My bathroom fan stopped working, so I tried two ways to fix it.

First, I just replaced the motor unit, which cost about $40. It worked for a week. Then I pulled the whole housing and found the old plastic duct was crushed and full of moisture. Replaced that with a proper metal duct kit for another $30. The fan has been quiet and strong for six months now. Anyone else find that fixing the root cause, not just the symptom, is the only way that sticks?

3 comments

3 Comments

tylerw922mo ago

That plastic duct traps moisture and kills the motor, so replacing it first saves money.

uma_lopez2mo ago

Our old house had that same mushy plastic duct. I spent a whole Saturday putting in a rigid metal one and it's been perfect for years now. Why do they even use that cheap plastic stuff?

danielmartinez26d ago

Yeah, you ask a good question about why they use that plastic stuff. It's really just about speed and cost for the builders. They can roll out that flex duct in minutes with a staple gun and some tape, while rigid metal takes careful measuring and cutting. Plus they don't have to pay someone skilled for half a day to do it right. But like you found out, the metal lasts decades and the plastic starts falling apart after a few years. I always tell people if you can swing the extra time and effort, replace as much of that flex as you can reach. It's one of those jobs that pays you back every time the system runs.