Is a bathroom exhaust fan required in a residential bathroom that has a window? Plus, What code book lists the requirements for bathroom exhaust fans as I would like to buy a copy? Thanks.
This would be found in the applicible building code (IRC, IBC, UBC, etc). In a dwelling unit, the window must have 1.5 sqaure feet of opening or an exhaust fan. In a commercial building, mechanical ventilation is required regardless.
The book store at this site is actually a very good place for buying various code books, but you will want yo know what code you have adopted first.
In Massachusetts you must have a fan if you have a tub or shower. Does not matter if there is a window.
Here no fan required when you have a regular size window.
Building that I'm in now the A/C company (Wich is actually the same company as us but different division) installed the fans thinking they where needed, when we got there we had them take em out:-)
In Florida the "toilet room" requires 3 sq/ft of window opening or mechanical ventilation. (1203.5)
No but it wasn't on our prints so we was not going to wire it. Wasn't needed by code and we did not want to do a change order.
In Ontario,
Not an Electrical safety Code Requirement, but a Building Code Rule.
Under the Ontario Building Code:
9.32.3.4. Principal Exhaust
(2) Except as permitted in Sentence (3), the principal exhaust fan shall be controlled by a manual switch.
(3) A principal exhaust fan required under this Article may be controlled by a dehumidistat or other automatic control
device where the manual switch required in Sentence (2) is capable of activating the fan regardless of the setting of the
automatic control.
(4) The switches required in Sentences (2) and (3) shall be centrally located in the dwelling unit and shall be identified
with the words VENTILATION FAN.
(5) The principal exhaust required in this Article may be provided by means of a heat recovery ventilator installed in
accordance with Article 9.32.3.11.
Tony Moscioni ~
Electrical Inspector
Electrical Safety Authority
Phone: 416-991-4145
Tony.Moscioni@ElectricalSafety.on.ca
The British Building Regs. list a rather complex set of guidelines, but basically mechanical ventilation of a bathroom is required only if it has no opening window.
http://www.tlc-direct.co.uk/Technical/Ventilation/RegsF1Sec1/Regs01.htm