We installed humidity-sensing windows in a client's older home last year, and they did notice a slight drop in their energy bills—nothing huge, but noticeable enough to feel worthwhile. I think it depends a lot on your climate and how well-sealed your house is overall. Honestly, sometimes simpler solutions like your parents' timer switch can be just as effective without the hassle of fine-tuning sensors...but when the tech works smoothly, it's pretty satisfying. Did you end up tracking your energy use before and after the remodel?
We didn't formally track ours, but just eyeballing the bills after we upgraded insulation and swapped to LED fixtures, there was definitely a noticeable dip. I agree simpler solutions often do the job without fuss—our humidity fan runs on a basic timer, and honestly, it's been trouble-free. Did you find humidity-sensing tech reliable enough long-term, or did it need frequent adjustments?
We put in one of those humidity-sensing fans thinking it'd be a game changer. Honestly, at first it felt like magic—step out of the shower, fan kicks on automatically, life is good. But after about six months, the sensor started getting moody. Sometimes it'd run forever on a dry day, other times it'd stubbornly refuse to kick on even after a sauna-level shower. Ended up switching back to a simple timer switch, and it's been drama-free ever since. Lesson learned: sometimes basic really is better (and cheaper).
Haha, sounds familiar. We went through something similar with our remodel. Thought we'd be fancy and eco-friendly with a humidity-sensing fan too—felt like living in the future for a hot minute. But ours got temperamental even quicker, maybe four months in? It'd randomly kick on at 2 AM when no one had showered for hours, or refuse to budge after a steamy bath session. Eventually swapped it out for a basic timer switch, and honestly, life's been simpler since.
Overall, our bathroom remodel ran us around $8k, but we did a lot ourselves and kept fixtures pretty modest. If you're handy and patient (and willing to watch a ton of YouTube tutorials), you can definitely keep costs down. And yeah, sometimes the simplest solutions really are the best—less tech drama, more peace of mind.
Interesting you mention the humidity-sensing fan giving you trouble... did you ever try adjusting the sensitivity settings? I ask because ours was acting up too at first—randomly kicking on in the middle of the night or ignoring a steamy shower—but after some fiddling around, we got it dialed in pretty well. Granted, it took a bit of patience (and a few late-night ladder sessions), but now it's pretty reliable. Maybe it's just luck or brand differences?
Also, I'm curious about your remodel budget. You mentioned around $8k with DIY and modest fixtures—did that include tile work or flooring? We’re trying to keep our costs down too, but tile seems to be the sneaky expense that creeps up fast. Did you find any good deals or alternatives there? I've been debating vinyl plank flooring as a cheaper and easier-to-install option, but I'm still skeptical about durability in a humid bathroom environment. Anyone have experience with that?
Totally agree though that sometimes simpler is better. But I wonder if investing in slightly pricier tech upfront (like better-quality humidity sensors or fans) might actually save headaches later? Or is it really just overcomplicating things unnecessarily? Seems like opinions vary widely on this one...
