I installed two of these today. One went into our master full bathroom and the other one went into a hallway full bathroom.
We recently bought a home that was built in 1979, and I had clear attic access to do a full vent/fan/housing replacement. I've replaced the fan motors before, but not the full housing.
Note: You do NOT have to replace the entire housing with this kit. The cover [which is the light & Bluetooth speaker] can *most likely* be installed by itself on your CURRENT vent/housing.
How-to replace the cover and not the entire ventilation housing:
**Turn off the electrical breaker for your safety...**
1.) Pull down the current plastic cover.
2.) Squeeze the metal springs/hooks to remove the cover from the fan housing.
3.) Unplug the current fan in the housing. (I would clean out the dust/dirt as best as possible at this point.)
4.) Grab the new cover and squeeze the metal springs/hooks to mount it to your existing housing.
5.) Plug in the new light/cover where the old fan was plugged into.
6.) Plug the old fan plug into the new light/covers plug. It has another plug built into the plug, like an extension cord end.
7.) Push up the plastic cover to "close it", turn the breaker back on, and flip the switch. It should now be discoverable on your Bluetooth device as "FAN SPEAKER". Connect & Enjoy singing in the shower.
[Note: There are many other products on the market designed to just be a cover replacement. I would shop around if you don't need or want to replace the entire unit.]
If you are planning on replacing the full fan/vent/housing, I would check a few things before buying a new bathroom ventilation fan:
- Go into your bathroom and pull down the plastic cover. Measure the opening L x W and make a note of it. The "Broan-NuTone SPK80L Bluetooth Speaker Ventilation Fan with LED Light" metal box is 8" x 8.25".
- Go into your attic and check how your current fan is mounted. Take a picture of it, or make a note of it. (You'll likely need to pull back some insulation to get to the fan. Be careful while in your attic.)
After looking at the existing unit in the attic, ask yourself these questions and make note of the answers:
1.) How is it mounted? Is it attached to a ceiling joist? Is it attached to a roof truss?
2.) Which side is the unit mounted? Left? Right?
3.) Which direction is the duct work going? How is it mounted? Are you going to replace it?
4.) Where is the electrical coming from? Is there any slack in the existing wire, if you needed to extend it? **CAUTION: Do NOT touch LIVE wire. Turn OFF your breaker.**
Now that I've gotten that out of the way, let's get to how my installation went. I'm going to outline exactly how I did it, and maybe it will help you decide on whether you can take on this project yourself.
The hallway full bathroom: (Moderately Easy)
1.) I began by turning off the breaker to the bathroom.
2.) I ran a hanging light to the bathroom for light. (You could also use a headlamp or anything else.)
3.) I pulled down the plastic cover and removed it by squeezing the metal springs/hooks.
4.) I unplugged the fan from the metal vent housing.
5.) I unscrewed a single screw and then pried down the fan housing and it came out. Some fan assemblies have a screw, a bolt, or sometimes nothing. If there appears to be nothing holding it in, then it likely is just pushed into place and can be pried down and out.
6.) **DANGER** PLEASE MAKE SURE YOU SHUT OFF THE ELECTRICAL BREAKER.** The wire nuts were exposed behind the fan and I removed the wire nut caps while still in the bathroom. I also used a non-contact voltage tester to double-check there were no live wires nearby before removing the wire nut caps.
7.) I went to the attic and found the fan ventilation housing/box. I removed all nearby insulation to get a decent sized working area and placed the insulation to the side. Be sure to put this back later.
8.) I pulled the electrical wiring out of the metal vent housing and pushed it to the side.
9.) I removed the 4 screws holding the vent housing and removed it from the drywall opening.
10.) The old vent housing was about a half inch smaller than my current opening, so I used a utility knife to cut away some of the drywall to make it fit.
11.) I screwed in the new housing to the ceiling joist.
(Note: The new housing had a much different orientation than my old one. Based on where the mounting plate was: This made the actual ducted vent to be on the far side from me; whereas the old one was closest to me, the wiring was now closest to me; whereas the wiring before was on the far side.)
This is important because it may require you to buy new parts. (i.e.: duct elbows, straight duct pipe, duct extenders, need to cut the duct length, etc.; and with the wiring: you may need to extend the wiring, which would require you to add a junction box if there isn't any slack in it.)
12. After securing the vent's metal housing to the ceiling joist, I was able to wire it without any issue. The vent kit does not come with a cable clamp connector, where the wiring enters the vent's metal housing. It just has a metal opening/knockout. Typically, you need to secure the wiring with a clamp where it enters the housing, but if you don't have one, it's usually OK to use a nailed or screwed down clamp connector or a staple a few inches from the metal box opening, so it can't be easily pulled out. I had a 3/8" NM clamp connector, so it wasn't a big deal.
13. Reinstalling the old duct line. I intended to not reuse the old duct work since it was badly corroded and in bad shape. I wouldn't have been able to reuse it easily unless I bought a few new connectors anyhow, since it didn't line up with the new vent housing. I terminated the old duct line and installed a new flex duct line to the roof vent.
14. I sealed the gaps around the new bathroom vent where it met up with the ceiling drywall, then placed the insulation back after the sealer dried. You can use caulk, spray foam, or even tape in some cases. It's your project.
