Replacing bathroom extractor fan
Discussion
I have a Vent-Axia VA100LH extractor fan installed in a bathroom.
Seems like a pretty standard extractor fan, wired to a ring main, humidity activated with a pull cord to manually turn on/off. It must be 10+ years old at this point, and the motor sounds like it's getting tired and may not last much longer.
I thought I'd simply buy a new one and swap it out, but new models seems to be ~£100 (found one on eBay for £70). This seems rather expensive as Amazon have a similar fan (VENTS Silenta 100mm Diameter Bathroom Extractor Fan with Humidity Sensor) that costs just £34.
The dimensions are just different enough to make me think it won't be a straight swap (I don't fancy drilling new holes into the tile), and the documentation I've found on line is pretty poor when it comes to confirming actual installation measurements.
Are Vent-Axia that good? Are extractor fans standards sizes and easily swappable? Really wasn't expecting it to cost three figures.
Seems like a pretty standard extractor fan, wired to a ring main, humidity activated with a pull cord to manually turn on/off. It must be 10+ years old at this point, and the motor sounds like it's getting tired and may not last much longer.
I thought I'd simply buy a new one and swap it out, but new models seems to be ~£100 (found one on eBay for £70). This seems rather expensive as Amazon have a similar fan (VENTS Silenta 100mm Diameter Bathroom Extractor Fan with Humidity Sensor) that costs just £34.
The dimensions are just different enough to make me think it won't be a straight swap (I don't fancy drilling new holes into the tile), and the documentation I've found on line is pretty poor when it comes to confirming actual installation measurements.
Are Vent-Axia that good? Are extractor fans standards sizes and easily swappable? Really wasn't expecting it to cost three figures.
finlo said:
Even if you get a new vent axia it's no guarantee that the fixing holes will be the same.
The new one looks the same (I know, I know), but the reference numbers are slightly different. Mine is a 251610C and the new ones are 251610E. Almost certainly just a revision of the electronics, but your point is a good one.finlo said:
If it were my I would remove it an give it a thourgh clean paying special attention to the impeller blade the noise difference will suprise you.
That was briefly plan A, but I figured "they'll be so cheap I'll just replace it". May be time to give plan A another go, especially if plan B ended up with it going in the bin anyway.Unless there s lots of slack hidden in the ceiling, buy the vent axia: there s every chance that the wiring position will be the same (which will make it a 10 minute job to swap).
That is more important than the fixing holes which you won t see.
ETA: if the fixing holes don’t line up, you can probably drill more in the mounting plate rather than the tile!
That is more important than the fixing holes which you won t see.
ETA: if the fixing holes don’t line up, you can probably drill more in the mounting plate rather than the tile!
Edited by LooneyTunes on Wednesday 3rd December 20:00
GoodDoc said:
finlo said:
Even if you get a new vent axia it's no guarantee that the fixing holes will be the same.
The new one looks the same (I know, I know), but the reference numbers are slightly different. Mine is a 251610C and the new ones are 251610E. Almost certainly just a revision of the electronics, but your point is a good one.finlo said:
If it were my I would remove it an give it a thourgh clean paying special attention to the impeller blade the noise difference will suprise you.
That was briefly plan A, but I figured "they'll be so cheap I'll just replace it". May be time to give plan A another go, especially if plan B ended up with it going in the bin anyway.Macneil said:
If it's a choice between a screw in £100 and £50 faff I'd take the former.
£35 vs. £70, but you're right. Trying to make the cheaper fan work with an existing instalation could easily turn into a mission, making an extra £35 an extremely good investment.Plan A is try to and clean/lubricate the existing fan, plan B is buy the identical but more expensive replacement fan.
Depending on its exact location in the bathroom the replacement may need to be low voltage these days, with the transformer located at a distance. This is the overview,
"Low voltage bathroom fan rules require a Safety Extra Low Voltage (SELV) fan for Zone 0 (inside the bath or shower tray) and specify that its transformer must be located outside of Zones 0, 1, and 2. For Zone 1 (directly above the bath/shower, up to \(2.25\)m), the fan must either be SELV or have a minimum IPX5 rating, while a transformer for an SELV fan must be placed outside of Zone 2. In Zone 2 (extending \(0.6\)m horizontally from Zone 1), an IPX4 rating is required, and the transformer for an SELV fan must be installed outside of this zone. All installations require a qualified professional, and all fans must be protected by a 30mA RCD or RCBO circuit breaker. outside the bathroom.
