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Bathroom fan problems

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  • 12-02-2012 2:57pm
    #1
    wahwah
    Closed Accounts Posts: 3 ✭


    Hello all,

    I've been in my house over two years and have a constant problem with steam in a main bathroom and ensuite. When we moved in the builder had put an extractor fan only into the wall of the ensuite. We had an electrician last year who installed a further extractor fan directly above the shower in the ensuite and above the shower in the main bathroom. (Both fans are installed in the roof and run in the attic about 5 or 6 feet out to the soffit)

    However, still, we have difficulty with steam building up in the bathrooms when the shower is running - yes, even with the windows open! I spent some time stripping back the paint on the ceilings and adding some anti-damp paint before using bathroom ceiling paint over it. Now, it's beginning to bubble again.

    The latest installed extractor fans are Deta. I'm no expert, but even when the motor is running, they don't appear to be extracting very much!

    Does anyone have any potential solutions? I would have thought TWO extractor fans in a box ensuite bathroom might have done the trick....

    Thanks in advance!


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    #2
    wahwah
    Closed Accounts Posts: 3 ✭wahwah


    *bump*

    Anyone have any thoughts on this? Sorry, any advice appreciated!


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    #3
    whizbang
    Registered Users Posts: 1,935 ✭✭✭whizbang


    Now, it's beginning to bubble again.

    I presume this is the issue.

    theres a very recent thread about painting bathrooms. but i no good at searching!


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    #4
    BryanF
    Moderators, Home & Garden Moderators Posts: 10,140 Mod ✭✭✭✭BryanF


    when either of these fans are on will a sheet paper stick to them - what im suggesting is that often cheap products are used when you may need something more powerful - it may just be the case that the fans need to remain on longer following a shower as most small bathrooms suffer this problem in the short term (this is why i preferr the RH sensor model to the light switch or pulley models)


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    #5
    Bruthal
    Closed Accounts Posts: 13,422 ✭✭✭✭Bruthal


    For decent extraction, replacement air needs to come in from somewhere. With the bathroom door closed, batroom fans can be slow to extract much of the moisture filled air anyway.


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    #6
    Stoner
    Registered Users Posts: 10,952 ✭✭✭✭Stoner


    most extractor fans installed in Irish houses cost about 5 euro and are there because the room was required by the then regulation to have mechanical ventilation if there was no window. To get something that will actually extract you'd need to spend a little more , possibly 20 euro and expect it to be more bulky than the standard ones.

    An electric fan installed in a shower area is not a good idea, unless it's just a grill and there is an in line fan in the attic so it's a grill in the shower room with flexi ducting to the inline fan and more flexi ducting to the outside. This will extract the air from a room, keep the the flexi ducting to a minimum (so this works for a situation where the room has an attic above it directly). The one inline fan can pull air from two grills and this might be a solution for you. If you have the window open you should have plenty of air coming in, a decent extractor fan for example a larger vortice or Xpelair in a room that has an open window should address the issue, but dont have a 220V fan above a bath or in a shower cubicle, the in-line option or isolated traffo option would be best there IMHO.

    some options here including 12Volt options
    http://www.xpelair.co.uk/commercial-ventilation.html


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    #7
    stephen_k
    Registered Users Posts: 449 ✭✭stephen_k


    The fans you have installed are axial fans and are designed to be through the wall fans, they are not designed to extract throught ducting. For this you need a centrifugal fan (there are several on the market, but Vortice and Xplaire would be good makes)...

    Please note that cold air is unable to hold moisture as well as warm so if the bathroom is cold it will cause more condensation on the walls and windows which will contribute to you damp problems, do you have any method of heating in the room, how well insulated is the room?


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