Do you have an extractor fan in your bathroom?

[requiredusername]

Does everyone have an extractor fan in their bathroom these days?

We do not and rely on opening the window and leaving it open after the shower but it gets quite steamy in the room.

We are thinking of having an extractor fan installed. Can anyone explain how much work goes into installing them or a rough cost if you've done the same?

Will it stop the room getting so steamed up or will it just clear quicker?

Trying to avoid ceiling going mouldy.

Our walls are about 18 inches thick. The circular hole was cut very simply and exactly the right size. Bit dusty though.

Why would your ceiling go mouldy? I've never seen that before and I lived in a house with a bathroom with no window.

We don't have an extractor fan, we just keep the bathroom window open all the time... works fine, although it gets a little chilly in winter!

@Peas252

Extractor fan installations typically cost £500+

No they don't

It all depends on what access you have for a vent.
Could be an easy job or could be a complete pain in the ass, without seeing the setup on site it's impossible to tell.

We have no fans. We have windows which get opened. We have lived here 6 years a d not repainted at all in that time, there's no mould.

Where we lived previously had fans/no window and it was far less effective.

@RandomLondoner

Our bathrooms don't have windows, so both have extractor fans, these run 24 hours a day in background mode and in boost mode for an hour or two after a shower. The bathroom with an over-the-bath shower gets very steamed up and it often takes more than two hours before the condensation on the mirrors clears. The bathroom with a dedicated showed enclosure gets a lot less steamy and is probably clear within half-an-hour. No ceiling mould problems in either bathroom. (Both were painted with suitable paint when bathrooms were redone a couple of years ago.)

Your extractor fan runs 24/7 but it still takes two hours after a shower to clear the steam?!

That can't be right. I've got a window (admittedly) as well as an extractor fan and the steam clears within minutes.

We have one but they’re useless - and we’ve had different types. Only thing that works for us is opening the window.

Yes but I don't think it's very good. I open the window as well. This time of year the bathroom dries out quite well with the warmth from the radiator and air from the window. In the autumn when the heating isn't on yet and outdoor temps are dropping it seems to take ages though.

We have an extractor in the bathroom ceiling that discharges through a vent through the roof.
The fan is a humidistat so comes on automatically when the moisture level reaches a certain level and switches off when it reaches the set acceptable level. There’s an isolation switch if we want to switch it off but once we’d sorted the settings it works like a dream.

We still open the window though as we all take long showers so it’s just faster.

Sorry cost wise I think the fan was £100ish from
Screwfix. Isolation switch was £10 ish. And electrician did all bathroom works for around £300
Then the cost of the ducting
The roof vent part was fitted by the roofer when we r had extension/reroof so just part of general works and no idea of cost

What about a dehumidifier instead?

Ours are in the ceiling, they go through a flexi tube in the loft to a vent in the soffit. Got them from Screwfix, DH fitted them. They work really well, the bathrooms don't really steam up at all when they are on. I can tell pretty quickly if I've forgotten to switch it on!

We got a grant that part covered the cost of cavity wall insulation. As a part of that they installed a bathroom extractor fan and a kitchen fan. It was like a condition of the grant.

The bathroom fan is really annoying though, too noisy and worried it'll wake the kids, so disconnected it in the loft! Open the window instead like we have for years. But we have a plug in dehumidifier we run frequently to help dry clothes etc.

Mains powered dehumidifier in the bathroom doesn't sound mega safe

We have ours in the hallway outside the bathroom

We have 3 extractor fans in ensuite, family bathroom and loft extension shower room. If you don't have ventilation you often get mould. I have 6 btl houses and have installed extractor fans in all bathrooms.

If you have mould. Spray it to get rid of it. Wickes do a really good spray. Then dry thoroughly and apply anti mould paint.

I’ve never had mould in bathrooms and I’ve lived in damp houses with no central heating before I’ve done them up. I always put an extractor fan in that vents externally.
If the bathroom has a window I open that in the warm weather but if the temperature is below 10 outside it isn’t effective at dispersing the damp air and an extractor fan is needed to force it outside.

We have them in our bathrooms but I didn't install them. We have windows too. I don't let dh use it in the morning as it wakes me up with the noise!

We don't.

Very old house; Listed; conservation area; at the front of the property

So we have a dehumidifier instead. A 20L Meaco. Works wonders. We sprayed the window with HG Mould spray once, six years ago, when we moved in. Got rid of all the black spot mould. It is just now slowly returning. So I will be spraying it again this weekend.

The bonus is the dehumidifier can be moved round the house to help when ironing, washing carpets and floors, drying clothes etc.

We also have the 20L Meaco Before the walls would have water running down them (this is with an extractor fan!) with the Meaco sitting outside the bathroom there is no longer an issue, it's fantastic. Also live in a really old 18th century farmhouse.

Our downstairs bathroom is north facing and always cold. The window could be open all day and all night and it still won't completely prevent mould build up. I use a dehumidifier and it helps but we still get some mould on the ceiling when its cold and damp out. I clean off the mould with cillet bang mould remover, it's great but i don't like to use it too often. I am getting mould resistent primer painted on the ceiling today so i am hoping that will help.

Yes, they do work.
We have on in the shower cubicle ceiling. Duct up into loft, where there's a fan, then duct up out of roof, with a little chimney thing. It's on a timer to stay for for about 5 couple of minutes after the bathroom light is turned off.
You can really feel it sucking the air out if you put your hand over it. If you turn it off (with isolator switch), the bathroom really steams up.

We could open windows, but would often forget, and guests (PILs) never do. Also if you leave bathroom door open, the moisture fills the rest of the rooms, and you get condensation/damp in there.
The thing in the loft is a "MANROSE MF100T".

No extractor fan but we have a dehumidifier that's quiet and compact so after a shower we use that if it's cold and wet outside. In warmer months we just open the window.