Exhaust Fan Installation Gone WRONG | We Used All of Our Tricks... 

At 5:00, I really like that wire trick to check if you have clearance for the large hole.

I can not thank you enough for being honest and show that you have problems with installations like I do! I hate it when I watch any kind of videos on how to do something, and first of all always so the simplest thing and never have any problems whatsoever... And I am almost certain that if they do they probably edit it out. Now I don’t feel so stupid and inadequate when stuff doesn’t go quite so smoothly...Thank you....

I worked with my dad doing side work renovations until I was 15. He passed away but everytime you say bud I just think man this is the dad everyone wants. Good team and great videos.

I love this wholesome father/son relationship. My dad and I remodeled houses growing up and now I own rental houses. Good papa you are!!

I'm really enjoying watching you guys, I had a remodeling business ,mostly room additions and bath remodels. My Dad taught me a lot .then he was my only employee for 13 years. We had so much fun and got into some crazy projects and situations and him getting me out of those is what I miss a lot lost him 4 years ago. Brings back a lot of great memory's watching you. And still learning a few things along the way. Thanks guys.

"The crown was moulding", such a DAD joke that dad didn't get lol. You guys are great. I worked with my father for over 20 years and had the privilege to have my son work with me this past summer! Good stuff!

My dad was a physicist and taught me so much. He focused on how to do home repairs such as soldering pipe, wiring, replacing rotted window sills, etc. I found your channel a couple weeks ago and have enjoyed all the tips, especially the drywalling and floor work. Paul, your rapport with Jordan is priceless. And I like the music background chosen. Keep up the great work and I look forward to the next video release!

I like how you guys show the setbacks and the thought process of trying to figure it out even if it doesn’t end up working out.

Just an FYI, the electrical box/duct connector assembly comes completely off the fan housing. This allows you to completely install the assembly with the wiring and duct. Then grab the fan, slide into place and install the screw so it holds the fan in place so you don't need 3 hands as you mentioned in the video. There is another great product out there to consider using that is able to overcome high pressure when installing flex duct through and over joists. It helps give you confidence that the fan is still moving 110 CFM even after installation. (Model Number: SP-AP0511W-1 or SP-AP0511WL-1) Thanks for the video!

Dad joke went over Dads head! 🤣. I hope this channel blows up in 2021

It amazes me the calm demeanor you both have. God bless you both!!

I would have been swearing and throwing things after the first failure, so the fact that you both stay calm the entire time is just amazing. But that’s why you got the work done and I’m sitting here wondering about my life instead of installing my bathroom fan.

Spent more money on a vent to avoid going into attic, just to find out you have to go into the attic. Sounds like my luck. This is why you always plan ahead before starting even the smallest jobs. Good work guys!

Love how you show the real day to day problems that happen for contractors, no sugar coating...

The exhaust fan only prevents moisture problems if people remember to use it. Leviton makes a humidity sensing switch that automatically runs the fan for a programmable amount of time. I put one in my house because we were having mold issues and it's been great. I highly recommend it.

This series is amazing and it shows how quickly a small renovation turns into a large one when you run into the unexpected. These videos are pretty long compared to what you normally find on youtube, but they give so much detail on the thought process and issues that you run into when doing this type of work that it is totally worth it. I'm in the middle of a a very similar complete bath remodel myself. I understand a lot of the pain in these videos and have gotten some good tip/ideas from them too.

The design of that exhaust fan is GENIUS!!!! I've seen a lot of those easy install designs that suck, and actually make it harder to install than just climbing into the attack. But that one, that is the shit.

I recently decided to replace a bathroom fan because it didn’t move any air. Not only was it completely ductless in the attic, and buried under 9” of blown insulation, but the factory packing tape still had the flap taped shut!! From 1978 to 2021 this vent fan was 100% completely useless. Lazy builders not doing it right can cause problems for literally decades! I’m glad to see you doing things the right way, and thanks for sharing it with us!

