Broan 690 60 CFM Bathroom Fan Upgrade Kit

Comment: I used these to update 3 old, weak, and worn 2sone bath fans. With the better motor and impeller, they are a little noisier as expected, but they pull noticeably more air and work better. Would do again!

Comment: I recently bought this upgrade kit because I was left without any other choices. There are no other brands/models that make a vent fan that will fit in the small space in my bathroom wall (7-1/2"x7-1/4" only). Due to sizing issues my only option was to upgrade it with this cheap kit.

Just like the reviewer by As Thank Full "DreamU" said, I bought this fan upgrade kit for the main purpose of reducing the noise level (by 50%) from my ancient Nautilus N688 model. So, my rating is mainly weighted on this false claim by Broan.

The only positive thing I can say is that the fan was very easy to install...and this comes from a person who is not handy at all. It fitted pretty snug in the same old housing as my N688. The real upgrade is not in reduced noise level (50% reduction in sound level is bullsh**) but quite possibly in the new and improved fan. The old plastic "propeller-like" blades are replaced by a centrifugal fan (looks like a hamster wheel), which I would hope moves more air than the old fan in effectively lowering the moisture and humidity in my small bathroom. I don't think you'll notice a huge difference as it's only 10 CFM more than the old one - an increase from 50 to 60 CFM.

So overall, I'd say save your money because you're not gonna notice any difference in sound and minimal difference in performance. I honestly don't think it's worth the extra $36+ dollars.

Comment: Product was advertised as easy to install, more efficient than original equipment and quieter than original equipment. Most important to me was the easy to install part, which it was, so I was happy with the purchase. Particularly if you follow the instructions. Is it more efficient and quieter than original equipment? It met my expectations as I was not really expecting it to be better because the marginal improvement advertised was probably not going to be measurable without testing equipment. I really cannot tell any difference in performance so if it lasts as long as the first fan, I will be totally happy with the purchase.

Comment: Bathroom fans are recessed and installed BEFORE the ceiling is enclosed. So getting a dead one out and new one in can be a bit problematic, with the normal case being a lot of new drywall and repainting the ceiling.

This kit allows you to keep the old box recessed in the ceiling and just replace the working internals with new, higher quality/performance parts.

It really is a 10 minute job, including reading the instructions and finding a screwdriver, the only tool you will need if you have a Nutone fan, or no tools at all for a BROAN.

After the job is done:
1. Not magically quiet - seems as loud as the old Nutone 696 it replaced (when the old one worked).
2. Seems to move a bit more air than the old fan judging by the "feel" of the moving air at the grille.
3. The quality of the new parts seems higher overall than my original Nutone 696.
4. Well worth the money, incredibly easier than installing a new fan.

And my artist wife thinks the new plastic grille cover looks better than the old one.

Comment: I bought this to replace a bathroom fan that started grinding itself to death after 10+ years of use. This kit was easy to install and I was initially happy with it. However, it is now only 7 months later and it is now starting to grind itself to death.