Shrieking extractor fan! pigletjohn??? Anyone???

[SmellTheGlove]

2 years ago we had a new bathroom fitted complete with extractor fan. All working fine for about a year, then it starts shrieking like a stuck pig. Hideous, hideous noise. Took it out of the wall, gave it a bit of a clean, put it back in - worked ok for a few days then hideous shrieking again. Figured it was past it so off I went to wickes to get the closest model I could find so that I could replace it easily. New one goes in and starts off ok but then it gets noisy again. And I don't mean a noisy fan type noise. It's not possible to live with it. So for now the fan is disconnected, and I live in constant fear of damp!!!! DH thinks the hole the fan goes in needs to be bigger, and the problem is that the blades can't move freely enough. I don't want to call in an electrician, we can't afford it! And I have a feeling they would fit a new fan, and after a couple of days the noise would be back. I need my fan back!!!!

Your problem will be that the flow is restricted, can we have a photo?
Although those basic fans are built down to the cheapest price to only just meet building regs. Ideally you want a bigger and more expensive fan run on the slowest speed.

This is it in situ. Not sure that's much help! I'm prepared to get a better one if that will solve it?!

Hopeful bump!

Oooooh, that's awful. We've had it in the past. I'm just watching for the answer to log for a later date as like you we have a new bathroom and thankfully this hasn't happened yet. I was advised to hoover mine. I haven't, did you do this ever before your big clean?

If it squeals, I think it is more likely (on an old one) that the motor spindle is spinning in a plain plastic bush and has rubbed away all its lubricant.

But if your new one does it too, I suspect that the wall is not perfectly flat, and when you tightened the fixing screws, it distorted that plastic case so that the propeller is rubbing on the case. In this case slacken the fixing screws and it will probably spring back to shape. When you have worked out the problem you can put a few washers or something over the "dip" in the plaster so the fixing plate is flat.

Is it a Manrose fan, and did it cost about £12?

Is there a 110mm plastic duct in the wall, and is the spigot of the fan an easy (not tight) fit in it?

btw I have recently found, with several different makes, that the new "silent" fans don't fit into older ducts. Although they are nominally 100mm, the new fans have bulges or ribs on the spigots where cables run to the motor. The new spigots also seem longer than they used to be. I managed to cure one by hammering out the duct and cutting it short, but that will be difficult in some cases, especially above ground level.

If you forced a newer fan into a tight duct that might distort it and cause the propeller to rub.

I haven't yet found a solution to that problem, apart from cutting or slotting the duct, which mustn't allow steam to get into the cavity or condense on the brickwork.

pigletjohn it IS a manrose fan, and it did indeed cost approx £12!!! Spooky! DH has informed me that it was never in fact fixed to the wall - the fan was very tight and that held it in place. The front part was then fixed to the back part if you see what I mean. It makes sense that something is being distorted, because if you press on the fan in certain places the squealing stops. I don't feel that it is fair however to position DH atop a ladder pushing a fan for all eternity.

"it IS a manrose fan, and it did indeed cost approx £12"

bin.

The ones I use are about £50. Yes more expensive but they last longer and are easier to clean.

You could drill and plug the four holes in the wall to match the backplate holes, and slowly tighten the screws so it is held without vibrating and without being distorted so it rubs and squeals. While you have it off, inspect the plastic duct. It might be light grey soil pipe, or it might be white or black fan duct, which is thinner and weaker. Maybe there is no tube at all. See if there is any perceptible distortion of the tube, or any grout, plaster or other material that might be interfering with the insertion of the spigot. You can clean dirt away with detergent and a sponge, you can scrape off other material with an old steak knife.

We can find a better fan, with a ball-bearing motor that will be quieter and more durable, but in your case it seems the problem is the fit of the fan in the tube. Look at the spigot of the fan to check it is truly round, or observe any bulges it may have.

It might be possible to grab the rim of the tube and pull it out, with pliers or similar. Take care to prevent rubble falling down the cavity, if there one. You can stuff the cavity beneath the hole with fibreglass insulation, or screwed-up newspaper, allowing you to pick off rubble.

Or you could ask around for personal recommendations of a small local builder willing to have a bash at the hole from inside and out and insert a new duct. This will be rather dusty and you will need some redecoration afterwards.

Right. I have spent the last hour standing on a stepladder inside my shower cubicle so that I can reach the sodding thing. I have taken it out, scraped the edges of the hole to enlarge it slightly (no pipe inside, fan goes straight through plaster), made sure the blades spin freely, put it back, tried again. Few minutes of lovely quiet fan then more bastard squealing!!! Taken out again.repeated process, but this time screwed the back plate in place at what appeared to be a non screeching position. Few minutes of quiet, then vague rattling, occasional squeak. Am seriously losing the will to live. I've left it running now, and crossing my fingers. If it goes back to the screeching I'm turning it off and we will all have to shower with the window open. It's most annoying. But thank you for the comprehensive advice!

if it's just plaster, your old steak knife will scrape it for a loose sliding fit.

to show where it's touching, you can rub chalk or something on the inside of the hole, and see where it gets rubbed off by the spigot.