What I like about your videos is that you show the real world problems that come up during just about any project. I had an old school guy that taught me everything and when I would explain a problem I ran into he would say "figure it out and get it done"...

I love the presentation of this video. I'm glad you're showing all your challenges and the trial and error it takes to get this project done. Also love the calm demeanor and your guys' sense of humor.

Just wanted to add how much I love products engineered to make life simpler like your Panasonic fan bracket and fan.

Love watching, the homeowners should see what it takes to do quality work

My house is 75 years old. I just did an economy remodel on the upstairs bathroom. Worst part of the job? You guessed it putting a new larger CFM fan in. Nice work around on this one guys!

Nice job guy,s. Bath fans are ALWAYS a major pain. The only tried and true way unfortunatly is to go thru the roof. Yes it is expensive but..,the customer needs to know this.

stumbled upon this video and I gotta say I love the workmanship attitude

Thanks for the video showing the trouble-shooting you have to do in renovations. And that sliding insert to allow fan installation is new to me, so thanks again. Your son is learning from a pro!

Just discovered this channel a couple days ago, after binge watching a bunch of videos all I can say is man this is probably the best construction/renovation channel on RU-vid. Learn something new every video.

Great video. I like the wrong hole being repurposed for a soffit vent. Nothing ever goes completely as one hopes it will. I replaced a bath fan and light with a supposedly identical fan. I got it in, but had to do some modifications and cut the crap out of my thumb using my utility knife!

I had a similar issue running a 4 inch duct from the outside to the fan bu wouldn’t fit so I had to use a 3 inch duct instead. Y’all do excellent work. I’ve learned a lot from you.

"NOW ITS PERSONAL"

I do hvac for a living. Roof vents are pretty easy and you guys are very skilled. I believe in yall to get it done! You just trace you're penatraion hole in the roof where is cuts through two layers or shingles Cut it out with a Sawzall or a jig saw. Then you use a Sawzall or a long knife to separated the two layers of shingles the penatraion disecs calk around the hole on under the upper layer of shingles (not the lower level), slide your roof jack in there, put one nail on the left and right eaither through the beed of cualk or inside to protect it from the rain then caulk the heads of the nails and then layer the upper layer of shingles down and add a beed of caulk to where the upper layer meets the roof jack. No caulking on the lower lever ever. It traps water

That pun totally went over your head lol. I think it's worth mentioning that you could vent through the eave because there wasn't any soffit vent there.

Step-by-step through real problems and real solutions! I love what you guys are doing with these videos

0:34 I got the joke 😂😂😂😂, dad's reaction was priceless. Here i am with corona, since I can't go any where I'll be watching a lot of your videos. Awesome stuff!

I work on 100 year old houses and I do not think I ever had a job that did not have at least one problem. Your videos are really great!

I thought the molding joke was hilarious, I can't believe you didn't get it!

Aside from the ductwork needing to be insulated to prevent any condensation issues, I've always heard that you're never supposed to vent into a soffit. If the soffit's vented correctly it will pull all the moisture you're trying to exhaust out of the house, right back into the attic creating mold issues.

The split portion of the fan allows you to put the vent on the exhaust, tape it up and position it inside drywall cutout, then slide the main body of the fan up to reconnect the two halves together.

Ran into this EXACT same situation with my house - vaulted ceiling in my Master Bedroom - BOTH original (1978) vent fans in the bathrooms exhausting straight into insulation. (..been avoiding this project since last year, finally got the motivation and determination to get it done TODAY.) Was a lot of fun trying to get the vent down into the soffit by myself; had to extend the wiring, and the Panasonic unit JUUUUSSTT barely fit in the space....y'all's video was a big help. Thanks!

The crown moulding joke was funny. I know that feeling when a job becomes “ Personal “. I’ve had a few in my career. Always enjoy watching a father son work crew that respects each other and their respective talents. My son worked with me for six years in the HVAC trade. He left to become a policeman. St Enjoyed my time working with him.

