Installing new bathroom ceiling fan

[Lorne]

These fans are of course round and the tin can goes up into the ceiling, then into a flexible foil hose connected to the roof vent. Like dryer vent hose.

How does one get the round can into the foil hose without hands on the attic side?
Do you just hope the can goes up inside the foil tube when you push it up through the ceiling hole?

OR, just let the bathroom air vent into the crawl space, figuring that you'll be dead and gone by the time someone buys the house and has mold?

There has to be a simple answer, but for the life of me I can't think of it.

If the foil tube was long enough you could pull it down through the hole, fit it around the fan can and THEN push the whole thing up into the ceiling.
But this is wishful thinking..........i think.

What say you, ol experienced MH re builders??

[Greg]

If there is a flex hose you may be able to pull it down as you said, If not I think I might add a section to allow you to. I wouldn't just let it blow into the empty space above the ceiling, that's just asking for problems.

If this is a new installation, I would just do some figuring and allow enough extra to drop the fan down. Greg

[JD]

I agree with Greg. If it is flex pipe, there should have been enough added to connect the pipe securely to the fan before attaching the fan to the ceiling. I have not replaced a fan part only, so I am not sure if that would work or not. But the entire fan housing with fan and pipe attached should be able to install through the hole. They can always be done on metal roofs by removing the roof jack and working through the top, resealing the jack when you are done. On an asphalt shingle roof you risk creating leaks when disturbing the shingles around the jack.

[Lorne]

I'll get some pictures as soon as I can.
Getting two arms up inside the 8" diameter hole will be a challenge. Like Microsurgery through a little incision. This old fan is around 20 years old as far as I can see and most of the air blows out the sides of the vent. May not even be connected to anything. We'll see. Thanks.

[Lookingforwork09]

Make sure that the vent is hooked up and it is directing the air properly. Make sure that you check the roof vent as well. Similar to you, I recently replaced a fan in my bathroom in my 30 year old house and found the same situation. Being naive, I didn't think it would be a problem. I went to the computer and looked up the damage it can cause. Wow! As homeowners, we should always fix it right. It makes me sleep better at night.

[dynamicplumbing]

. . your bathroom is one of the most important rooms in your house. You take baths here, excrete bodily waste and freshen up. What if something tears up in your bathroom such as a toilet, sink or maybe water damage? Reading this article will show you how to repair your bathroom so that it is in top shape.
Instructions
1 Repair your toilet. Your toilet is perhaps one of the most used parts of a bathroom and letting repairs go neglected can cost you serious money in replacing your toilet. In order to keep your toilet in working condition, you should check the water pipes above and below the home, check and repair the seal at the base of the toilet (usually concealed underneath the toilet) and check the basin and replace any worn out parts. It is recommended that you check and repair the above mentioned parts on your toilet to ensure you have a properly working toilet and thus a fully functional bathroom.
2 Repair your sink. Repairing your sink is hard but there are a lot less parts to worry about maintaining. The most commonly wear and tear on a sink occurs in the pipes and the seal that seals the sink to the wall of you have a wall model. The seal around a wall model sink can be purchased at any hardware store and should be check 1-2 times per year and repaired if needed. If your sink pipes are leaking, you should purchase rings, pipe fittings or any other materials you deem necessary for fixing the leak. If leaks go undetected, water damage could result.
3 Clean and fix water damage problems. Undetected water leaks from your sink, toilet or bathtub can cause water damage to your floor and other areas of your bathroom depending on where the leak is coming from and what kind of fixture are in your bathroom. Repairing your bathroom after water damage can be a tedious task. If the water damage is light and isolated you could clean it with perhaps an industrial non-abrasive cleaner and restore the area affected. Severe, undetected water damage can result in floor damage, odors, and severe mildew. Repairing severe water damage can cost hundreds because it is likely that you will have to tear out your bathroom tile and treat the under flooring in the bathroom.
4 Check tiling often. If you have bathroom tiles in your bathroom, you need to check them to make sure the grout is in tact and to make sure no water damage occurs underneath the tiles. Some bathroom tiles, however, require nothing more than just re-grouting. If you let your tiles go for long periods of time without maintenance, your floor will be less appealing and you could be faced with water damage problems )especially in areas where water traffic is more frequent such as in front of bath tubs and sinks). It is recommended that you check your tile grouting 1-2 times per year repairing where needed and replace broken tiles as needed