0

Ive added a small bathroom in my basement with a drop ceiling. I have limited amount of space to work with. Is it ok to use chain to hang my exhaust fan?

Ronnie Gray
  • 19
  • 2
  • 1
    A picture would help. Regardless, you'll want to make sure the exhaust fan cannot fall on a person and electrocute them. I'm sure that a code inspector would have other things to say... – MonkeyZeus Feb 18 '21 at 19:49
  • 3
    It's impossible to answer this question well without more information. Of course you _can_ use chain, but I doubt that it's the best choice. Please revise to provide a much better description of the situation and photos, if possible. – isherwood Feb 18 '21 at 21:18
  • Thank you for the help and support. I decided to mount it using 2×4s. I agree, it's not the best choice to hang it with chain. – Ronnie Gray Feb 19 '21 at 11:22
  • Please take the [tour] so you understand how this site works. Then, either provide and accept an answer, or delete your question. "Thanks" comments are discouraged. – isherwood Jul 19 '21 at 14:25

3 Answers3

1

You don't hang an exhaust fan because you have a drop ceiling. You are making this WAYYYY too hard. (Also a drop ceiling means you have more space, not a limited amount)

Your fan may be able to be mounted - they are all different shapes and sizes - low enough to even up with drop ceiling and it it can't be it just takes a few pieces of scrap lumber to add lower supports for your fan. But you would need to supply more info for that.

Also I can't fathom why you would want a drop ceiling in your basement bathroom. It is fine if the rest of the basement will be drop ceiling but drywall the bathroom and hit it with an oil based primer on all walls. You drop ceiling there then a good percentage of the moisture supposed to go to fan will end up in your ceiling, you will have rust and mold issues if that bathroom is used a lot.

DMoore
  • 47,764
  • 15
  • 81
  • 190
  • 1
    I appreciate the info. The only reason for the drop ceiling in the basement bathroom is because I have a bathroom directly above it. If need be I want to have access to all the pipes and shutoff valves. I did decide to use 2×4s to mount it. – Ronnie Gray Feb 19 '21 at 10:54
  • Come on, how do you install a fart fan to code if you don’t hang it with a suspended ceiling? The op stated small bath we don’t know if there is anything more than a toilet and sink. It’s not for us to judge. this is fairly common in some areas of the west coast. – Ed Beal Feb 19 '21 at 14:15
  • @RonnieGray - are you moving the plumbing around that much? I mean plumbing gets covered in walls all the time for 30+ years. You shouldn't need access to your plumbing lines. If you want to keep the drop ceiling then just use a few 2x4s secured to your joists to drop down to the right height to hold it. – DMoore Feb 19 '21 at 17:56
  • @EdBeal - wasn't judging - it is by far more maintenance having drop ceilings in bathrooms. I have had rentals and won't do it again. Moisture, parts of the ceiling failing, rust, whatever. Also I can put up a strip of drywall way faster than trim the room for drop ceiling and 2 runs. – DMoore Feb 19 '21 at 17:58
0

Drop ceilings are a special case. With small tiles I make a flange if it is rated for grid support.

Most are not grid rated for larger tiles 2-4 and require standard tie wire (galvanized wire attached to the structure not conduit) if in a seismic area like I am in grid support is usually prohibited. I have never tried chain but don’t see why it could not be used (chain may be noisy compared to tie wire).

Ed Beal
  • 102,099
  • 4
  • 75
  • 153
-1

Google "remote exhaust fan" and see if that will work. The fan portion doesn't need to be in the bathroom ceiling.

Platinum Goose
  • 4,135
  • 3
  • 19
  • 33
  • This doesn't answer the question about using chain to suspend a fan. – isherwood Feb 18 '21 at 21:19
  • @isherwood It *might* answer the question, with more details. If the concern is: "hang by chain won't be stable enough for a running fan", then "fan elsewhere with ductwork to the drop ceiling" might actually be a good solution. But as written this is an incomplete answer. – manassehkatz-Moving 2 Codidact Jul 19 '21 at 14:24