Bathroom Extractor fan

P933alilli

Ive just had some electrical work, a rewire, with some led dome lights and two extractor fans, one in the bathroom and one in the kitchen. The extractor fans activate when the lights come on and when theyre switched off the fans stay on for 20 minutes. After showering this morning i'm not sure theyre having the intended impact as after 20 minutes there is still plenty of condensation, with water on the shower surround. How would i know if its working correctly. Ive put a small calling card against the guard and it can hold that but not a plastic debit card! The fans are  Vimark , £180 each + vat, but i dont know what model. Its installed in the middle of the bathroom ceiling and supposed to draw moisture out and eventually through the roof.                                                                                                                Just as an aside ive also had three Ansell disco evo 2 bulkhead dome led lights installed and been charged £90 + vat and i'm also unsure about that pricing!

Emmia

Do you know which model of Vimark fan? Does it have a humidistat?

Did you or the tradesman supply?

At £180+ VAT each I fear you may have been substantially overcharged.

P933alilli

Emmia said:

Do you know which model of Vimark fan? Does it have a humidistat?

Did you or the tradesman supply?

The tradesman supplied and i dont know what model! It doesnt have a humidistat as far as i'm aware!

Emmia

P933alilli said:

Emmia said:

Do you know which model of Vimark fan? Does it have a humidistat?

Did you or the tradesman supply?

The tradesman supplied and i dont know what model! It doesnt have a humidistat as far as i'm aware!

You've been done. 

A humidistat equipped fan would really help in your situation.

We have really effective Vent Axia fans with humidistats, similar models are ~£100 - £120. £180+VAT is mad. The Vimark fans appear to be in the ~£50 range.

Edit: unless it includes labour?

bjorn_toby_wilde

Does the £180 include labour? If so then that changes the calculation somewhat.

P933alilli

bjorn_toby_wilde said:

Does the £180 include labour? If so then that changes the calculation somewhat.

Yes, hes connected to the light switch which is outside the bathroom and went up into the loft presumably so that the condensed air can evaporate and vent out.There is an isolator about a yard up from the light switch! He came back on friday as he'd set it for only 2 minutes instead of 20 minutes and also brought the certification for the rewire. If he has done me for the extras its probably my own fault as i did little research and wasnt up to going around getting different quotes due to poor mental health.

bjorn_toby_wilde

In that case £180 sounds much more reasonable and I don’t think you have been done.

In terms of materials you have the fan, isolator switch, ducting, connectors and a few metres of cable. Then there’s a couple of hours of labour to add on top. Sounds reasonable to me.

The only thing that concerns me slightly is when you say “up into the loft”.  The fan should be vented to the outside so I’m hoping he fitted a vent terminal either through the soffit, a wall or a tile vent so that the moist air ends up outside, not in your loft.  It would be wise to check with him.

Remember that the fan performance can also be limited by the flow of air into the room. If you shower with the door and windows shut then that will reduce its performance.

dojuls

Sounds like the fan might not be powerful enough, or maybe the ducting isn't ideal. Mine clears most of the condensation within 10-15 mins tops. Might be worth checking if there's a backdraft flap stuck or if the duct run to the roof is too long or kinked. £180 + VAT does seem steep unless it’s a high-end model.

P933alilli

bjorn_toby_wilde said:

In that case £180 sounds much more reasonable and I don’t think you have been done.

In terms of materials you have the fan, isolator switch, ducting, connectors and a few metres of cable. Then there’s a couple of hours of labour to add on top. Sounds reasonable to me.

The only thing that concerns me slightly is when you say “up into the loft”.  The fan should be vented to the outside so I’m hoping he fitted a vent terminal either through the soffit, a wall or a tile vent so that the moist air ends up outside, not in your loft.  It would be wise to check with him.

Remember that the fan performance can also be limited by the flow of air into the room. If you shower with the door and windows shut then that will reduce its performance.

No, the windows were deliberately left closed as that was the point that i wouldn't need to have them open in winter especially during cold weather, because the extractor would remove all the moisture.

   I should have really stated up via the roof and i'm sure he'll have done the venting as he was proficient in everything he did. Indeed, he has a good name on the local facebook page! Maybe its something that just needs altering? Anyway, despite all this ive no idea of his integrity regarding his prices and  him ''talking a good game'' may have been bluff and hes seen me as an easy target due to my situation /lack of knowledge etc.

