How to find the right heating and cooling system

My wife and I purchased a fixer-upper last year. The previous owners did some work to the house, but we still needed to complete a few projects. The previous owners of the house added the master bedroom and bathroom as an addition. Most of the place was unfinished. We added some crown moulding and we stained and sanded the floors. The closet needed new shelving units and carpet. The bathroom was a mess. It was one of the first projects that my wife and I decided to tackle. The bathroom was missing an exhaust fan. An exhaust fan is one of those necessary appliances for the bathroom and we all know why. My wife and I got an estimate from the local HVAC contractor, and they wanted an arm and a leg for the price of a small exhaust fan. Since the labor was reasonable, we decided to search online for an exhaust fan. Once we made our selection, we hired a contractor to complete the installation work. After looking at many exhaust fan selections online, my wife and I decided to change our search parameters. Both of us thought that a heater would be a great addition. The winter weather can be very cold and frigid. An exhaust fan with a heater is very reasonably priced online. I found several selections at Home Depot and several selections at Lowes. Home Depot had a much larger selection of exhaust fans with heat, which is probably why we ultimately chose our selection from their catalog.

Since Lowes only had a few selections, we only compared two different exhaust fans with heaters. The first exhaust fan with heater was a Delta breez 80 CFM. The price of the unit was almost $90. The length of the grill was 14 and a half in, and the exhaust fan did not include a light. There was a built-in thermostat to help create a much more consistent temperature. I didn’t like the bulky look of the heater/fan combo, and I quickly navigated to a different page. I found another exhaust fan with heater and it also included lights. It was priced much higher at over $200. The Aero Pure bathroom heater was a combination ventilation and exhaust fan with a light and direct heat. The look was modern and appealing, but the price tag was high. The built in damper helped prevent air from entering the fan, and the motor was equipped with a thermal auto shut off. The system seemed to be set up for easy installation, and the exhaust fan with heater included mounting brackets, backdraft damper, full warranty, two heat lamps and incandescent light bulbs. If I had to choose a product from Lowe’s, that particular Aero Pure bathroom heater with fan and light was very nice. 

My wife and I also searched through the catalog at Home Depot. After viewing a few exhaust fans with lights from the other store, I narrowed down my search at Home Depot to only include exhaust fan with heaters and lights. They had a few clunky options, but I found a few nice products. I found a NuTone 100 CFM bathroom exhaust fan with light and 1500 watt heater for less than $200. I was really impressed with the low amps and low fan sound levels. The rectangle shape was off-putting, but the galvanized steel looked sleek and shiny. I was happy to see that light bulbs were included with this kit. I also looked at a NuTone 70 CFM exhaust fan. This one was round and looked much different than the other products available. At less than $250, this light was priced to sell. My favorite choice from the catalog at Home Depot was a Broan QT series 110 CFM exhaust fan. This fan was also rectangular in shape, but it had a special night light feature that I liked very much. This specific exhaust fan for the bathroom offered a ventilation fan and impressive 1500 watt heater. The system was set up with two motors, so the fan and heater could function independently. I was particularly happy with the 110 cubic feet per minute rate, which would help manage the excess moisture in our bathroom. The light fixture uses two small bulbs which are included. There is also a separate small bulb for the night light, which we had to purchase this bulb separately. I loved the design and functionality of the Broan QT series bathroom exhaust fan. My wife and I decided to choose this selection for our bathroom remodel.

We ordered the Broan QT series exhaust fan with heater from the catalog online, and they shipped it to our store. We found a coupon online, and we were happy to receive 10% off the original purchase price and free shipping. When the product arrived, the manager alerted my wife. As soon as we had the exhaust fan in our hand, we contacted the HVAC contractor to complete the installation. My wife and I had already met with a few contractors, and we had someone picked for the project. The same HVAC company completed the installation of our mini-split air conditioner, just a few months prior to this project. We had our choice of installation dates, and my wife and I didn’t waste any time. We chose a date for later that week. The installation job was quick, and everything worked out well. The bathroom ceiling took some damage, but the contractor patched up the hole and covered the area with spackle. We had some leftover paint which covered the patch nicely. I’m glad that my wife and I decided to use an HVAC contractor to complete the installation work. Even though the installation directions were clear and concise, this was clearly a job for a licensed and certified professional. I love the design of our new exhaust fan, and the heat functionality is going to be particularly helpful during the winter months. Some of those December and January days reach temperatures in the teens. The bathroom heater is going to make brisk morning showers a whole lot nicer.

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