Extractor fan problem - dripping problem

waterwatereverywhere

Hi,

We have an extractor fan in the bathroom - electric, linked to light and comes on when light does.

It has always worked fine but recently it is dripping a yellowy watery mess constantly.

Please does anyone know what could be causing this and what we can do ourselves to try and fix it or must we get a new one? Don't know if these require maintenance or cleaning - can't see anywhere obvious to open it to get inside.

Apart from the dripping it seems to be working as it should. It is called a "greenwood airvac". It could be around 10 years old.

Many thx for any help on this.

macman

Remove the grill and then you can remove the fan housing itself. (Isolate the circuit first of course!) They do build up fluff and dust, but there should not be any kind of water in it!
Is water getting in through the grille on the outside of the wall? Does the wall duct slope upwards looking out? It should slope slightly down to prevent water ingress.
At 10 years old though it's probably inefficient and noisy and due for a change, which is a straightforward enough DIY job if you have basic electrical skills.

waterwatereverywhere

Hi,

Many thanks for your reply.

We don't really know where the ducting goes for it as it's in a block of flats and the back wall of the bathroom backs on to an internal part of the block - so think the ducting must go up through the building somewhere?

There's quite a lot of drips and it's a browny colour - very strange!

Tend to agree with you though - I googled extractor fans and there are now some "silent" ones which would be better as this one makes a din.

Please does anyone know what we should be looking for in terms of electrical compatability of the replacement? It links to the light switch so it comes on when the light does (do we need a special kind that will still do this) and do we have to match wattage or anything like that when buy the replacement?

Many thx again.

macman

Sp presumably the internal ducting is therefore the responsibility of the management company to whom you pay a service charge?
Yes, you need a replacement of the same size (it will either be a 100 or 150mm duct) and designed to work off the light switch (most come with a range of options for switching them on/off (timed, humidistat, etc), and some are modular). The wattage does not have to be matched. I like the Airflow Icon range.
But get the drip issue resolved first!

savcab

the drips could be from a build up of condensation and dirty vent. You can also get build ups of water if the ducting is in a hose and its run up and down insulation without a clear run bu that may not be the case in your instance. If the brown water is smelly like sewage thenit is an other issue that needs loooked at asap.if the fan is 10 years old then it will be worth while changing as they arent expensive. some have a run on timer which has a permanant live feed to it and if tackling yourself you have to make sure it is fully isolated or you will get a nasty shock.