WIAWSNB

Hi P933.
If the £180 includes labour, as it appears to, then I see nothing wrong with that quote. It's quite an involved job, with the 'electrics' part being minor.
He installed an isolating switch on the wall above the bathroom light switch, as he should, and had to fit the actual extractor and ducting to a suitable venting point outside. All in all, one of my most disliked jobs to do.
You aren't convinced by it's performance, tho'. For this we need to understand what it's actually managing to do in the 20 minutes run time.
You mention 'condensation'. This is the mistiness caused by the hot water vapour from your showering, and is typically visible on mirrors and other smooth cool surfaces like your toilet cistern, tiled areas, etc. Yes? So, do these areas become dry and clear within the 20 minutes? If 'yes', roughly how quickly?
You also mention the droplets inside your shower. I'm assuming these are from the actual shower flow, so much larger droplets. If so, then an extractor is unlikely to clear these away as they'll need a significant air flow directly over them in order to be dried away within 20 minutes.
So could you clarify what, exactly, is achieved by the fans in 20 minutes?
I'm not surprised that the suction cannot hold a plastic card - I'll try that with my own 5" extractor to confirm. They aren't high 'pressure', but more high 'volume'. They can shift quite a lot of air, but not under much actual force - it just isn't needed.
I usually 'test' an extractor by holding a sheet of bog roll under it, and raising it slowly towards the grille. I'd expect it to get drawn on to it when around a couple of inches away - I think. Again, I'll need to check.
I don't think there's anything that wrong with your fans, and the cost appears fair. Possibly a humidistat model would have made more sense, but I think you'd find it running for a looking time.
When I 'extract' after a shower, I leave the bathroom door ajar to allow a steady through draught. Once the visible condie has gone, I then turn off the fan, and leave the door wide open to vent fully. At this point, the insides of the shower will still have water droplets on it. If I wanted that clear, I'd have to squeegee them all down first as soon as I've finished showering. Can't be bothered...

P933alilli

WIAWSNB said:

Hi P933.
If the £180 includes labour, as it appears to, then I see nothing wrong with that quote. It's quite an involved job, with the 'electrics' part being minor.
He installed an isolating switch on the wall above the bathroom light switch, as he should, and had to fit the actual extractor and ducting to a suitable venting point outside. All in all, one of my most disliked jobs to do.
You aren't convinced by it's performance, tho'. For this we need to understand what it's actually managing to do in the 20 minutes run time.
You mention 'condensation'. This is the mistiness caused by the hot water vapour from your showering, and is typically visible on mirrors and other smooth cool surfaces like your toilet cistern, tiled areas, etc. Yes? So, do these areas become dry and clear within the 20 minutes? If 'yes', roughly how quickly?
You also mention the droplets inside your shower. I'm assuming these are from the actual shower flow, so much larger droplets. If so, then an extractor is unlikely to clear these away as they'll need a significant air flow directly over them in order to be dried away within 20 minutes.
So could you clarify what, exactly, is achieved by the fans in 20 minutes?
I'm not surprised that the suction cannot hold a plastic card - I'll try that with my own 5" extractor to confirm. They aren't high 'pressure', but more high 'volume'. They can shift quite a lot of air, but not under much actual force - it just isn't needed.
I usually 'test' an extractor by holding a sheet of bog roll under it, and raising it slowly towards the grille. I'd expect it to get drawn on to it when around a couple of inches away - I think. Again, I'll need to check.
I don't think there's anything that wrong with your fans, and the cost appears fair. Possibly a humidistat model would have made more sense, but I think you'd find it running for a looking time.
When I 'extract' after a shower, I leave the bathroom door ajar to allow a steady through draught. Once the visible condie has gone, I then turn off the fan, and leave the door wide open to vent fully. At this point, the insides of the shower will still have water droplets on it. If I wanted that clear, I'd have to squeegee them all down first as soon as I've finished showering. Can't be bothered...

I'd say it achieves virtually nothing and it was running for 30 minutes as i put the lights on for ten minutes beforehand! The mirrors and windows are full of condensation after this time. I dont want to leave the bathroom door open as it would create condensation in the hall which i dont want!