Free checklist
Exhaust fan annual maintenance checklist
The annual exhaust fan service is the deep pass: the measurements, cleanings and tests a quarterly round doesn't reach. This checklist keeps the full service on record with the photos that make it defensible later. Work is commonly verified against IMC (mechanical code). Confirm the edition your authority having jurisdiction has adopted.
The checklist
Every item, and the photo evidence it needs
The photo count on each row is what RTI would require before the item can be submitted. Work the list here and watch the gate hold, or load it into RTI and let it enforce the real thing.
Access and lockout
Fall protection arranged for the curb and flashing work
Tie-off, guardrail or warning line set as the site plan requires for time spent at the curb, access route and material staging agreed first.
No photoLockout verified before the wheel and motor come apart
Lock and tag on the disconnect under the site's procedure, fan tried from its control and confirmed dead, wheel blocked against windmilling.
Deep clean
Wheel, housing and shutter degreased and cleaned
Blades clean to bare surface, housing drained, shutter blades free-moving after cleaning.
Motor and compartment cleaned and inspected
Windings free of grease and dust, conduit connections tight, no heat discoloration.
Clean wheel inspected for cracks, blade wear and balance
Welds and rivets sound, no bent or eroded blades, balance weights all present. Damage found goes on the record before the fan runs again.
Drive serviced for its type, belt or direct
Belt drives: sheave grooves gauged for wear and belts renewed on the manufacturer's schedule. Direct drives: speed controller or motor dial setting matches the schedule.
Bearings greased or confirmed sealed per the manufacturer
Grease type and amount from the manufacturer's schedule, old grease purged where fittings exist, sealed bearings noted as such on the record.
No photo
Mounting and curb
Fasteners and curb sealant checked and re-torqued
Mounting hardware tight, curb flashing and sealant intact, no daylight or gaps at the curb line.
Motor base bolts torqued and motor square to the wheel
Base bolts torqued to the manufacturer's value, motor not shifted on its slots, spring or rubber isolators seated and not bottomed out where fitted.
Return to service
Housing closed up and locks removed by their owner
Every panel, guard and access door refastened, wheel block and tools out of the housing, lock and tag removed by the person who hung them.
Wheel rotation matches the housing arrow on restart
Fan bumped from its control with guards on, wheel turning the way the arrow shows, reversed rotation corrected before the fan is left running.
Performance
Discharge airflow spot-checked against the schedule
Measured or observed discharge consistent with the fan's schedule, any shortfall logged for balancing.
Motor running current read against the nameplate
Amps read at the disconnect under the site's energized-work procedure and its PPE, within the nameplate rating and compared with last year's reading.
Wheel speed measured with a tachometer
Tachometer reading compared with the fan schedule and last year's baseline, a drop pointing to belt slip, a failing motor or a wrong speed setting.
Annual readings filed as the fan's new baseline
Current, speed, airflow and wheel condition entered on the fan's record so next year's service has figures to compare against.
No photo
What usually sends this back
The failures are almost always the evidence, not the work
- Grease-laden wheel cleaned around, not off. The imbalance comes back in a month.
- Curb fasteners and sealant never checked, and the roof leak gets blamed on the roofer.
Verified against
Common questions
6 answers
- What does this exhaust fan annual checklist cover?
- 15 items across 5 sections, covering access and lockout, deep clean, mounting and curb, return to service, and more. Each item spells out what the person walking the job is actually looking for, not just a box to tick.
- Who should run this inspection?
- The HVAC service lead on the annual mechanical service.
- When in the schedule should this walk happen?
- Once a year, paired with the roof membrane walk so roof access happens once.
- Why do these items ask for a photo?
- 12 of the 15 items call for photo evidence, 14 photos in all. A checklist answer without the photo is a claim; the photo is what makes the record worth something in a dispute and lets a reviewer approve work without re-walking the job.
- What most often fails an exhaust fan annual inspection?
- Grease-laden wheel cleaned around, not off. The imbalance comes back in a month. Curb fasteners and sealant never checked, and the roof leak gets blamed on the roofer.
- Can I use this checklist in RTI?
- Yes. Start a free RTI workspace, build this list as a checklist, and the Photo Gate holds the submit button until every mandatory item is answered and its photos are attached. Approved inspections roll into a branded turnover package with a tamper evident audit trail.
Related checklists
Run it with the Photo Gate
A checklist nobody can submit half-finished
Load this list into RTI, stick a QR tag on the area it covers, and the submit button stays locked until every mandatory item is answered and the 14 required photos exist. Approved walks roll into a branded turnover package with a tamper evident record behind every line.
See all 508 checklists · 6741 items and 5984 photo requirements in total.