Natwerk Designs

Why do I have water dripping from the exhaust fan in the bathrooms all day?

The exhaust used to go nowhere it was buried in the attic insulation and it wasn't clearing the moisture from the bathrooms. I got some duct work to extend it above the insulation in the attic. The attic is vetilated. These drip like this in the summer and winter no matter if it's hot or cold in the attic.

Public Comments

1. You need to insulate it. Disconnect the pipe and put a small trash bag over the end of it and slide your insulation over it and tape the seams. Be sure to tape up the seam at the fan and the outside vent, also make sure that you fan is strong enough to carry air to the exhaust vent outside, cold air is heavy and it may take a little bit of pushing to get the louvers to open.
2. If the vertical run is too long, it may be building up condensation, then dripping back down, as it can only follow gravity. You want to minimize the vertical run, and then take the quickest route horizontal, so the air is blown upward, then takes a quick 90 degree turn, and ideally, slopes downward again to vent outside. Are you sure nothing else is leaking in the attic? Also, is the ducting for this fan buried in insulation, especially the kind with the paper backing? This paper backing on the insulation is a moisture barrier, and may be trapping moisture inside the duct. I wouldn't burry the duct in any insulation, this may be your problem right there.
3. It is condensing on the pipe. You have a bigger problem brewing though, venting a bath fan directly into the attic. Vented or not, it will build up humidity. It needs to go all the way to the outside.
4. It sounds like as if your vertical pipes aren't done correctly, I'd have a proper certificated engineer in to have a look at it and sort it out