Recommendation for quiet 100mm bathroom extractor fan?

[zm123]

Can anyone recommend a quiet bathroom extractor fan to replace this very old one (pictured)? I bought a Europlast 100mm version and it is extremely noisy, and goes on for ages after the light has turned off.

Mine isn't really quiet looks just like that one only it's newish and goes on for about 5 minutes after I turn the light off, it's supposed to do that since we put one in each bathroom we no longer have damp at all. Have a look at B&Q that's where Dh founds ours.

The best 100mm wall fan I know is the Soler & Palau Silent 100 T. Also sold under the Envirovent brand (same compsny).

Get the Timer version. You can adjust the run-on time, but it is so quiet that you will not hear it with the door closed. If you bathroom is steamy you can just leave it on. Electricity usage is negligible.

It has a ball-bearing motor mounted on rubber pads, and an integral quiet backdraught shutter. Much better than common brands.

As a premium product it is relatively expensive. My supplier has a good description here
https://www.tlc-direct.co.uk/Products/SLS100CRZ.html

But if you search for Envirovent Silent 100 Timer you may find a better offer. Read the vendors specification carefully to make sure it is the same. Especially the ball bearings and rubber blocks.

There are copies that are not as good.

P.s.

If your fan blows through a duct, for example in the loft, rather than straight through the wall, I can recommend a more powerful one that goes in the loft.

Thanks @PigletJohn, mine is in the ceiling of my bathroom (there is no window in the room), would that make a difference?

Yes, if you can get at the duct, you can fit a more powerful inline fan. They are too long to put in the wall like the one in your pic.

In older houses the duct usually runs in the loft. In some modern flats it may be hidden by a false ceiling. Less often it is put between the joists or hidden by built-in cabinets.

In some shameful builds, it blows into a void or the loft instead of being ducted outside.

I'm really not sure, tbh. I've attached a photo of the badly installed (not by me) replacement in the ceiling of my bathroom, which I plan to replace again. Not sure if that helps give any indication which type it is? I'm on the top floor just below the roof.

Is it a flat roof or is there a loft you can access?

It's a flat roof, no loft access

Then the duct is probably hidden above the ceiling. Have a look up the hole when you take the old one out. I doubt you would be able to fit an online fan without cutting part of the ceiling out. Maybe bear that in mind for next time you have a comprehensive bathroom refit, or if you have a condensation or damp problem.

The Silent 100 T will be quite easy to fit, you may as well have that. Small fans need to run for longer if you have steamy showers, but it is quiet and uses negligible electricity.

Thanks @PigletJohn, I found an Envirovent and it works really well, I appreciate the help!

Hello, sorry to dredge up an old thread - but I wondered @PigletJohn if anything has come to the market that you now recommend above the Soler & Palau Silent 100 T. (I'm assuming you work with these - sorry if I've got that wrong!)

@zm123 are you still happy with your purchase 8 months on?

Is it one of those fans where you have to have it running on low the entire time, or can you turn it off COMPLETELY when not in use (or when you want to relax in the bath!)

Thanks

I have not seen anything better. They also make fans that are more powerful.

The Silent 100 does not run at low speed. However it is so quiet that I do not think you will find it troublesome.

If you have room above the ceiling or elsewhere you can use a ducted fan which will be even quieter as well as more powerful.

@PigletJohn sorry to jump on but could you recommend a ducted fan? I'm looking for one today and spotted this thread. Hoping for something powerful, as quiet as possible and with a humidity sensor. Happy to pay for good quality.

If you have steamy showers, I recommend an airflow of about 240 cu.m/hr, with an adjustable timer. Most people use a 30 minute delay.

I prefer it to come on with the light switch. It is quiet enough that I think you will hardly hear it, especially when it is mounted on a thick board padded with carpet or foam mat before screwing to the roof timbers.

This is a good one with a 100mm duct. IIRC it has adaptors for 125mm duct. Rigid duct is very preferable to convoluted hose, it has better airflow and does not trap condensation and fluff. Rigid duct can be fitted with a slight tilt so any condensation runs outside. If you need a more powerful fan (e.g. you house a football team) you will need a 125mm or 150mm duct.

www.tlc-direct.co.uk/Products/SLTD250SILENTslashT.html

Cheaper fans are available.

P.s.

If you want a humidity sensor, you would do better with a separate one fitted to the ceiling above the bath AND shower. I find them unsatisfactory, turning on and off too early or late depending on their sensitivity.

They are no help in removing odours.

My hearing is poor, but @zm123 might comment on the noise.

Thank you, much appreciated!

I had EnviroVent silent fans fitted in kitchen/downstairs shower room/family bathroom and en-suite as part of an insurance claim, they are so quiet I thought they were broken 😳 called the electrician back. They turn on automatically if they sense moisture and off again, the filter/fan is easy to clean there is a screen inside by the fan that tells you moisture levels and how many hours it’s ran for.

Thank you @RainbowSlidders, really good to know. The builders installed a fan into the downstairs toilet and attached to the light, below our bedroom. DS flips on the light and the noisy fan wakes us up every morning. For the bathroom I want quiet and not connected to the light!

If it's quiet, why don't you want it coming on?

It depends how quiet it is, I don't want a fan on at night just because the light is on if it then disturbs my autistic DC who struggles with noises like a fan running. It also makes more sense to have it running due to humidity levels than because a light is on.

@PragmaticIsh mine are on separate switches to the lights which is switched on 24/7 I leave it do it’s own thing. Mine are silent to the point I actually got the ladder out the shed to listen for the fan in the kitchen when I was cooking as I was convinced it wasn’t working as I could here it, still couldn’t hear it when up the ladder so called the electrician back. To my embarrassment it was working fine, it very sensitive when he started to remove the cover I could see it was spinning from boiling the kettle, it stopped when the cover was half removed as it has magnets and stops when they aren’t connected.

I’ve had this for the past 8 years and I can’t ever tell if it’s on or off, but it does work.
www.screwfix.com/p/vent-axia-446658b-100mm-4-axial-bathroom-extractor-fan-white-240v/816HV?tc=JT9&gclsrc=aw.ds&ds_rl=1241687&ds_rl=1245250&ds_rl=1249404&gad_source=1&gbraid=0AAAAAD8IdPzwCNDyT8WApE3nxIH3_5ZX8&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIy87js9quiwMV94dQBh3UGATxEAQYASABEgIMFfD_BwE