Benifit or disadvantage of extractor fans.

livid16

Hello

I seem have a lot of condensation in my home (3-bed semi) (that is what a couple of damp course companies have said). A couple of damp proofing companies who visited my house suggested putting an extractor fan in the kitchen and bathroom.

I am planning to have ventillation shafts put in all the windows (upstairs & downto stairs) (two ventillation shafts if the windows are big).

I have talked to some of my neighbours and none of them have extractor fans. In fact in my next door neighbours house, they took out the extractor fan. Unfortunatley, the person who made this decison is no longer living at the property.

My question is as follows: is there any merit in having the extractor fans installed? The quotes i have got for fitting is ~ £400 per fan, thus want to be sure it is going to be of use before i embark on having the fans put in.

Many thanks in advance.

JO

Ebe_Scrooge

Extractor fans can be useful in areas of high humidity, like kitchens and bathrooms ( especially kitchens, where you want to get rid of cooking smells as well as steam ). But that sounds like a heck of a lot of money to have them fitted. Remember that opening a window or two will allow steam to escape pretty quickly, and at rather less cost. Of course, this is maybe not such an attractive proposition in the middle of winter, but it's an option.

Are your DIY skills up to fitting fans yourself ? That would be a cheaper way of doing it.

27col

Over the years I have built two self builds. In the first the bathroom had an opening window and no extraction fan. It was always full of condensation after use.
In the second house( my present dwelling) the bathroom has no window, but it does have a good extraction fan. Even after a hot bath there is virtually no sign of any condensation. In fact you can clearly see yourself in the mirror. (Not a pretty sight, I might add.).
Personally, I would not dream of having a bathroom without an extraction fan.

Slowly_does_it..

Just a quick thumbs up for a bathroom fan with a humidistat function. Fan keeps going until humidity drops below a set point, really good!

Hatrick24

Another vote for bathroom fans! They are brilliant, ours are in the ceiling above the shower and vent through the loft and out via the soffit. Make sure you get the new quiet ones (our electrician called them turbo fans) you can hardly hear them. They cost about £60 each, so £400 inc fitting is way too much.

Gloomendoom

Rememeber that the air extracted by an extractor fan has to be replaced by air from outside the house. Not a problem in summer but in winter, they can make for a cold house.

I removed the extractor fan in our house because it used to draw air down the chimneys and make the house smell of soot/smoke.

MadelinesMum

I think they can be a good thing if you have a problem with mold and condensation but if you have a window in the area then I would just open that instead. Remember, every window should be left open for at least 20 minutes per day to allow fresh chi to circulate (if you believe in that, but it's still good for clearing the air and keeping mold at bay).

lackingwedge

Extractor fans in Kitchen and Bathrooms\WC\Utility rooms are required for Building Regs.

phill99

lackingwedge wrote: »

Extractor fans in Kitchen and Bathrooms\WC\Utility rooms are required for Building Regs.

This only applies to new builds or where 'building works' (as defined by the regulations) are being undertaken. Highly unlikely to apply in the OPs case. Building regs are not retrospective.

OP: the £400 quote us well OTT. Get some more quotes.

ryder72

Extractors are always recommended. If properly specified and fitted, they work.

In a kitchen an extractor removes humidity & odours, traps grease and provides a healthier environment. As a thumbrule your extractor capacity needs to be 12 times the volume of the room for good performance and should have a route to the outside that is as direct as possible.

In bathrooms, they remove moisture from showering and this is essential to prevent mold growth. Again the thumb rule of 12 applies. Most commercially available extractor fans are pretty useless. Icon are amongst the best extractors and fitted with humidistats, they are excellent. Cost between £100-250 plus fitting.

Your quote of £400 sounds excessive.