Bathroom without a window, learn how to ventilate it

If there are some places where ventilation is more essential in our homes, those are above all where greater humidity or water flow may concentrate. This is usually in the kitchen and more commonly in the bathroom. The difference between both places is that it is very normal to have a bathroom without a window. And this might give the impression of a lack of ventilation or concentration of problems. Depending on the situations, that can happen, but there are also solutions.

It is very common in apartments and blocks of buildings for bathrooms to not have exits to the outside. For some time now, in Spain, it is mandatory for them to have extractors and other ventilation systems, but we do not always find them. In addition to that, if the systems to renew the air do not function properly or are not well installed, our bathroom without windows can cause us problems or lead to a lack of comfort in the home. Because the issues of a bathroom that smells bad and where the air is not renewed efficiently are noticeable. The main hurdles that bathrooms without windows and without ventilation face are:

• The most obvious problem is odors. A bathroom without windows and with an inefficient extraction system tends to concentrate all kinds of odors, even without the passage of people.
• Healthiness can also be affected. One of the biggest air pollutants is the gas released by many cleaning chemical products, and in a sink, it may take time to be eliminated.
• Beyond that, we have the predominant problem of humidity. The bathroom is a place where we can find water vapor in the air, and this can lead to health problems and deterioration of the property.
• There are other minor problems, such as those arising from excess vapor, which can cause issues in electrical appliances.

For all these reasons, it is essential to air out a bathroom without a window so that it can breathe and avoid these problems, common in many old buildings, especially in small sinks.

How to ventilate a bathroom without a window?

In bathrooms without windows, opening the door is not enough. To eliminate unpleasant odors, avoid humidity problems, and renew the air, the most effective way is to use a bathroom extractor. This way, we will achieve the most important thing, which is to eliminate contaminated air or air loaded with water vapor.

However, many of the extractors we find in sinks are not very efficient. Some have been installed solely and exclusively to show their existence, without taking into account a series of conditions that are important for them to function correctly. The place where the extractor will be installed or the size of the sink are aspects that must be considered.

We have to take into account a series of factors:

1. It is impossible to install bathroom extractors above the bathtub or shower. The prohibition is within the regulations to avoid problems and for safety reasons.
2. The extractor must be away from the ventilation grills and doors. It is of no use in those cases, and sometimes they may be found there.
3. We must keep in mind that the noise it makes will determine in many cases the power, so we must look for something quiet but in line with the effectiveness we are looking for.

From here, it will depend on the needs of your home. For example, the simplest and most common way is for the extractor to be activated by a switch, so you can choose when to use it. On the other hand, if you install it in a store or public place, sometimes it is better for it to be a presence detector that activates the fan.

In office spaces and places with an inconsistent flow of people, sometimes timers can be a good option. And then there is the case of places with a lot of humidity, where an extractor with water vapor detection will provide us with the necessary service.

And if all this fails? We always have the solution of a mechanical double flow ventilation system. Without a doubt, this is the best solution for improving air flow and its renewal in our sinks. This way, we not only guarantee not having pollutants or dirty air, but we also eliminate fogged-up windows. This does not happen with a double flow system, which constantly adapts to the real needs of each room.

The renewal of air in a bathroom without a window is essential. Especially if we believe we are suffering from humidity problems, which often become visible in places that are not the bathroom. We can have excess steam in the air caused by poor sink ventilation that is noticeable in another room. Therefore breathing better air in the bathroom is essential.