exhaust fan vertical wall mount

30 years...probably a Nutone. It seemed to be everywhere back then.

No name on the screen?

Have you removed the guts yet? The name may be inside of the housing.

OK, toke it apart. Its Nutone 696N 50 cfm exhaust bath fan. sones 4.0 no wonder it is cheap and very noisy.

http://www.broan.com/products/product/07476702-1055-41aa-94b8-7c50e39806db

contacted NuTone and they do not have solution for quieter fan. They only said I need to rip out the entire current assembly and replace with another totally different unit. But I said how I cannot install different new unit when I have no access to inside the wall to attach new housing. They have no answer.

Can anyone out there can tell me any quieter replacement motor out there?

Thank you very much

So was this fan always noisy or is like it is just wearing out and getting worse?

The folks at Nutone customer service are not very helpful or knowledgeable. I put in a Nutone heat-vent-light ceiling unit years ago. It is guaranteed for LIFE. I still have the original paperwork. When the fan stopped spinning, I called customer service, and they said it wasn't made any more (not surprised at that) but did not offer any solution even in spite of the guarantee. No replacement, no alternate, no suggestion. And they just shrugged at the guarantee. Pissed me off to no end.

If you can find a new motor or even the whole fan assembly that is a bit smaller, you can probably rig it in the old housing, using some combination of washers or bushings, etc.

I didn’t read the whole thread maybe this has been suggested. Can you get to the duct work where this fan pushes the air and install an inline unit.

the fan housing and duct work are over 30+ years old inside dry wall. Too big job to take out the wall to install new fan on joist.

Yes, this fan has always very noisy. wake up everybody in the entire household.

Looking at this NuTone 696N 50cfm 4 sones spec, we need fan at no more 1 or 2 sones.

Any help are appreciated.

jgy2001 said:

the fan housing and duct work are over 30+ years old inside dry wall. Too big job to take out the wall to install new fan on joist.

Yes, this fan has always very noisy. wake up everybody in the entire household.

Looking at this NuTone 696N 50cfm 4 sones spec, we need fan at no more 1 or 2 sones.

Any help are appreciated.

Click to expand...

Is this an inside wall?
do you have access to the attic?

jgy2001 said:

the fan housing and duct work are over 30+ years old inside dry wall. Too big job to take out the wall to install new fan on joist.

Yes, this fan has always very noisy. wake up everybody in the entire household.

Looking at this NuTone 696N 50cfm 4 sones spec, we need fan at no more 1 or 2 sones.

Any help are appreciated.

Click to expand...

We all hoped you could use something like havasu suggested and all would be solved. We all understood that you hoped you could just change a few parts and problems would be solved.
The questions people ask here now is about thinking outside the box.
One of the problems with fans are the amount of air they can move. If they run in an open space they all will be fairly quiet. The noise is related mostly to the duct work, size, length and number of bends, stuck flappers or old birds nests can all restrict air flow.
When the air flow is restricted, the fan still wants to move the same amount of air but the air simply can not get out of the way, so the fan is just chopping the air. This sets up a vibration that will rattle the metal box and play havoc on the bearings in the motor.
People often replace old worn out noisy motors only to find no real improvement.
Some of the things that should be looked at while everything is back in place.
When running do it blow the vent open on the outside of the house.
Holding a Kleenex over the screen it should pull the Kleenex to the screen.
In your case with the textured wall you would have to tape the screen to the wall to get a fair test.
There is often a flap right where the air leaves this unit and when it is open you can get ta finger in there and make sure it isn't stuck.
Another test while it is open if you have a vacuum that you can change the hose to blow you can wrap a rag around it and blow into the pipe and by listening to the vacuum motor you can judge how well the air is moving out that duct.

If you can prove that the duct work is not a problem then you start to look at what can be done about changing the fan itself.
Keep in mind that all the new quiet fans have 4" ducts and the ducts in your house will be 3" so you definitely want one that is designed for 3" not one with just an adapter

One of the reasons for asking about the attic is so you can inspect the duct and find the approx. length and elbows.. Or as Bud suggested maybe installing an inline fan in the duct up there and just leave the guts out of the old unit.