Thank you for the close up of the soffit exhaust vent that you used-my newest adventure in fixing up my home is the smell in the downstairs bathroom (clean, dry, seldom used at this point)--it took us 3 days to figure out that it was actually coming from the exhaust fan vent--we were "sure is was mold somewhere") The person putting the vent in years ago used a dryer vent (with regular duct tape that had fallen off over time) with no screen blockage for mice,,,,the rest is probably self explanatory--we will have to open the joist space to clean out in the near future-but it is cleaned out a bit and covered--smell gone! Your videos have been so helpful and I really enjoy watching you work with your son-thank you!!

Tricks! Experience comes through in the "tricks"! I sure appreciate seeing al this. The freaking internet again, AND OF COURSE, skilled experienced ethical workers like you folks. (I see so many of my own trials here, and I love the way you guys find ways to make it work. It's innovation and "thinking" and whatever it takes to do it right.)

Just another great video. I like how you show the problems encountered in ducting the fan properly. Most fans I see aren’t even ducted. Keep up the great work. 👍🏼

Great tip with the bent wire to check for framing on the back side of the hole! I noticed with the camera shot of that soffit (6:52) a 14/2 wire going between a framing member and the sheet roofing... would probably be a good idea if there is enough slack to reroute it around the end of the truss to prevent a roofer from putting a nail thru it.

As usual you guys were able to get it done and now your exhausted!! I think it’s important to note that in some areas the flex duct is NOT allowed and if possible I try never to use it. Again every area has different building codes so it’s all a matter of what applies to where you are working. And yes some of the other comments are accurate...the flex hose seems to accumulate condensate in the coil pockets.

Subscribed... Something about the father and son thing just clicked with me. Good info, problem solving, and awesome relationship dynamics.

Excellent snapshot capturing the realities of home improvement projects; that is, careful decisions, strategies, compromises, and things inevitably going wrong now and then. It's great how you can work with your son so well; I'm lucky to be in a similar situation and it's a real gift. Here's a bit of unsolicited advice if you don't mind: for someone with your abilities, cutting a hole, lifting and trimming a few shingles to install a roof cap would not be a problem. Do it once and you'll get to the top of the learning curve sooner than you'd think.

Came to RU-vid to see how hard it would be to install a ceiling fan in my house. It isn't vented outside, just into the attid and to my knowledge has been that way since the house built back in the 70's. Now I know how to install a vent without having to get into the attic. I've got a straight shot to a soffet ... just need to figure out how to deal with aluminum soffets. As always, Stud Pack delivers!

Yes, it’s great to errors made, your honesty and courage greatly appreciated

I bet Jordan was really sad that his Dad didn't get that "crown was molding" joke :< That was gold, Jordan!

This went about as well as every project I’ve done. Murphy’s law strikes again!

Many years ago, I installed a fan assembly in one of my bathrooms. I utilised much better flex ducting than what you got. I routed it out the back wall off the house via the attic. The stuff I used was insulated to prevent any condensation in the attic area. The temperature differential between the bathroom and attic will cause some condensation if not insulated. It came in the correct diameter of the fan’s exhaust in 25 foot lengths. Furthermore my attic has the required roll insulation plus several inches of blown in. Never had any issue of this fan or others I’ve installed. FYI

Well done video series, showing the roadblocks that can be encountered when remodeling and getting creative to solve them.

Love this channel, Paul’s knowledge and teaching are 2nd to none! You guys are blowing up since I started watching, congratulations!!!

Man it's the worst when u get stuck with these stupid little problems that seem to burn up a whole day so frustrating ran into countless issues like that on my last bathroom reno. Get yourself some laminate blades for that jig they cut on the downstroke they'll prevent tear out on those brittle materials

I like the Dad and son thing you guys have and also the persistence not given up.

Over here being everyday dad. Love watching the videos as much for the education as well as the interactivity between you both.

Your video reminded me of what always happens to me: "That didn't work. Let me try this. That didn't work either, but I have another idea..." The additional vent for the soffit was an excellent recovery from a "6 inch hole" mistake. Such is remodeling and improvements...

