Shower room extractor fan - recommendation?

avarcher

Hi folks - can anyone recommend an efficient (both in terms of extraction and costs) an extractor fan or extractor fan/shower light combined?

cheers,
Andy

moonrakerz

Just put in a good quality 6"/150mm fan - it is false economy to put in the cheapest one you can find, they don't last.

Becles

When I had the en-suite replaced, they put an extractor fan in the ceiling above the shower head, and it's vented through the loft and out under the eaves.

It's brilliant as all the steam gets sucked away as you shower. The window next to the cubicle only steams up when it's exceptionally cold, and the mirror on the opposite wall never steams up at all.

I would recommend having a fan fitted in the ceiling above the shower if you can.

Avoriaz

We have a fan fitted in a similar way as Becles above.

Do the same but get one that has an over run timer built in. The over run lets you set the fan to run for a certain time after you switch it off. You can set this from one minute to maybe about 20 minutes so the fan carries on clearing the damp air even after you have finished showering.

If the fan does not have a light built in, get a pull cord switch with a neon indicator light as this is useful to remind you if you have actually switched off the fan.

We don’t have a neon indicator and quite often I don’t remember if I have switched the fan off or not as it over runs for about 10 minutes.

super_reds

Avoriaz wrote:

We have a fan fitted in a similar way as Becles above.

Do the same but get one that has an over run timer built in. The over run lets you set the fan to run for a certain time after you switch it off. You can set this from one minute to maybe about 20 minutes so the fan carries on clearing the damp air even after you have finished showering.

If the fan does not have a light built in, get a pull cord switch with a neon indicator light as this is useful to remind you if you have actually switched off the fan.

We don’t have a neon indicator and quite often I don’t remember if I have switched the fan off or not as it over runs for about 10 minutes.

Would people recommend have an extractor fan with humidistat or not?

teb_2

we got one of those ceiling extractor fans over the shower and it's rubbish. the electrician that fitted it seemed really keen for him to supply it instead of us buying one and now we know why, must have been cheapos he was shifting.

we need to replace it but how do you know whats good and whats not?

Fred_Bear_2

The Vent Axia Lowatt range use only 20% of the electricity of a normal fan and are supposed to last 5 times as long. But they are expensive: I paid £90 for the basic model.

WestonDave

We've got a Vent Axia one with humidistat in - turns itself on when the room gets steamy and off again once its cleared. The one we've got now has just been fitted and makes a massive difference (bearing in mind our heating is dodgy at present so the bathroom is extra cold - still no mist on the mirror). We had one in the old house which worked fine right up to us leaving.

We were offered a timer overrun one but they normally get fitted in line with the light which means if you use the toilet in the night the fan carries on for a while afterwards - not great with the toddler sleeping next door! (I think you can get ones with an on delay as well as overrun but it just seemed simpler to get the humidistat one!)

Its a 6inch one - vents straight out through the wall, and has powered shutters which close when it goes off to prevent a draught.

Humidistat fans are more expensive but my guess is that they save in electricity or damage from damp (depending on whether the timer over or under runs) over their life - whether that offsets the cost I wouldn't know but its pretty hassle free.

Avoriaz

super_reds wrote:

Would people recommend have an extractor fan with humidistat or not?

I have no experience of them but my instincts are that they are probably more expensive and possibly more likely to fail.

I like simplicity. A straightforward fan that I can turn on when I have a shower (or a smelly poo :eek: ) and turn off afterwards suits me fine.

Others may advise you that humidistats are worth the extra cost.

Avoriaz

WestonDave wrote:

..we were offered a timer overrun one but they normally get fitted in line with the light which means if you use the toilet in the night the fan carries on for a while afterwards -.

There is no need to fit them like that. Ours is completely separate from the lights.

It is operated by a ceiling switch and pull cord that hangs down beside the shower door.

My only regret is the lack of a neon indicator.

One day I will upgrade the switch.

Nobleck

Make sure you know what electical zone the fan would be located in, ideally a low voltage fan is best suited to bathrooms if the bathroom is small.
Also having a fan with an overrun timer is best, and if installed correctly a fan isolator switch would also be incorporated into the circuit, so at night time you can isolate your fan(for l8 wee wee's)
I preffer normal fans rather than Humidi fans , as a normal fan with an overrun timer is cheaper and more reliable.