The ultimate bathroom extractor fan

[cinnabunbun]

I'm looking for something very quiet but also strong. Is this impossible? It will be venting out directly through a wall to outside. Which brands should I look out for?

Soler & Palau have an excellent reputation, and are very quiet.

I prefer the loft-mounted ones.

If you are venting through the bathroom wall, I suggest a 150mm or 125mm diameter one.

The more common 100mm fans have lower throughput (unless you had a ducted inline fan)

Size of your bathroom, and number of steamy showers per day, is relevant.

I recommend having it come on automatically with the lightswitch, and running on with a timer. The electrician can easily do this if she has access to the ceiling lamp wiring. Set the timer to 30 minutes at first, if you find the bathroom is dry sooner, you can reduce it if you want. Noise and electricity consumption are negligible.

Humidstat fans are not as good an idea as you might think.

This one has more than three times the power of a £6 fan as fitted by most builders, and is quieter. It needs a bigger hole in the wall, some installers might not have this size of cutter on the van.

Thanks! Gosh there is quite a price difference but then I suppose it saves money long term with less condensation

you didn't ask for a cheap one.

We have a loft one, it vents out under the eves, the actual extractor motor part is quiet, but the sucking of air is noticable. quite loud

This is the ultimate bathroom extractor fan!

www.vent-axia.com/range/lo-carbon-svara

@troels

Could it be the grille causing turbulence in the airflow? Can you see how to take the inner grille off

That Vent Axia fan extracts just over 100m3 p/h. A good inline extractor will do 250+.

Jumping on this post as we desperately need a new extractor, currently have a humidistat one that vents through the wall and have a huge condensation problem. 4 people in the house who all like hot steamy showers.

Recommendations? We do have a loft above.

I wish we had one which practically makes your face look like when you put a hairdryer in a dogs face (seems some dogs like it) - could really do with that level of suction power when my kids have forgotten to flush

Fish

I would suggest a "silent" one at about 240/250 cu.m/hr. This is about three times as powerful as a cheap builders fan. With rigid ducting, you can have two or more ceiling grilles if you want, and because the air will then not be forced to squeeze through a single opening, it would be less noisy. Get the timer model, which runs on after you turn the light off.

www.tlc-direct.co.uk/Main_Index/Ventilation_Index/Soler_TD_Silent/index.html#Soler_TD_Silent

You can get a more powerful one if you think you have an unusually bad steam problem, or a communal shower room, but with a powerful extraction, consider getting a speed controller so you can adjust it. The replacement air being sucked in under the bathroom door will create a draught.

I haven't got their brochure, but they do two-speed and variable controls, but contact the makers to verify compatibility before ordering. Some of the fans are not speed-controllable and some can be set at the wiring connections on the motor, not with a switch. I can't see that on the listing.

The loft ducting should be insulated to reduce internal condensation, and tilted slightly so it runs out at the exit point, not towards the bathroom.

The motor should be mounted on thick ply, screwed to the loft joists with rubber padding to prevent vibration.

p.s.

I just checked the listing for the one I recently put in the downstairs loo, the noise is rated at 29 dba, and I would describe it as whisper-quiet. You can't hear it outside with the door shut. The tap runs louder.

Older, and worn-out fans can be annoyingly loud. The ones I show have ball-bearing motors.

Ours is under the floor boards above the downstairs bathroom,. so not easy access. The tap is louder, and you can hear it outside the bathroom with the door closed just about, so maybe it's just me who thinks they are noisy.

I was thinking of the grille in the ceiling.

How is a ducted inline one different from a standard extractor fan?

Longer shell with snouts at each end to attach to the ducts. Fatter.

Greater efficiency and power, and quieter.

Due to its size and shape, doesn't fit on the surface of a wall or window.

Thank you. Do you have a link to any you'd recommend? We're looking to get our bathroom redone next year and there is nothing at the moment.

See above.

Thurs 21:47:14