15. I turned the breaker back on, flipped the bathroom vent switch, and stood in awe of my achievement. IT worked!!! :)
Now for the ugly. The master bathroom. Don't worry, I'm only going to mention the issues here and not the full process.
The master full bathroom: (Moderately Difficult) -
1. The old duct line did not match up at all with the new vent housing, since the orientation of the new vent was significantly different. I had intended to replace the entire vent line anyway, and I did with a flex line, just as I did with my other bathroom's vent install. Not a big deal, but it's something to pay attention to.
2. Based on where the mounting bracket was for this new vent housing, the wiring was now on the opposite side of where it was before. I did not have any slack or extra length of wire available from the old wiring, so I had to add a junction box. This wasn't a big deal for me, but I did have to go back to the store and get some parts to get it done. (Note: If you need to do this yourself, and you are comfortable doing it, PLEASE, use a metal box in the attic. They're safer than plastic boxes. Also, keep in mind that junction boxes are not supposed to be covered by insulation, as they are always supposed to be accessible. Check your local codes.)
3. The actual L x W of the new vent housing was much smaller than the previous vent that had been installed in this bathroom. Broan's vent housing for this product is 8" x 8.25". The old vent housing was around 9" x 10.5", but it actually pushed less air/CFM than this one.
After replacing the duct line with flex, adding a junction box to extend the wiring, I had to decide on how to fill the gaps in the drywall around the new ventilation box. I ended up using a scrap 1" x 3" piece of wood about 13 inches long to cover the larger opening, then I cut a piece of drywall to attach it to the wood backer. There was about half inch gap on the other side of the drywall, and I used drywall tape and 20 minute quick setting joint compound to fill that 1/2 inch in. I finished the ceiling to match the rest of it and it has blended pretty well.
All-in-all, I wish I would have been more prepared going into this project. The hallway full bathroom replacement wasn't too bad at all, but I had a few surprises going into the master full bathroom replacement. I wish I would have measured the openings beforehand, and I wish I would have been more prepared for where the electrical wiring and duct/vent location was going to be for the new housing.
Let me be clear, though, this isn't Broan's fault. It's just things you need to prepare for before taking on a project like this.
I tested both light/fan/Bluetooth combos after installing them and they both work great. The music is loud, the fan works well, and the light is good. Hopefully this system works for a long time. It comes with a 3-year limited warranty.
I hope this helps someone, and I apologize for being so long-winded!
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From the brand
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Broan-NuTone residential ventilation products allow your home to exhale, eliminating odor and airborne particulates from your kitchen, bathrooms, closets, mud room, laundry room, work out space and more.
Poor indoor air quality can have a negative effect on your home. Replacing your bathroom fan, range hood or even installing a new fan in areas of your home can make a positive impact on your health.
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This Item  Broan-NuTone SPK80L Bluetooth Speaker Ventilation Fan with LED Light, 80 CFM, 2.5 Sones, White |  |  |  |  |  | |
| Price | $99.00 | -14% $132.20 List: $153.00 | $129.99 | -8% $229.99 List: $249.99 | $39.99 | -11% $84.00 List: $94.00 |
| Delivery | Get it as soon as Sunday, May 12 | Get it as soon as Tuesday, May 14 | Get it as soon as Monday, May 13 | Get it as soon as Monday, May 13 | Get it as soon as Sunday, May 12 | Get it as soon as Monday, May 13 |
| Customer Ratings | ||||||
| Easy to install | ||||||
| Value for money | ||||||
| Noise level | ||||||
| Energy efficiency | ||||||
| Sold By | Amazon.com | Amazon.com | OREiN-US | OREiN-US | Amazon.com | Amazon.com |
| air flow capacity | 80 cubic feet per minute | 80 cubic feet per minute | 100 cubic feet per minute | 160 cubic feet per minute | — | — |
| number of speeds | 1 | 1 | — | 3 | 1 | 1 |
| material | Plastic, Metal | — | Plastic, Metal | Metal, Plastic | Plastic | Plastic |
| controller type | Button Control | Touchpad Control | Wall Switch | Remote Control | Button Control | App Control |
| mounting type | Ceiling Mount | Ceiling Mount | Flush Mount | Ceiling Mount | Wall Mount | Ceiling Mount |
| finish type | White | — | Matte White | — | White Finish | White Finish |
| collection | Bathroom | Bathroom | OL17001 | Bathroom | Bathroom | Bathroom |
Reviews with images
A nice upgrade
I had a nutone 50 cfm fan which the contractor did not install correctly so my ceiling began flaking from the humidity. I decided to upgrade to the nutone 80 cfm fan with Bluetooth. The light is not too bright. It has a soft glow so perfect for switching on in the middle of the night. The speaker is loud enough. Just remember to peel the plastic cover over it. It’s no Bose quality but it’s fine for listening to Pandora while in the shower. You can hear it over the fan which isn’t too loud.
Top reviews from the United States
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FULL INSTALL REVIEW! Good product with great value! The speaker isn't as bad as people are saying...
Reviewed in the United States on March 7, 2024Color: WhiteVerified Purchase
Reviewed in the United States on March 25, 2024
Color: WhiteVerified Purchase
Great sound an takes all the moisture out, not to mention super easy to install
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Top reviews from other countries
Adam
Decent sound considering and great light
Reviewed in Canada on June 1, 2021Color: WhiteVerified Purchase
