Thread: Laundry fan doesn't have on/off switch

When I inspect a 2-year-old condo, I noted the laundry room exhaust fan installed without switch.
I tried fine out heat or moving senser S/W but failed and I was heard from seller the laundry fan must keep on always by the new building code ( city building code?? He didn't say)
after that,
I had a chance to inspect another condo in the same community, yes, I saw the fan is turning always and no switch. Anybody heard this kind of story??

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Required continuous ventilation.

I am surprised you actually saw a fan, most are roof mounted fans wuth a common exhaust duct.

I saw the plastic cover and sound, not actual fan and saw the fan mounted on the roof.
If continous ventilation is required in laundry room,
the new owner should not install the switch?

No, don't install a switch as that is likely a common roof mounted exhaust fan which serves several units (usually serves one or more stacks of units - i.e., there may be two or four units back-to-back with each other, and units stacked above each other floor-by-floor to the roof. One roof mounted exhaust fan could serve all the units in the stack below it.

I ran into this a few months ago and couldn't find anything about laundry rooms now requiring "continuous" ventilation. I found reference to require ventilation, but not continuous. Jerry, mind pointing me to the correct source?

Thanks!

The exhaust ventilation is permitted to be non-continuous or continuous.

Continuous ventilation is permitted to be less CFM than what is required for non-continuous ventilation.

Continuous ventilation is typically used for condos as it uses fewer exhaust fans.

If an owner was permitted to turn off a continuous exhaust fan - the exhaust fan would become non-continuous and everything would need to be changed.

Originally Posted by Nicky DeBolt

I ran into this a few months ago and couldn't find anything about laundry rooms now requiring "continuous" ventilation. I found reference to require ventilation, but not continuous. Jerry, mind pointing me to the correct source?

Thanks!

You are not finding it because it is a commercial building and is part of the HVAC Engineered system of the whole building.

Originally Posted by JeffGHooper

You are not finding it because it is a commercial building and is part of the HVAC Engineered system of the whole building.

Actually, continuous and non-continuous ventilation is also addressed in the IRC here: TABLE M1507.4 MINIMUM REQUIRED LOCAL EXHAUST RATES FOR ONE- AND TWO-FAMILY DWELLINGS

The Mechanical Code (versus the Residential Code) gets much more in depth in mechanical ventilation and exhaust, but the Residential Code also addresses it.

And, while it is a matter of common reference to refer to the IBC, IMC, IPC, IFGC as "commercial" codes, the fact of the matter is that they are also "residential" codes - the difference in the codes is that (Jeff and many others already know this) the "residential" code applies to one- and two-family dwellings and townhouses, whereas the the IBC, IMC, IPC, and IFGC apply to residential dwellings in all other configurations (condos, apartments, and other configurations).

Originally Posted by Jerry Peck

Actually, continuous and non-continuous ventilation is also addressed in the IRC here: TABLE M1507.4 MINIMUM REQUIRED LOCAL EXHAUST RATES FOR ONE- AND TWO-FAMILY DWELLINGS

The Mechanical Code (versus the Residential Code) gets much more in depth in mechanical ventilation and exhaust, but the Residential Code also addresses it.

And, while it is a matter of common reference to refer to the IBC, IMC, IPC, IFGC as "commercial" codes, the fact of the matter is that they are also "residential" codes - the difference in the codes is that (Jeff and many others already know this) the "residential" code applies to one- and two-family dwellings and townhouses, whereas the the IBC, IMC, IPC, and IFGC apply to residential dwellings in all other configurations (condos, apartments, and other configurations).

Is this like the title 24 whole house ventilation?

Yes i have seen it many time.