes after taking a shower or a bath. Perhaps you can do even 30 minutes, but never longer than that. Keeping the bathroom dry helps to prevent damage and mold infestation.

What is the purpose of a bathroom exhaust fan?

After a hot bath or shower, the air in the bathroom will be hot and damp. The exhaust fan is going to remove the hot air from the bathroom so that cooler air can circulate. We can say the fan helps to lower the air moisture level in the bathroom so it can dry faster.

What is the difference between a ventilation fan and an exhaust fan?

A ventilation fan brings air from outside into the enclosed indoor space. However, an exhaust fan removes hot air and polluted air from the room to the outdoors using the vents.

Does the exhaust fan bring in fresh air?

Mostly, these types of fans remove air with contaminants from indoor spaces and expel it outside using the vent system. They can also help pull in fresher air from the outdoors.

What is a ventilation exhaust fan?

As the name suggests, this kind of fan pulls hot, damp, and odorous air from spaces and expels it through the vent. It continues doing that until all the contaminated air is dumped outside. It can also remove smoke and dust.

Final Thoughts

Installing an exhaust fan in your house can help with the removal of damp air, odors, smoke, and other pollutants. It can help with the humidity, but that is not its primary job.

By helping with air movement, you can feel more comfortable in your indoor space, even when the indoor air has high humidity.

Run it after a steamy cooking session in the kitchen or after showering with hot water in the bathroom. Also, run it for about 20 minutes and then switch it off.