While looking for a ventilation fan for a small room, many spend more than they actually need to. The Broan-Nutone 512M comes at an attractive price point and offers just enough performance to be useful in a smaller room. And that makes it the best fan for kitchen use for all the budget shoppers out there.
Why We Like It – Broan-Nutone 512M
Broan Nutone has some fairly decent ventilation fans at different price points. Even though the Broan-Nutone 512M comes at a cheaper overall price point, it doesn’t lack the overall quality compared to a higher-end exhaust fan. Check out our NuTone 8210 review for another great option from the same brand.
- Easy twist lock assembling mechanism
- 6.0 Sone rating that provides efficient and effective operation
- Very effective in smaller rooms
- Extremely noisy
Performance/Power
For a small and cheap wall-mount exhaust fan, this Broan model performs extremely well. Obviously, it’s not going to work as effectively in a large room as the fan in our Hurricane 736565 review does. But in all rooms below 65 sq. ft., it will get the humidity or the gas out within 5 minutes. For more performance, you can read our Bionaire window fan review. Alternatively, check out our guide to great wall-mounted fans for rooms that don’t require exhaust. Remember to get the proper fan size to help cool efficiently.
Related: Read also the Comfort Zone CZ310R review
Durability/Build
As the saying goes, every Broan Nutone product, it’s very well-built and durable. Everything from the louvered exterior wall mount unit, white interior grille unit, the included remote wall switch, and the fan itself is either made of metal or very high-quality plastic. And they feel very premium too. For another great fan fro this brand, check out our Broan 506 review.
Noise/Sound Level
As you might expect from a small exhaust fan, the motor itself isn’t very good and is very loud. This is one area where most cheaper ventilation fans fail to deliver in. If the noise really bothers you, going for the Hon Guan 6 Inches Exhaust Fan might be a better idea.
Versatility/Modern Features
For the price, the Broan-Nutone 512M is hugely versatile. On a very basic level, it comes with HVI certification. The housing is 6 inches in diameter and can be easily adjusted according to your needs. Some actually prefer exhaust fans with wider duct sizes. So, in that case, go for the slightly cheaper iLIVING 10-Inch Shutter Exhaust Fan. The exterior wall cap even has a built-in bird screen.
Value
The Broan-Nutone 512M comes with most of its components included and is pretty good value for money. However, some are not included. These include the emissions mesh filters for the kitchen and the Broan 57W for variable speed control. You’ll need to buy these separately. But they aren’t mandatory to have, and with its stock components, this fan will work just fine.
Broan-Nutone 512M Wrap Up
If you have a small 65 sq. ft. or lower room, the Broan-Nutone 512M is the perfect fit for it. But there are also other exhaust fans out there that provide better feature sets at similar or even cheaper price points.