"Low voltage bathroom fan rules require a Safety Extra Low Voltage (SELV) fan for Zone 0 (inside the bath or shower tray) and specify that its transformer must be located outside of Zones 0, 1, and 2. For Zone 1 (directly above the bath/shower, up to \(2.25\)m), the fan must either be SELV or have a minimum IPX5 rating, while a transformer for an SELV fan must be placed outside of Zone 2. In Zone 2 (extending \(0.6\)m horizontally from Zone 1), an IPX4 rating is required, and the transformer for an SELV fan must be installed outside of this zone. All installations require a qualified professional, and all fans must be protected by a 30mA RCD or RCBO circuit breaker. outside the bathroom.
poo at Paul's said:
Stick it in with some CT 1 if the holes don t align. The bathroom guy stuck our whole shower cubicle up with this stuff, no screws and it s never moved a micro meter in 8 years.
Incredible stuff
It's a brilliant plan right up to the point where you do need to remove it for some reason and the whole thing is permanently stuck.Incredible stuff
At which point you really start to wish you used the screws and not a tube of bodge glue.
Panamax said:
Depending on its exact location in the bathroom the replacement may need to be low voltage these days, with the transformer located at a distance. This is the overview,
"Low voltage bathroom fan rules require a Safety Extra Low Voltage (SELV) fan for Zone 0 (inside the bath or shower tray) and specify that its transformer must be located outside of Zones 0, 1, and 2. For Zone 1 (directly above the bath/shower, up to \(2.25\)m), the fan must either be SELV or have a minimum IPX5 rating, while a transformer for an SELV fan must be placed outside of Zone 2. In Zone 2 (extending \(0.6\)m horizontally from Zone 1), an IPX4 rating is required, and the transformer for an SELV fan must be installed outside of this zone. All installations require a qualified professional, and all fans must be protected by a 30mA RCD or RCBO circuit breaker. outside the bathroom.
IMO there’s a lot of nonsense talked about requiring SELV. I fell into this trap a few years ago and I’ve just had to replace one where the transformer itself failed at about 5 years old and it’s not even our main bathroom, so I wouldn’t recommend this route unless you absolutely have to."Low voltage bathroom fan rules require a Safety Extra Low Voltage (SELV) fan for Zone 0 (inside the bath or shower tray) and specify that its transformer must be located outside of Zones 0, 1, and 2. For Zone 1 (directly above the bath/shower, up to \(2.25\)m), the fan must either be SELV or have a minimum IPX5 rating, while a transformer for an SELV fan must be placed outside of Zone 2. In Zone 2 (extending \(0.6\)m horizontally from Zone 1), an IPX4 rating is required, and the transformer for an SELV fan must be installed outside of this zone. All installations require a qualified professional, and all fans must be protected by a 30mA RCD or RCBO circuit breaker. outside the bathroom.
Just applying some common sense to the above - Zone 0 is literally inside the bath tub below the water line - hopefully OP isn’t considering installing there… most fans I’ve looked at are IPX5, and thus fine for zone 1, similarly most ceilings are at least 2.25m meaning a ceiling mount is almost always zone 2.
Jambo85 said:
IMO there s a lot of nonsense talked about requiring SELV. I fell into this trap a few years ago and I ve just had to replace one where the transformer itself failed at about 5 years old and it s not even our main bathroom, so I wouldn t recommend this route unless you absolutely have to.
Just applying some common sense to the above - Zone 0 is literally inside the bath tub below the water line - hopefully OP isn t considering installing there most fans I ve looked at are IPX5, and thus fine for zone 1, similarly most ceilings are at least 2.25m meaning a ceiling mount is almost always zone 2.
Zone 2 is a horizontal extension of zone 1? Above 2.25m is unzoned iirc?Just applying some common sense to the above - Zone 0 is literally inside the bath tub below the water line - hopefully OP isn t considering installing there most fans I ve looked at are IPX5, and thus fine for zone 1, similarly most ceilings are at least 2.25m meaning a ceiling mount is almost always zone 2.
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