Extractor Fan Bathroom

[Authenticity2020]

I have a small/medium bathroom and the steam & condensation problem is a nightmare despite having a large & small window. Mould grows quick. I researched online and found a lot of helpful info, ( thanks PigletJohn ) and opted for the Turbo Tube Pro 100 (4 inch inline fan and timer) extraction rate 245m3/hr which an electrician put in the loft, above the double shower. The fan runs 30 mins after light goes off. There is a small gap under the door to allow some air in the bathroom and we keep door and windows closed. Heating is usually on in bathroom as it’s winter.

The claim manufacturer makes is the fan will take out the steam before it has time to condense...

Now, that’s either a total lie. Or, the fan is faulty. But, how do you know which? What can I be checking or doing?

Steam situation is better than it was, but it is no way clear in the bathroom and after two showers (no more than 30 mins using shower in total) there are water droplets on the ceiling, the tiled walls and surfaces. The shower door, windows and mirror still steam up. Even after the 30 mins of the fan going after the shower use ends, it’s still damp in there.

I have to open the window up, use squeegee and a cloth etc.

I had rather hoped that spending £££s on fan and professional electrician that we would see a significant improvement. Especially with a high rate of extraction. But looks like I will still have to mop up a lot each and every time. What was the point?

Is this to be expected? Are the manufacturers over exaggerating the claims? Is the fan likely broken? Should I feel a lot of suction through the vent in the bathroom? What can I do?

I would need to pay electrician another call out to fit a replacement fan, so I don’t want to do that if it’s not going to help.

Thoughts? Much appreciation in advance.

More photos

Grille flapping like mad outside

Image of the shower, where grille is inside. Wet ceiling! And the main obvious cause - ducting and clip not connected?!?!?!

@Murinae ours has roughly same extraction rate so really should surely be able to hold an A4 bit of paper. Maybe this is how i can test it while the electrician is here.

@OakleyStreetisnotinChelsea thanks.

@PigletJohn hope the photos help everyone. Thanks for all the comments so far

Also, @PigletJohn do you think it is worth getting a backdraft shutter or as i have gravity grille as pictured that i dont really need it. Thanks.

Also, is it easy to clip the ducting back on? I dont really want electrician to come back but DH feels we’ve paid a professional good money to do this job.

First time the electrician sent his junior to do the job (he didn’t say thats what would be happening when he came to quote or arranged the job, the junior just turned up). He was a young guy but I dont like to judge as I’ve been young in my own profession and you have to start somewhere. He didn’t know what some of the items id bought were (id bought a condensation trap and a no resist back draft grille) and so he phoned the electrician for advice. Electrician advised against the no resist back draft grille even though i noted it was more costly and so presumably better than the gravity grille. I spoke to him then and he apologised that he wasnt able to come personally as something had come up. The junior drilled hole in the bathroom and set things up but couldn't manage the job completely (hole in the wall) as he said he could see spiders in the loft and has a fear of spiders. We could not use the fan at this point and i was worried about damp in the loft. The electrician came back a week later and quickly drilled holes to the outside, sorted the isolator switch and went off. I called him back as timer want set to 30 mins which is what we had wanted. So he’s already had to visit effectively three times.

Im really grateful to everyone here who had been so helpful.

Looking at the pic, it appears to me that the hose has fallen off the suction side of the fan. So the fan is not sucking from the bathroom.

This is terrible.

It should be attached with a hose clip or band.

@PigletJohn it looks like the duct clamp has come off. Is something like this safe for a layperson (me) to try to fix? I dont need to turn off the electricity or anything?

Thanks

The hose is not electrical, but it is always safest to turn off the power. There ought to be an isolation switch in or near the bathroom for this purpose.

Yay well done for owning your loft. I expect you can get s hose clip from B&Q.

From the photos the arrow is the way the air flows so at the moment the fan is just sucking air from the loft and not at all from the bathroom! It is easy to reconnect yourself so I would do that. They usually have a tightening screw on the bracket so undo that a bit put it back together and then tighten it up so it’s all right and doesn’t fall off again.

