How to Disassemble a Bathroom Exhaust Fan

Bathroom exhaust fans help remove moisture and odors from your bathroom. If your exhaust fan stops running, it is important to replace it with a new one as soon as possible. Removing the old exhaust fan is a straightforward project. Pay attention to how the old fan was wired and mounted if you will be installing a new fan in its place. If your exhaust fan has a built-in light, wrap a piece of masking tape around each wire and label it so you know what it powers.

Drill
Phillips driving bit
Phillips screwdriver
Utility knife

Instructions

- 1
  Turn off electrical power to the bathroom exhaust fan from the breaker box. Back out the screws securing the cover plate to the motor housing. If you do not see screws, pull the cover plate down slightly and reach inside. Find the support wire and push it up to unhook it from the motor housing. Lower the cover plate. Hold a circuit tester to the electrical wiring to make sure it is off.
- 2
  Unscrew the wire nuts connecting the exhaust fan's wiring with the power source's wiring and separate them. Find the clamp holding the power source's wiring in the exhaust fan's motor housing. Unscrew the clamp's screw with a Phillips screwdriver to free the wires.
- 3
  Go up to the attic and take a utility knife. Find the exhaust hose connected to the exhaust fan's motor housing. Cut through the foil tape connecting the two pieces and remove it. Slide the exhaust hose off the motor housing and return to the bathroom.
- 4
  Back out the screws securing the motor housing to the ceiling joists and bring it down through the opening in the ceiling. In certain models, you will need to remove the screws from the attic. In this case, the motor housing has arms extending from joist to joist. Remove the screws and lift the motor housing.

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