Ensuite but no Window......

johna999

In the process of buying a house (fingers crossed it will go through without hitches), and have been thinking on how I can improve it for pleasure and to protect the value.

The Vendors used to have a large airing cupboard witha double water tank. However due to installing a combi bolier they have removed this and turned it into a nice alcove.

It would be large enough (Just) for an ensuite shower, sink and loo. I should be able to run the pipes under the floorboards to join those in the bathroom. However it wont have a window (except for a small one for light from the landing). Therefore I was planning on having an extractor fan that would suck out the moisture from the shower. (I've seen this at a firends flat and it sees to work quite well).

Naive question, where does the moisture go? does it go into the loft? or does the extractor fan absorb it somehow.
Also does the above sound reasonable?


thks

J

*vanessa*

Building Regs will insist that you have an extractor fan regardless of whether you have a window or not. When we built our en-suite we built a false ceiling and ducted the fan through that to the outside wall. We got a light/extractor in one from Plumbase, its chrome and looks light in the shower, very snazzy, and bright enough for the shower.

Vanessa

newlywed

We live in a flat and the bathroom has no window, just an extrator fan. It's fine - unless your fuses blow when you're in the bathroom - then it's very very dark as there isn't any natural light!!!

However, the extractor fan links up with outside (vent up to the roof) so all the heat goes outside.

(Recently had a bird stuck in the tube the other side of the extractor fan and had to remove the fan to get the bird out - to make sure it's well covered on the outside!!)

*vanessa*

newlywed wrote:

We live in a flat and the bathroom has no window, just an extrator fan. It's fine - unless your fuses blow when you're in the bathroom - then it's very very dark as there isn't any natural light!!!

However, the extractor fan links up with outside (vent up to the roof) so all the heat goes outside.

(Recently had a bird stuck in the tube the other side of the extractor fan and had to remove the fan to get the bird out - to make sure it's well covered on the outside!!)

You can buy covers that go on the outside wall to cover the pipe, either the basic ones, that are always open, or you can get some that open when the steam is extracted... we have those, but they DO blow in the wind, our bathroom one makes a right noise if its very windy outside!

Debt_Free_Chick

If there is access to the roof, above the room, then consider a Sunshine Tunnel, which will reflect difused natural light into the room.

I think they do them at the Build Centre, so you can compare prices with what you find on the web.

never_enough

Fans in bathroom are a real pain, especially in en-suites. You use the loo in the middle of the night & it'll be noisy for 20 mins or so after. Always sounds much noisier in the middle of the night! Is there no way you could fit a window?

Debt_Free_Chick

never_enough wrote:

Fans in bathroom are a real pain, especially in en-suites. You use the loo in the middle of the night & it'll be noisy for 20 mins or so after. Always sounds much noisier in the middle of the night! Is there no way you could fit a window?

Once the Building Inspector has been, simply disconnect it :rolleyes:

vansboy

When we built our extension, the old bathroom would have lost it's window, as far as the original plan was, 'cos the new landing went along what was the outside of the bathroom.

We had to install a fan & duct it into the loft & out through a vent in the roof.

But what we also did - you might think of doing the same, was remove the window & replace it with glass blocks. It made an attractive feature from the landing & the bathroom, as well as providing light, but no ventilation.

VB

johna999

Wow, thanks all.

I was planning on having 2 switches in the Ensuite, one for the extractor fan, the other for the light, therefore as you say if its just being used for the toilet then the fan wont come on and be noisy for ages

mikeywills

We fitted a p.i.r sensor above our doorway into the shower area, so when you were in the shower the extractor fan/light stayed on permanently, we had the shortest overrun on the timer so after 15 seconds of inactivity it went off.

I know what you mean by night time noises, but the noise is generated by loose piping and too many bends, if you can keep the pipe taught and keep the bends to a minimum this will help.

There are also external vents on the market where the motor is contained within the boxing on the outside wall, the air is drawn too it rather than a inline motor which is what the majority of shower vent extractors are and naturally noisier.

TimBuckTeeth

The end of the duct needs to go outside, not into the loft.

Get an inline fan, they fit in the ducting in the loft so are quieter and work a lot better, especially with a long run of ducting.

http://www.ventaxia.co.uk/awwebstore/products/commercial/ach.asp

I got one of these, it is more expensive (around £60) than the cheap plastic ones, but well worth it if you want to avoid damp and mould in the room.

The existing fan in my bathroom was similar to this :
http://www.screwfix.com/app/sfd/cat/pro.jsp?id=15927
and did very little and made a lot of noise.