It could also have fallen off as the fan doesn’t look like it’s been screwed down so could have vibrated and shaken the ducting off. Ours is screwed down firmly so it can’t move.

@PigletJohn thank you. We do have an isolator switch that turns it off instead of being controlled by the light. (I was wondering about the fuse box as none of them are labeled and so i have no idea which one would be the right one.)

@NotMeNoNo thanks! I feel very proud, after about 4 years of wanting to get up there!

@Murinae thanks, yes I didn’t even notice the arrow. You’re right it’s not screwed down, hmmm! I would have thought electrician would suggest to do that but maybe it’s outside if what he’s being paid for. I’m really really hoping I can do it and that this makes a real difference. I will report back later or tomorrow morning after our shower. If it works it will be all the Christmas miracle i need.

Thanks again everyone x

There’s a tear in the ducting. Probably explains it all

You can use duct tape to seal that up

I don't think I can see the tear. You can tape it, but that may not be a permanent fix.

If you ever want to have a go at it, the rigid piping is more durable, and can be tilted so that any condensation runs outside. I think your duct is the insulated version so will not be very prone to condensation.

When If the flaps fall off your external vent, you can fit a cowl vent, which stands up to wind better and does not constantly rattle. but you will need someone with a ladder to fit it. IMO the brown ones blend in with brickwork.

Piglet has your answers, its worth routinely cleaning the dust of fluff

@Murinae @PigletJohn thanks for suggestion re duct tape. I think we just want to do this properly now we’ve come this far. I’ve ordered more aluminium ducting, getting the electrician back to replace it and move it out the way from being punctured again. Hopefully this will solve the problem. If it doesn’t i’ll be back!

When we need to change the vent in future we will get that brown cowl flap, thanks Piglet John it’s also cheaper than what we ordered!

Thank you for all your help again guys. Fingers crossed for us x

@Funf thanks. Its brand new so hopefully that’s not the issue right now but we will endeavour to keep it clean

@Authenticity2020 did you manage to go back in the loft and attach the ducting again?

@Murinaehi i @ you in a post a few hours before yours not sure if you saw it. Dh and i considered buying duct tape but decided to get more ducting so it can be fully fixed. Electrician prepared to come back to sort this. I hope it will be done on Friday or Monday and will report back.

Just wanted to update... and thanks to everyone who chipped in and encouraged me to go look. Electrician returned and apologised, the ladder had ripped the ducting which then came off the fan. Now that it’s been replaced and pushed to the side (and red tape has been applied over each of the clamps so its as airtight as can be) the extractor works... the a4 paper test is a success for starters and we dont get condensation on the windows or walls as badly. There is still steam and still fogs up shower doors and some on the ceiling, but its 75% better than it was. I will take that for sure.

Thanks especially @NotMeNoNo
@PigletJohn @Murinae

Brilliant news. Hopefully that will make all the difference.

We had similar issues and had everything replaced and new high spec extractor.

Still had very slow growing mould even with all precautions being used.

My ddad suggested that the paint may be cheap all purpose paint. We dried the bathroom out. No showers for a week. (went on hols) treated mouldy areas and repainted with anti mould bathroom paint. It's been 4 years and haven't had an issues.

Maybe the paint?

@Funkypickle thanks for your comment. Our bathroom is all tiled but the ceiling paint has bubbled, moulded and peeled. I will get a pot of the anti mould stuff and try that. I’m glad it worked for you.

I need to do a deep clean of the mould areas to check we’re not getting more now and hopefully now with the fan in place we wont get mould.

Very pleased it has been fixed. It may take a while for the plaster to dry out. Running the fan more will speed it up.

Once dry, use a broad metal scraper to get all the loose and bubbled material off. Black mould will scrub off after you have killed it and it has dried. sponging on bleach will do. If it has not been killed it smears more.

You will need to apply mist coats to any bare plaster.

I don't use anti-mould paint myself; my view is that the entire world is filled with mould spores and they will grow wherever they find damp, so the solution is to remove the source of water.