Extractor Fan In Shower Cubicle

shown73

Low voltage would presumably have a transformer in the cicuit, most likely in the loft, can you trace the wiring up there? If so, the input/output voltages should be shown on the transformer.

Justicia

There is a lot of confusion being created in this thread...

cwcw wrote: »

If it is not low voltage, I intend to employ an electrician to replace and rewire with a safer version.

shown73 wrote: »

Low voltage would presumably have a transformer in the cicuit...

Low voltage (LV): >50 V a.c. to 1000 V a.c.

Whereas Extra-Low Voltage (ELV) is >0 V a.c. to < 50 V a.c.

And of course, it does make a difference when you read suggestions like this (I appreciate it was intended as humour, but still far from potentially being accurate...):

Avoriaz wrote: »

Yes.

Grab hold of the bare wires.

If you survive it is probably low voltage.

Good luck.

So, in the words of Keystone:

keystone wrote: »

Oh dear!

ETA: Why do some of us bother...

southcoastrgi

Zone 0

• The interior of the bath or shower
• Electrical appliances here must be IPX7
• Electrical appliances here must run on SELV at a maximum of 12v ac or 30v dc

so as above but it could also be dc


I'm not sure if someone else has said it, but i think you need to get an electrician in

cwcw

Thanks for all the sarcastic and repetitive comments about getting an electrician in, very helpful.

Maybe we should apply the same to every thread on this forum.... boiler broken? Get a plumber. Rough extension costs? Get a builder in. What about the mortgages forum? Get a financial adviser. Oh but wait... that's stating the blatantly obvious, offers nothing useful at all, and completely undermines the whole purpose of an internet forum.

While some of you were enjoying your cheap shots, I asked the same perfectly reasonable question on a proper DIY forum and have since diagnosed it as an extra low voltage fan, nipped to Screwfix to buy a like for like replacement, and fitted the new one which works like a dream. I also saved myself about £100 on an electrician too...

PS. Thanks to the few on here for the genuine and helpful replies.

phill99

cwcw wrote: »

Thanks for all the sarcastic and repetitive comments about getting an electrician in, very helpful.

Maybe we should apply the same to every thread on this forum.... boiler broken? Get a plumber. Rough extension costs? Get a builder in. What about the mortgages forum? Get a financial adviser. Oh but wait... that's stating the blatantly obvious, offers nothing useful at all, and completely undermines the whole purpose of an internet forum.

While some of you were enjoying your cheap shots, I asked the same perfectly reasonable question on a proper DIY forum and have since diagnosed it as an extra low voltage fan, nipped to Screwfix to buy a like for like replacement, and fitted the new one which works like a dream. I also saved myself about £100 on an electrician too...

PS. Thanks to the few on here for the genuine and helpful replies.

Get someone in!

southcoastrgi

OP i suggest you read my post no 24 it must be a SELV not just a ELV so you may have bought the wrong one, which is the reason why everyone said get an electrician

cwcw

southcoastrgi wrote: »

OP i suggest you read my post no 24 it must be a SELV not just a ELV so you may have bought the wrong one, which is the reason why everyone said get an electrician

Yes, it was and is "SELV", I'm not stupid, I wouldn't wire something up if I wasn't 100% sure that it was the right thing.

keystone

cwcw wrote: »

While some of you were enjoying your cheap shots, I asked the same perfectly reasonable question on a proper DIY forum and have since diagnosed it as an extra low voltage fan, nipped to Screwfix to buy a like for like replacement, and fitted the new one which works like a dream. I also saved myself about £100 on an electrician too.

Actually the main reason this thread went into a loop is because right at the top of it it was suspected that your electrical knowledge was below optimal and you admitted as such. In that case the correct advice was to get someone in. Whilst it seemed that it was becoming a bashing exercise it was actually meant for your protection yet you soldiered on without apparently seeing that.

In the "other place" it took a large number of posts to convince you of the difference between low voltage and extra low voltage. Even some 36 hours after starting the thread you posted (and I fully expect a slap for cross posting which I shouldn't do):

It's definitely low voltage after all. It says 12V SELV on various stickers.

Having a boo at it was probably the correct course of action in the first place thus not needing to start either thread.

Cheers

cwcw

keystone wrote: »

Actually the main reason this thread went into a loop is because right at the top of it it was suspected that your electrical knowledge was below optimal and you admitted as such. In that case the correct advice was to get someone in. Whilst it seemed that it was becoming a bashing exercise it was actually meant for your protection yet you soldiered on without apparently seeing that.

In the "other place" it took a large number of posts to convince you of the difference between low voltage and extra low voltage. Even some 36 hours after starting the thread you posted (and I fully expect a slap for cross posting which I shouldn't do):

Having a boo at it was probably the correct course of action in the first place thus not needing to start either thread.

Cheers

Nobody in the "other place" had to "convince me" of low voltage Vs extra low voltage, I didn't know there was a difference and I don't really care (I just wanted to know what mine was), but I was glad to be taught, I like to learn rather than just be told to get someone in, or be subjected to condescending snipes. Everyone's knowledge starts off "below optimal", it's called learning. I appreciate electrics can be dangerous but there are still many tasks legally and logically within the realms of DIY, and anyone with a bit of common sense who can learn things, and has a modern CU to be able to turn off the electrics, can pick things up.

The stickers were placed such that my first few "boos" could not see them, but after taking the modulator out fully I could. Once I knew what it was, I was able to buy like for like, and job done. The thread was needed because, at the time of first posting, I didn't know what I was dealing with and thought I'd need some of the other tips to find out.

southcoastrgi

cwcw wrote: »

Is there any way to tell if it is normal or low voltage first?

cwcw wrote: »

Yeah thanks, as much use as a chocolate fireguard.

The answer to my question.... how can I tell if the fan is low voltage or not.... is clearly one that none of you know, which does beg the question, why respond to the thread?

cwcw wrote: »

No, it's IN the shower cubicle, which is tiled to 3 walls. It is fitted in one of the tiled walls, about 6.5 feet high up.

I have had the cover of numerous times to adjust the settings (it is both humidistat and timer) and of course I've isolated the circuit before doing this (I'm not stupid, despite some of the implications by some on here).

All I am asking for is, given that I can see the wiring, have access to the loft, can see inside the fan, etc etc, is there any simple way to tell the voltage from any of that, before spending £100 for an electrician to tell me something that might be obvious for all I know.

If it is low voltage I intend to replace like for like (I've already had the fan fully off and rewired it back up a couple of times, as well as fitting new light switches like for like in other rooms). If it is not low voltage, I intend to employ an electrician to replace and rewire with a safer version.

had the fan had no stickers on it then you wouldn't have had a clue, a multimeter would have told you in seconds what the voltage was however as you didn't even know this then your knowledge of electrics is nearly zero which is why everyone said get a sparkie, so instead of getting on your high horse maybe you should have taken everyones advice