Inline fans are growing in popularity, especially in new home installations. Inline fans have on or more fans installed at a concealed location usually in the attic or a crawl space. The fan can then be used to provide suction for multiple locations. At each location is a grill housing which contains a fan and or fan and light (potentially a heat lamp). This type of bathroom fan is great for larger bathrooms with more than one moisture source (ie. Separate shower and bathtub). The switch mechanism on these units controls a damper so that when the unit is turned on it only draws air from the bathroom with the open damper and not from all the rooms it is hooked up to thus becoming more efficient.

Similar to the inline fans idea are wall mounted fans. These fans have the motor unit located outside and encased for mounting on the exterior wall. This is a great solution for main level bathrooms in a two story house when venting through the roof is not an option. The wall unit is discreet and quite easy to install.

Common ceiling fans are still, well… the most common. The motor and fan mechanism is contained within the unit. Venting is usually done through the roof but can also go through a convenient adjacent wall. Technology for these and all fans has brought the noise levels down significantly from the past. Some are so quite they are almost unnoticeable. This brings up the idea of timed switches. It is a good idea to have a fan on a timer switch so leaving it on is not an option for the teenagers in your house.