Bathroom Fan

mark_cycling00

They're usually installed with a separate fused switch that's outside the bathroom and can't get wet. If you ever fiddle with the fan make sure you've switched it off here too!

So I guess might need to wire that, would it need to be wired along solid walls?

Price seems high but it's also common for nonexperts to underestimate DIY jobs.

FreeBear

If you are installing an inline fan, you need to keep the use of flexible hosing to a minimum. Use rigid smooth bore ducting for as much as possible and make sure there are no dips where condensation can pool.

An extractor fan venting through a hole in the wall may prove cheaper and easier to install - You might want to consider that option.

daivid

FWIW I had an inline fan fitted 3 years ago and paid £150 to the electrician - I'd done the prep chasing out for the switch, drilling the holes in the ceiling and the eaves, and did the making good after. £625 sounds expensive so further quotes needed, £100 seems way to cheap. 

Baldytyke88

daivid said:

FWIW I had an inline fan fitted 3 years ago and paid £150 to the electrician - I'd done the prep chasing out for the switch, drilling the holes in the ceiling and the eaves, and did the making good after. £625 sounds expensive so further quotes needed, £100 seems way to cheap. 

I have had another quote, which is even more, this one is £640 plus VAT

This chat thought it easier to drill a hole in the wall.

I have put a bracket on the window, that stops the window from closing and leaves a 2" gap, see how that works compared to having a fan.

Both electricians could do the job in around 10 days time, so not too eager but not too busy.

ThisIsWeird

Drilling a hole through the wall could well be easier - did he also indicate how much cheaper it could be?

There is surely some reason for these high quotes? Either because they know it's an awkward job, or just because they know they can quote these figures and get away with it.

But, quotes not too shy of £1k for a fan is, wow.

Perhaps ask on your local Fb page for some recommendations?

Baldytyke88

ThisIsWeird said:

Drilling a hole through the wall could well be easier - did he also indicate how much cheaper it could be?

There is surely some reason for these high quotes? Either because they know it's an awkward job, or just because they know they can quote these figures and get away with it.

But, quotes not too shy of £1k for a fan is, wow.

Perhaps ask on your local Fb page for some recommendations?

£640 + VAT was the quote for a fan on the wall, it does make you wonder how many people get more than one quote.

Maybe most would have just paid it. If the first quote had been £300 I might not have bothered with a second quote.

I am not sure what to do next, an open window for a while.

ThisIsWeird

Keep getting quotes!

You can also get replacement glazing units with a fan opening cut into it, to mount an extractor in the window itself.

Bigphil1474

We had an extractor fan fitted into our cellar, with ducting fed up through the ceiling/floor into the kitchen and out of the wall - part of a larger job but roughly £300 for that bit.

We had problems with mould on our bathroom ceiling - turned out the ceiling hadn't been painted with bathroom paint, and redoing that plus leaving the window open overnight stopped it coming back.

the_lunatic_is_in_my_head

Emmia said:

Personally in a situation where mould is already an issue I'd have one with a humidistat that comes on automatically, (even if the light is off) if the humidity is over a certain level.

This is what we have in the kitchen and bathroom, the fans are wired into the light switch so that they are always on trickle and when the humidity goes over a certain point the fan runs faster, very quiet in either case and if you want to you can turn the fan off using the fused switch. 

I would have thought coring a 4 inch hole in the wall would be more expensive than running ducting in the loft and out through a roof vent (or perhaps the eves if that is a thing?), our roof is slate so one slate was removed and a discrete vent tile fitted. 

This was all 10 years ago whist other jobs were going on at the time so I've no idea on cost sadly but better ventilation will certainly assist in reducing mould. 

It's also worth scrubbing the walls with a mould remover, they have an extra ingredient (as opposed to just bleach and water) that will assist in killing off the roots of the mound rather than just that on the surface.

There are also mould proof paints, still ideal to maintain ventilation but a repaint of the bathroom with such might be worth while as well. 

jennifernil

Leaving a window open all the time seems impractical to me, especially in winter!   How is that going to affect your heating bills?

We had pull cord operated  Xpelair extractors fitted in all the bathrooms when we had the house built 36 years ago ands these served us well,  They have overrun timers so after we switch them off they run on for the set time, we find 20 minutes  sufficient after a shower.   Not a fan of the light switch operated ones.

We have replaced them all now, in the past 4 years, with ones that are much quieter, but stuck with the pull cord plus overrun timer ones.  We briefly considered humidistat ones, but decided we did not want our nice warm air pulled out while showering, nor to not be able to turn them  off (or on) easily when we wanted to.

Works for us as we have a dry and well insulated house.

Our daughter, on the other hand, has a large, sprawling, 1920s house which seems to have constant high humidity, and a forgetful husband.     So she has the same make of  fans in 2 of her bathrooms, but the ones  that come on with the lights and have a timed overrun.  Plus she has several dehumidifiers, which collect an amazing amount of water.

On the question of cost, a decent fan itself will be £40-£100 depending on the type you go for, and I would think installing in the ceiling and venting via a soffit vent would the easiest and least expensive.    Then there is the electrical work.    Could all take a day or two so £300-£500 to fit, depending on how difficult the access is.  Getting things done is not cheap these days!