Should I run the bathroom fan while showering?
Q. In winter, I’m wondering if it would help bring moisture to my house and reduce leakage of warm air if I don’t use the bathroom exhaust fan while taking a shower. I don’t want mold to grow in the shower, but I know all that warm air is going right out the ceiling. Barb H. Milwaukee, Wis. A. Dearest Barb, Have you considered leaving the fan off for good and redecorating your bathroom with a jungle theme? You know, green walls, potted bromeliads, monkey shower curtain ? That way, the occasional clouds of steam will just add to the ambience. Of course you haven’t, Barb, because that would be a highly inefficient way to deal with moisture buildup in the bath. But you’re right that one of the standard solutions to the fogged-up mirror issue – running the bathroom exhaust fan – is problematic in the cold months (and the hot months too, if you have AC). The fan’s job, after all, is to shoot your humid, heated air out of the house. That household air needs to be replaced from somewhere,...