"Crown molding" LOL That was pretty good haha!

just battled a low pitch roof and soffit exhaust. I like the fan you installed , nice engineering.

You guys are the best!! I have learned so much watching your videos! Especially appreciate seeing how you solve the problems that are typical when doing remodeling! Thank You!!!

Love the content. I like how real the video feels. Most of the videos out there cut out the struggle.

You definently will have a problem with water in that flex hose. I think I had maybe 14 ft installed. After 6 months I notices spots on my bedroom ceiling. Sure enough it was pockets of condensation inside the flex hose. Plus the kidos like to take hot foggy showers Lol. So i hired a roofer. He went straight up to the roof. Now it works even better! Just a thought👍

Great video - nicely shot... nicely explained. honest work! I learned a few tricks/tips from you in this video. Thanks! BUT, I thought I'd give a tip about that Panasonic fan. I love them. I've got 2 of them. The metal vent / electrical part you slid out of the way is actually meant to come completely off and connected first (to both the vent and electrical - which is real easy when the whole unit is not in the way!) and then it is screwed to the frame you installed first. Then you simply slide the black housing into the frame and it marries up nicely with the metal part you just finished connecting and screwing to the frame. You then screw the black housing to the frame to hold it in (just like you did). You then connect(plug in) the electrical plug and put that little screw back in which holds the metal part to the black housing tight again. A great design by Panasonic. I will never buy a different kind of fan again! Easy to install in a new build and just as easy to install as a replacement like you. (BTW loved your other video on the neutral wiring problem - that's how I found you.) Keep up the great work!

I don't know if you laughed at your son's pun about the crown molding after filming but you should have. That was pretty funny, and quick witted! Great video. I've been a furniture and cabinet maker for well over thirty years, but I also get several commissions to do remodels. I have some tricks up my sleeves but am a life long learner. you guys are a blast and a pleasure to watch. I am actually learning a lot from this channel. You ask your subscribers to let you know if they want to see videos about specific topics. What ever topic you choose, it's gonna be good. Your presentation, methods, and clarity are excellent!

Awesome to see your on site problem solving! I love it guys

Been there, done that, on my remodel. Laying on my belly, cutting my wind off, in the attic, on a main beam, trying to reach the eave, just plain fun.

I hope the homeowner gave you a huge bonus for working on their house of horrors!

I really like the way you install the bathroom fan keep up the nice work take care GOD BLESS

‘The crown was molding’ - 😂

Love your videos. Really making me want to start a construction business with my son (he’s 15 now). I think you should have punched through the roof. It’s a better way to exhaust moisture compared to soffit exhaust, but I get the challenge of going through the roof. I used to avoid it until last fall I was forced to exhaust a kitchen vent hood through the roof. The process seemed daunting, but after I did it...I was shocked at how easy it really was (no leaks a year out). My hesitation to roof work is heights and the pitch of a roof. Either way... great job and excellent problem solving along the way! I’d definitely hire you guys if I wasn’t such a DIYer!

That was a real install video, THANKS for keeping it 100.

Should that vent pipe be insulated? Will it sweat and leak condensation in the attic? Tom Silva always changes those flex pipes to insulated because of mold in the attic.

Those Panasonic fans are the best. They move quite a bit of air and are really quiet compared to nutone or Broan fans. Worth the extra money for sure considering the mold problems you could face later on that costs alot to remedy.

Panasonic fans are WELL worth the money. They're the quietest fans you'll never hear! I do nothing but recommend those to all my customers.

I'm loving that crimping tool! I saw one in some ones tool box and didn't know what it was. Wow do I eel competent. 2 people all day for one bathroom exhaust. That's an expensive fan. I've been in the same situation but I cut holes in the ceiling and cut outs in the joist joist. More work, less frustration and I'm pretty good at plastering. Next week I have to replace an old noisy fan, I hope it goes easy.

The soffit vents will allow moist air to be drawn into the ventilated soffit (If used) and possibly cause mold and mildew problems in your attic. No the best option in my opinion. But in this scenario there isn't ventilated soffit. Another issue is in a cold climate insulated duct should be used to avoid condensation inside the duct. Good video.

