Noticed lately that water drips from the bathroom exhaust fan or the joint around it? Don’t panic: there could be a lot of reasons for it, along with some easy fixes. For some of them, you might need a handyman or duct work specialist, but others are simple enough to handle at home with some ingenuity.

You may find dripping water during or shortly after a shower; many people notice the issue, for example, when the exhaust fan in their bathroom starts dripping on their heads as they’re stepping out after a shower. The usual reason is condensation inside the pipe. In the winter, the warm moist air from the bathroom hits cool air in the attic or outside and it condenses, sending drips back down the duct work. In the summer, humid air from outside can condense on a pipe cooled with air conditioning and drip when the bathroom air adds to the moisture level.

Another potential cause is a buildup of ice on the roof in the winter, which may melt in reaction to the warm air from the bathroom. It’s also possible that the vapor barrier installed in the roof is developing condensation as a result of poor insulation, and the water is pooling. It may take the path of least resistance, dripping along ducts and soffits because they provide a way into the house.

Before getting deep into potential fixes for this problem, it’s a good idea to check the damper on the outside. If water drips from the bathroom exhaust fan, it may be because the damper that normally controls the flow of air through the pipe is not working correctly. It should open only under pressure from the warm air to let it out, and remain closed the rest of the time. If it doesn’t, or it appears to have an imperfect seal, it’s time to replace the damper flap, a task you can do yourself with basic tools.

Another option to control water drips is insulation on the ventilation pipe. If it’s uninsulated, wrap it in insulation to control the temperature more effectively and prevent condensation. You might also want to consider evaluating your roof insulation, if the pipe goes through the roof, to determine if it’s effective enough; if your attic is routinely pretty chilly, the condensation problem may persist.

You may also have a fan that’s too weak for the job. If your bathroom is large or you have a big family that likes hot showers, you’ll need a fan with more power to successfully pull warm moist air out of the bathroom. You might need a handyman to install a more powerful fan, and if you’re hiring someone to do that, you may also want to consider the position of your fan.

If the fan is right over the shower or bathtub, it gets the air at its warmest point, which means it will condense very quickly in a chilly ventilation pipe. If you install the fan as far away from the shower or tub as possible, the air will have some time to cool before it gets there, and if it’s traveling through an insulated pipe to the outside, it’s even less likely to condense and start dripping.

You should also try to remember to run the fan (we know, the sound is annoying!) for 10-15 minutes after showering or bathing, to make sure all of the moisture is pulled out of the bathroom. That will ensure that condensation isn’t building up and hanging out in your ventilation pipes, exactly where you don’t want it to be.

Ongoing moisture problems in your house could be a sign of poor insulation overall, an unfortunate quirk of home placement that results in high humidity, or simply where you live. A dehumidifier can help reduce these issues and make you more comfortable during the most humid times of the year, but remember to get enough dehumidifiers to ensure complete coverage of your house, because these devices can only cover a limited area.