Kolter Homeowner Guide

Exhaust Fans

Finishes Proper care ensures the finishes in your bathroom and kitchen retain their beauty.

Exhaust fans remove moisture from the home.

Activities that require warm or boiling water create moisture in your home. Excess moisture promotes growth of mold and may damage building materials. Bathrooms and cooking ranges include exhaust fans designed to remove moisture and odors from the air. Turn on exhaust fans during and after a bath or shower and while you’re cooking. Care and maintenance The following are tips for maintaining your exhaust fans:

Brass, chrome, and nickel Chrome is durable, hard and resistant to

scratching. Nickel looks similar to chrome but has a warmer undertone. It is softer than chrome and more easily scratched. Brass also scratches easily. A clear protective coating often is applied to brass to make it more durable. Enamel Enamel surfaces are hard but can be chipped if misused — being struck by a heavy object, or cleaned with abrasives, for example. Enamel surfaces are comprised of tile, porcelain, or vitreous china. Stainless steel As their name implies, stainless steel finishes are designed to resist staining. Scrub them occasionally. A properly maintained stainless steel surface can last many years, and even if small scratches occur, they often will blend in.

Turn off the fan’s power (unplug it) before conducting maintenance.

Check to ensure the fan is pulling air. To do so, hold a tissue near the fan grille. If the fan is pulling air, the tissue will be pulled tight against the grille. Dust may accumulate on the fan and grille. Maintain pulling power by keeping them clean. Damp cloths work well.

Blow dust from the fan with a can of compressed air.

CAUTION: Unplug all electrical appliances before cleaning them.

Also, see Cooktops, Ovens, and Ranges, page 81.

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