"who expects their bathroom fan to be secretly sabotaging them?"
Haha, exactly. Seen this more times than I'd like. Also worth checking if the vent flap outside is stuck closed—birds love nesting there, and suddenly you've got a hidden moisture trap... ask me how I know.
Had the same issue last spring. Quick rundown of what I found:
- Bathroom fan duct wasn't insulated properly—condensation built up inside.
- Outside flap was fine, but duct sagged slightly, creating a low spot.
- Water pooled there, then randomly dripped at night (always at 2am, of course...).
Re-hung and insulated the duct, problem solved. Worth checking if yours has a similar low spot.
Had something similar happen a few months after moving into our first place. Kept hearing this weird dripping noise at night, drove me nuts trying to figure it out. Turns out our duct had a slight dip too, and condensation was pooling there. Adjusted the angle slightly and wrapped it up with insulation—haven't heard a drip since. Definitely worth checking yours for any low spots or sagging sections...
Had a similar issue myself, but mine turned out to be a bit different. Kept hearing this faint dripping sound at night, especially noticeable when everything else was quiet. Checked ducts, insulation, even climbed into the attic at midnight with a flashlight (not fun, btw). Eventually found out it wasn't condensation or ducts at all—it was actually water dripping from a loose flashing around one of the roof vents. Rainwater would slowly seep in and drip onto the attic floorboards, echoing just enough to drive me crazy.
Ended up resealing around the vent with some roofing sealant and haven't had an issue since. So yeah, definitely check your ducts first, but if that doesn't pan out, might wanna take a quick look at your roof vents and flashing too. Sometimes these noises can be sneaky...
Had something similar happen at a property I manage—tenant swore it was ghosts (seriously). Turned out to be a tiny gap around the chimney flashing. Roof sealant is your friend, folks... cheaper than an exorcist, anyway.
