Noisy Ceiling Fan - Can you add Rheostat/Pot?

Raiser

Hey Folks - Have a noisy Ceiling Extractor Fan that has just been fitted, seems to be in perfect working order - Its just a little too powerful with a fair hum from it in operation.

- I asked the Electrician to dial it down to half speed or whatever and he said only the timer duration was adjustable?

As well as the thing sounding like a Helicopter taking off its also going to suck the heat out of the room etc.

Was thinking surely there must be a cure such as adding in a rheostat or potentiometer? Is this an option that can be stuck in safely etc?

- The other thing that occured to me was how much better it would be if the fan ran for X amount of time only after the light was switched off - That way the the steam would be cleared after a shower without you standing frozen in a noisy room with all the heat being sucked out of it. Also if someone stank the room out it would be cleared after (nighttime) or they could flick the switch on the way out (daytime) and the fan would run away on it own annoying nobody.

Makes sense to me!!!

P.S. maybe these exist anyhow and I just got crappy ones fitted

Southern Dandy

Honestly if you did (and for what you would need to do its a waste of time you cant just slap in a pot) it would kinda defeat its purpose as to what an extractor does, i know there noisey but if you dial it down the speed you put it at probaly wont extract as much.

In principle if you had a fan on a hot day and said to yourself "thats loud, ill turn it down" it wouldnt cool you as well as it would at full power, same with extraction, you dial down the power you extract less. We all have to grin and bare the noise best. Ye shuld have put the fan on a separate switch so you only switch it on as you need it, it used drive me mad everytime id go for slash turn on the lights and hummmmmmmmm.

Raiser

Southern Dandy wrote: »

Honestly if you did (and for what you would need to do its a waste of time you cant just slap in a pot) it would kinda defeat its purpose as to what an extractor does, i know there noisey but if you dial it down the speed you put it at probaly wont extract as much.

In principle if you had a fan on a hot day and said to yourself "thats loud, ill turn it down" it wouldnt cool you as well as it would at full power, same with extraction, you dial down the power you extract less. We all have to grin and bare the noise best. Ye shuld have put the fan on a separate switch so you only switch it on as you need it, it used drive me mad everytime id go for slash turn on the lights and hummmmmmmmm.

Thanks for your reply - While I do take your valid points this thing is a bit extreme, its something that seems set to clear a smoky Warehouse not to mind my Bathroom.

Put it on last night and left the room went 20 -25 steps or so down corridor around corner and into Sitting Room - Could still hear it humming away - Maybe its faulty or something - Prob. best to throw it out than go modifying it I suppose.

- Would be intersted to hear thoughts on how best to set up ceiling extracors as per my post above - Still think it would be great if it could be set up to run for 5 mins after I leave the room to then clear steam and smells :eek:

Bruthal

Raiser wrote: »

Still think it would be great if it could be set up to run for 5 mins after I leave the room to then clear steam and smells :eek:

Fans with timers do that. They run for a time after you switch the bathroom light off.

The noise is possibly from an out of balance fan blade.

The other thing that occured to me was how much better it would be if the fan ran for X amount of time only after the light was switched off

Not sure if you meant after the light is switched on here, as the timed ones do exactly what your suggesting here.

EDIT. I see what you mean now, does not run until the light is switched off you mean?

This could be done by using a seperate switch for the fan outside the bathroom, beside the bathroom light switch. And you switch this on to run the fan, and when you switch it off the fan runs for the few minutes.

So if you want to do what you suggest, just switch the seperate fan switch on and back off straight away as you leave the bathroom and so it will just run for the timed duration then, and not while your in the bathroom. And you can also use it as normal if you wish by switching it on as you go into bathroom.

The same can be done using the light switch as is, but with an independant switch, you are free to use the light switch without having the fan on.

Southern Dandy

Raiser wrote: »

Thanks for your reply - While I do take your valid points this thing is a bit extreme, its something that seems set to clear a smoky Warehouse not to mind my Bathroom.

Put it on last night and left the room went 20 -25 steps or so down corridor around corner and into Sitting Room - Could still hear it humming away - Maybe its faulty or something - Prob. best to throw it out than go modifying it I suppose.

- Would be intersted to hear thoughts on how best to set up ceiling extracors as per my post above - Still think it would be great if it could be set up to run for 5 mins after I leave the room to then clear steam and smells :eek:

5 minutes is a bit much, especially if your now even showering, only option would be to put it on a switch like me and robbie said, alternatively i heard of a fella that connected it to the load side of the shower pull cord (if you have a pull cord) and put a fused connector block to protect the fan so it only comes on when the shower is on and not the lights, its not what i would do but its works away with no problems.

There all noisey to be honest, you could just have an echoey (doubt thats a word) attic and bathroom, if your confident enough why not open it up with lights are off and take a look to see if its damaged, could be a faulty motor.

Bruthal

Id keep it away from the shower setup anyway. Seperate switch is the simplest way to do what the OP wants to do. Just switch on and back off immediately as leaving the bathroom with a seperate switch for the timed run after you leave bathroom.

evosteo

if it sounds very noisy i reckon the fan blades are hitting off the side internally, caused by the fitting being too tight

meercat

Raiser wrote: »

- Would be intersted to hear thoughts on how best to set up ceiling extracors as per my post above - Still think it would be great if it could be set up to run for 5 mins after I leave the room to then clear steam and smells :eek:

here is the set up for inline extractor fan
http://www.tlc-direct.co.uk/Main_Index/Ventilation_Index/4_Inch_Fans_Duct/index.html

if you use a timer model you could put it on a separate "push to make switch"
just operate it when you leave the bathroom
http://switchcraft.ie/products.asp?maincat=WAC&range=WACED&subcat1=10A%20Push%20Switch&page=1&index=9&ordfld=Description&ord=ASC

Raiser

Thanks all!

- "Push to make" seems to be what I knew I wanted but had no notion of the means/product.

Let the fan run after the damage has been done and I'm long gone I say......

P.S. Its a valid point also that a normal switch would allow you have both scenarios, ie. Fan on for duration or just a quick flick and then only on for X time after.

Appreciate the replies Folks, many thanks again.