In the past year, the Naperville Fire Department has responded to a handful of fire calls related to bathroom ceiling exhaust fans. Have you cleaned yours lately?
This type of exhaust fan is prevalent in almost any residential occupancy. Manufactured both with and without lights, these fans help prevent steamed up mirrors, damp walls, fogged windows, and remove odors, however, they also present a potential fire hazard. The fans, over time, build up lint, and under the right conditions, the motor can overheat and ignite the lint and nearby building components.
The fires have occurred in bathroom exhaust fans, which have been in place long enough to have an excessive accumulation of lint. The lint eventually accumulates to the point where heat builds up and if a locked rotor condition occurs, the motor can overheat. The lint also insulates the motor, exacerbating the heat build-up, and providing an easy-to-ignite fuel source which in turn ignites nearby combustible building materials. The speed at which the lint builds up is a function of the amount of use and the amount of particulate in the air in which it operates.
Many of these fans also are not thermally protected. Thermal protection causes the motor to shut down when it gets too hot. This safety feature has been available since the late 1970’s, but was not widely used until the early 1990’s.
To help reduce the potential for property loss of personal injury due to fire, we recommend:
- All bathroom exhaust fans be inspected and cleaned as necessary, and then placed on a regular cleaning schedule.
- If some fans are not easily accessible for regular cleaning, or appear to have evidence of heat damage, or do not turn freely, they should be replaced with thermally protected units.
Also, please remember that bathroom fans only should be used for brief periods of time, such as during a shower. Many people run them excessively or even forget that they are on. Just another fire safety tip for you to consider. Enjoy your summer!