I asked about the interior wall because if the wall on the other side was in a closet or was a smooth wall, then the replacement could be done from that side with out any damage to the bathroom wall..

The other fix if you have access to attic would be just put a new one in the ceiling where you could then change all the duct to 4" insulated and do away with a few elbows giving the new fan a better chance for success,

If all else fails the way you can replace your fan in the same place by cutting away enough drywall to make the change and just apply a wood frame around it to cover all the damage, no harm done.

jgy2001 said:

OK, toke it apart. Its Nutone 696N 50 cfm exhaust bath fan. sones 4.0 no wonder it is cheap and very noisy.

http://www.broan.com/products/product/07476702-1055-41aa-94b8-7c50e39806db

contacted NuTone and they do not have solution for quieter fan. They only said I need to rip out the entire current assembly and replace with another totally different unit. But I said how I cannot install different new unit when I have no access to inside the wall to attach new housing. They have no answer.

Can anyone out there can tell me any quieter replacement motor out there?

Thank you very much

Click to expand...

KULTULZ said:

Most fans are rated for either ceiling or wall mount, not (or possibly either) both. Make sure you read the box/instructions.

If that wall unit is a NuTone, you can buy a replacement motor fairly cheap which is upgraded for less noise.

-Bath Fan Upgrade Kit 60CFM-

Click to expand...

Click on the link above. NuTone makes two upgrade options w/o having to remove the entire assembly;

1) 690NT 60CFM 3.0 Sone

2) QKN60 60CFM 2.5 Sone

NuTone is a builder grade product (and no, they do not care about you once you walk out the door).

I have gone to an appliance parts store and bought a replacement motor. Take the old motor out for them to see.

thank you, nealtw for your long comments.

To tame my household nagging, my main objective is quiet down the bath room exhaust fan.

from what I found so far, NuTone bath exhaust fan noise sones rating mostly has to do with how cheap or expensive the units are. The duct & housing are practically identical; 696N rated 4 sones and LPN80 has 1 sones.

Thank you, KULTULZ. Reading Boran answers, NuTone QKN60 at 2.5 sones, can fit & replace 696N housing. Anyone out there has done this? Will order at Amazon and try this. Finger crossed.

This forum has been the greatest!

How the unit (and exhaust tubing) is mounted also has a lot to do with noise level(s).

For instance in your photo, there was an air gap left around the mounting frame and drywall opening. This opening should be sealed so as to have the fan draw from the room and not the wall stud cavity.

On a ceiling mount, not securing the frame to a joist(s) properly but allowing it to sit on the drywall as a support (ask me how I know).

well, purchased this QKN60 from Amazon for $49.
Arrived and installed.
MAJOR disappointment. The NuTone Broan spec says noise at 2.5 sones. The Broan box label says 3 sones. Now, it is running just as noisy (may be a tiny bit less, but just as loud).

Anyone out there know how to reduce the motor turning speed. I am willing to reduce the rpm to half to lower the noise level.

This is the exact same fan motor. Anyway to reduce motor rpm turning speed to half?

http://www.zoro.com/broan-motor-990...x-bqjhGVtlIE-A-kCwdPmhoC_mLw_wcB&gclsrc=aw.ds

They do make a 2 speed fan, if you can find a motor for that one you might get luck and it would fit.

Before you blame it all on the motor, are you sure that the box itself is securely mounted. It will rattle if it is loose. Same with other parts; make sure everything is snug. Did you ever check the duct for obstructions? If the air can't move, then the fan is just chopping the air. Also check the fan blades for any problems. If all that checks out, you should be able to find a two-speed switch, but will it do it's job if it is running at half speed? At some point the cost of half-right repairs gets more expensive than a new installation.

Only a few 120 volt motors can be slowed down. Most will over heat and some will shut down if they don't come up to speed.

Maybe that was wrong, it would be a question for Nu tone
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B004Q01PQI/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20