Continually Running Bathroom Ventilation Fans

My eight-unit condo apartment building has two continuously running ventilation fans on the roof, extracting air from the bathrooms 24/7\. We are interested in installing timers so that the fans run less (not to save money but to reduce our energy usage). Maybe just morning and evening when the bathrooms are in use, or maybe 30 mins out of every hour perhaps. The NYC building code seems to say that these fans need to run continuously: “Such required ventilating and/or air conditioning systems shall be kept in operation at all times when the building or space is being used in a normal manner in accordance with the purpose for which it was intended.” But can this be true in today’s more energy-conscious times? Do we really need to be venting all eight bathrooms at 3 am? Certainly if a bathroom has a window instead of a fan, there is no requirement that it be kept open 24/7 so why does a ventilation fan need to run continually? Does anyone have any advice on this topic? Thanks.

mouster728

in Heating and Air Conditioning 10 years and 2 months ago

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mouster728 | 10 years and 2 months ago

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OP here, just following up. Tom, from Munetz, came on Monday. He took the top off one of the fans and we discovered that timers were already in place, just not properly set up. We set them up, et voila, problem solved. I’d like to commend Munetz Electrical for responding to my request so promptly and for sending such a pleasant and helpful person (Tom). I’ll certainly come back to them for future electrical work on the basis of this good service. And thanks again for the recommendation, Tinkerswagon.

mouster728 | 10 years and 2 months ago

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Thanks, TinkersWagon. Your help is much appreciated. Tom is coming on Monday to quote on the job.

thetinkerswagon | 10 years and 2 months ago

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I ran back around to tom today to be sure he does not mind me sending these smaller jobs to him and to be sure he would not brush you off and he told me that he is more than happy to handle these jobs. we suspect you had already left him a message today and I was glad to hear that- Steve

thetinkerswagon | 10 years and 2 months ago

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also, see what cmu says. I said this is like installing a switch and in a way it is – but you need the neutral. a switch interrupts the hot line. to run the timer you will need the neutral for the timer motor. don’t try this yourself. and a lot of people used to use the ground as the neutral (“bronx neutral”) but that is a no-no. Steve

thetinkerswagon | 10 years and 2 months ago

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call tom munetz at munetz electrical and if he says he does not do this, you go through my website and drop me an email and I will call him on your behalf and see why he claims not to do it (I know him). these are simple timer installs (the ones we had controlling the fans had bad motors and I changed them myself; now that I am self employed and own a house I will not touch electrical). this is not HVAC work, this is in essence the installation of a switch. Steve http://brownstoner.staging.wpengine.com/tinkerswagon

no-permits | 10 years and 2 months ago

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why are you going through all this? fans aren’t required to run continuously.

cmu | 10 years and 2 months ago

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Get a free-lance electrician if you’re concerned (I think the forum archives can help,) but since a timer is almost as easily installed as a switch, practically anyone can do it, unless your condo rules are anal. The only caveat would be that the switch box has to have power & neutral wires…if not, you’ll need an electrician to rewire.

mouster728 | 10 years and 2 months ago

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OP here. Thanks for your responses – very helpful. I have a further question: who would install a timer such as you suggest? I called an electrical company yesterday (Ceriello) and they said they didn’t do this type of work and suggested I call an HVAC company. I did that (Arnica) and they also said they didn’t do this type of work. I know that’s only 2 companies, and there are plenty more to try, but am I going about this the wrong way? Is there another type of company I should be talking to? Thanks.

thetinkerswagon | 10 years and 2 months ago

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we had them in a commercial space I took care of years ago. worse than the fans being broken and not working was that the timers had “failed on”. we were wasting a lot of heat. I reset them to business hours. if I were taking care of the building you mention, I would try 5:30 am to 9:30 am and maybe 6 PM until 9 PM. Now mind you, I am not sure how the code plays in here. and you mention windows, in some jurisdictions, a bathroom with a window does not require a fan. not sure about here. bathroom ventilation is not my thing at all and the only reason I chimed in here was because of my past experience. let’s see what some others say. and look at what no permits says. Intermatic makes some good commercial duty timers (mechanical types) that will last forever and not have to be touched once set up. easy to install and you can get additional start/stop set-points to ad cycles. check ww grainger to look at timers. and I do not touch electrical work what so ever, so I only came on here to share my opinion.

no-permits | 10 years and 2 months ago

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you’ve interpreted the code wrong and you’ve been wasting a ton of heat.