DIY guideBathroom fan

Check where the bathroom fan's duct ends up

Run the fan, find its hood outside and check air comes out and the flap shuts. A duct that ends in the attic needs a pro to run it outside.

7 steps

Tap a step to watch it again.

Turn the bathroom fan on and leave it running.
Walk round the house and look for a small hood on the wall or under the eaves near that bathroom. If it comes out through the top of the house, look from the ground.
Never climb up to look: the ground is close enough.
Hold a tissue near the hood: it should flutter outward, with the flap open.
Turn the fan off. The flap should fall shut, so cold air and birds stay out.
From the attic hatch, shine a flashlight toward the fan. Its duct should run all the way outside, not stop in the attic.
Look from the hatch. Don't step off the boards: the ceiling below won't hold you.
Damp, dark stains or frost on the wood near the fan mean it's pushing wet air into the attic.
A duct that stops in the attic, one that's torn or loose, or a flap that won't open or shut: ask Handyman for a pro to run it outside.

Handyman says: Ends in the attic? I'll find a vent pro.

Free for every home. Handyman asks a few questions, then books a pro it trusts.