Just a small thing - I was surprised to see the light (and fan) switches on the wall of the shower. Code in my area requires that you cannot reach any electricals (light switches, plugs, etc.) while standing in the shower - just in case there's a fault that could, when your hands are wet, cause an electrocution. (If you've ever seen a bathroom where all the switches are outside the room, this may be why :). Especially after all that work you did fixing the bridged neutrals, I'm curious to hear your thoughts on this. Love your videos!!

Crown is molding LOL!!!

Remodeling a bathroom with a new light, fan, and heat (not in same exact location) . I decided it's easier to remove all of the ceiling drywall. The fan duct will go out the gable end for less chance of entering the attic thru a soffit vent. A couple of extra days to install new drywall/tape/texture worth the time.

Hey guys congrats!!!!! Your package of tricks never ends... I've learned a lot with you .. Thanks for your time!!!

couple of things people should know before installing a soffit fan vent: make sure there’s not an actual “soffit” vent within 3’, to keep the moisture from being pulled back into the attic. Also, the flex duct should be insulated. The reason why most houses built before the 90’s don’t have fans in the bathroom is because of building codes. As long as there’s was a window that could open in the bathroom a fan was not required. Just a fun fact.

Probably not a shock but I see many fans vented right into the attic. It always amazes me.

Got to say this is pretty typical of bathroom fan replacements (or additions), they're always a pain. Keep up the great videos. You guys are are fun to watch and have some nice little tricks

4:40 in. the tip about checking for hidden obstructions using that bent wire ws amazing. Top tip of 2021 for me. I'm gonna use that neat trick. loving the way you guys work together, and very informative. as an old school joiner its amazing how you can still learn tips and tricks. keep up the videos

But it should be insulated duct to prevent condensation drips...

Crown molding, love it! lol 0:41

Glad to see I’m not the only one that has this luck

I installed two of those fans for a client recently. That bracket system is genius.

Great Dad and Son team work

i like those sofit fan vents better than anything thru the roof. Up here in pa the vents tend to get snowed over and dont work in the winter. i like how that fan mounted.

The handyman's chant. "This is gonna work, this is gonna work"

Just installed 2 panasonic whisperchoice pick a flows last weekend. We had no existing fans so getting in the attic is a must. I feel your pain.. and know why I got recommended this video lol. Edit: For someone with drywall, it is still possible to add another switch. You need a multi tool or sawzall to carefully cut the oldbox off the stud and then cut the drywall to add a double gang old work box.

3:00 Another tool that I like that works for stuff like that, "flex shaft mechanical pick up tool". Like an adult version of those claw toys we used to have... Use them to reach down into engine bays and grab bolts and things similar. Would have worked great to reach in there and grab ahold (with enough force to grip) of the wire and bring it to him.

7:58, "I hate to cut this drywall." That is the voice of experience if I ever heard it. It's not a sponge or stomp pattern, it's not a swirl, it's that damn popcorn and it's been painted. VERY difficult to repair a texture like this. When you're already half a day behind, the last thing you want to do is start messing with a popcorn ceiling repair. Thank God for that can light!

In preparation to sell our house 2yrs ago I had to replace the exhaust fan in the master bathroom. I was shocked to see the original fan installed just as you described, no hose and exhaust port was butted up against insulation. Lived in that house for 12 years and to think of all the moisture that was just blowing into the attic.

Finally y'alls subs are going up !!! Best "real" building show on RU-vid 👍

Here is a good tip, "keep making videos". Excellent camera work and explanations. Well done.

That thing with the bent wire to check for obstructions is a great idea - I'll take it! =)

Hi guys. Love your videos. Quick question. That fan duct was not insulated. I don't know what climate you're in there, but I had a huge issue with an upstairs bathroom vent freezing up in the winter in Michigan. Should you have run insulated duct? And by the way, I'd love to see more videos regarding electrical circuits that you would find in a remodel. Keep up the good work!