The bathroom fan does not always function the way it is supposed to.
This can include not pulling in steam, blowing air downward, or even pushing out cold air. This can lead to a series of questions about the viability of the bathroom fan over the long run.
With the same line of thought, you might end up dealing with cold air blowing through the bathroom fan.
Cold air can blow through the bathroom fan when the backdraft damper is leaking or missing. The damper is responsible for managing external air and once damaged will let it flow through the system. The best solution is to find where the leak is and replace the backdraft damper immediately.
If left untouched, the cold air will continue to blow through the bathroom fan as time goes on.
This article will explain how to fix a backdraft damper in your bathroom fan and what steps to follow during the repair process.
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Steps On How To Fix Cold Air Blowing Through Bathroom Fan
1. Inspect The Damper
When the bathroom exhaust fan draft blocker malfunctions, it is likely due to the seal breaking.
There is a comprehensive seal that goes around to make sure outdoor air doesn’t push through the fan. Once the seal is broken, anything can happen including the damper making quite a mess along the way.
It’s recommended to shut off the power supply and inspect the damper.
Look at potential spots where cold air is going through and why that is the case. You might notice small gaps alongside the damper, which might be the root cause of the problem.
2. Remove The Draft Blocker
There will be a draft blocker that is going to be set up somewhere within the system.
You have to find where that is located in your home. The goal is to see where the cold air is coming from and whether or not that is the problem.
A lot of homeowners will realize this as soon as the draft blocker is inspected. There will be a gap or two that create issues once cold air begins to come into the property.
You have to be meticulous and carefully remove the draft blocker to see what’s going on.

3. Tighten The Screws If Loose
Once you have checked the structural integrity of the draft blocker, you should try a simple fix that might be enough to take care of the issue.
The idea is to reset the draft blocker and then tighten the screws.
By doing this, you are going to tighten the screws to the point where the outside air doesn’t keep coming through all the time. This is a major issue for those with older systems because they do loosen with time.
If you make sure the screws are tight, this might be more than enough to get the job done.
Whether it is dust coming through the bathroom fan or wind blowing through the bathroom fan, this is the first place you want to come.
Check the screws and go from there.
4. Replace With New Sealed Damper
If the damper is old or broken then it is time to replace it.
You should not look to create a separate seal for the damper as that is not going to hold up well. Instead, you will want to go out and find a new draft blocker for the bathroom fan.
Set this into place and make sure it is secure.
Once you do this, you will notice cold air is not going to come through the bathroom fan. This is a straightforward task that is only going to take a few minutes once you have the draft blocker in your hands.

5. Test The Bathroom Fan
The last step is to test the bathroom fan.
You will want to see how it works once it is running and whether or not there are issues you have to deal with during the process.
In most cases, tightening the screws or replacing the draft blocker will be more than enough to get the job done.
Final Thoughts
These are the steps on how to fix cold air blowing through the bathroom fan.
If cold air is blowing through the bathroom fan, it likely has to do with a damaged or leaking damper. This draft blocker is responsible for managing airflow and ensures cold air doesn’t enter the bathroom fan once it’s running. The best solution is to replace the draft blocker or tighten the screws to see if that helps.
In most cases, replacing the damper for your bathroom fan is the way to go.
Read More On Bathrooms:
- Strategy For Using A Ductless Bathroom Fan
- Causes Of Water Leakage From Bathroom Fan
- How To Shut Off Bathroom Fan
- Advice For Selecting A Good Bathroom Fan
- Is It Possible To Use Dryer Vent Duct For Bathroom Fan?
- Advice For How Long Bathroom Fan Should Run
- Reasons Bathroom Fan Is Blowing Downward
- Why Is Humidity-Sensing Bathroom Running Continuously?