Hello Annabelle, Best to get an on site survey/quotation done, this is a free service to you and you will get 3 quotes. Simply post your job onto rated people's site. You are not obliged to go with any of the quotes- but ever job that's posted is paid for by the relevant tradesmen.if they contact you that means they are interested in your job. ratedpeople.com Regards Michael
Dear Annabelle The following guide will take a few minutes to read but covers everything you need to know when choosing a bathroom fan. 1. Wiring regulations and Bathroom Zones 2. Switching and Operation Options 3. Size and Extraction Rate 4. Comfort - Noise and Aesthetics 1. Wiring regulations, bathroom zones and extractor fans Electricity and water make for a dangerous combination so the UK Electrical Wiring Regulations divide the bathroom into three zones relating to their proximity to water sources. This determines the type of fan you may install in each zone. Let us first look at the zones: Zone 1 is in the shower or the area vertically 2.25m above the bath. Zone 2 extends in all directions for 0.6m (60cm) from Zone 1. Zone 3 extends laterally for a further 2.4m from zone 2. Anything outside this area, or outside the bathroom - for example the loft above, is outside the zones. Extractor Fans and Zones Zone 1 and Zone 2 There are only two types of fan which may be installed in Zones 1 and 2. They are: ALL SELV fans (Safety Extra Low Voltage). Also known as 12v fans or LV fans, they require a transformer, (housed in zone 3 or outside the zones) to reduce the mains voltage (240v) to 12v. Usually, but not always, the transformer is supplied with the fan. Any fan, regardless of voltage, that has an IP45 rated motor. 'IP' means 'Ingress Protected' and a rating of IP45 signifies that the motor, and indeed all electrical parts, are 'resistant to jets of water from all angles'. ?Any fan rated for zones 1 and 2, by default, may be installed in zone 3. ALL electrical works must be carried out by a fully qualified, professional electrician. ?Zone 3 and Outside the Zones Any extractor fan, regardless of voltage or IP rating may be installed here as these areas are deemed a safe distance from the principle sources of water, the bath and shower. Inline fans are another type of extractor fan which are installed in the loft space above the bathroom. A length of ducting connects the fan to the bathroom. Since the fan itself is housed remotely, outside of the zonal area, with only a plastic grille in the bathroom ceiling, they too are suitable for extracting from any bathroom zone. A number of fans, such as the Vent Axia Silhouette, Manrose XF range and Airflow Icon are available in both SELV and 240v versions. ALL electrical works must be carried out by a fully qualified, professional electrician. 2. Switching and Operation Options All fans maybe wired into the lighting circuit, so that they turn on and off with your lights, or a separate remote switch, allowing them to be operated independently. Further to that, extractor fans have a range of extra switching options which suit different applications and requirements. Many fans are available in three versions - Basic, Timer and Humidistat, but some ranges also have pull cord and PIR versions. Basic models are operated by the light or remote switch only. Timer models feature a timer which keeps the fan running for a set period after the light or remote switch is turned off. This ensures all steam has been extracted from the bathroom. Fans with Humidistats will turn on automatically when humidity in the bathroom reaches a pre-set level and off when the humidity falls back to its preset level. These are great in bathrooms where the lights (and fan) are not always turned on manually and are popular with landlords, or in those installations where a fan is only required to extract steam. Fans with integral Pullcord are rarer these days, but allow for local operation. PIR (Passive Infra Red) sensors operate the extractor fan automatically when somebody enters the room. 3. Size and Air Extraction Rate Domestic bathroom extractor fans come in two sizes: 4 inch /100mm and 6 inch / 150mm. In almost every case a 4 inch bathroom extractor fan will suffice. Six inch fans need only be considered in bathrooms greater than three metres squared, or where special circumstances require a more powerful fan,…such as bathrooms with no natural ventilation or particularly cold, north facing bathrooms. Measured in 'Litres per Second' (L/s) or 'Metres Cubed per Hour' (m3/hr), the air extraction rate of a bathroom extractor fan is one of the most important considerations. The Building Regulations stipulate that a bathroom extractor fan must extract at least 15L/s in a standard domestic bathroom. Most 4 inch bathroom extractor fans far exceed this minimum requirement, and nowadays the standard is 85m3/hr. Any bathroom extractor fan with an extraction rate of 90m3/hr or above may be considered powerful. 4. Comfort - Noise and Aesthetics Noise Typical dB measurements for axial bathroom fans range between 35dB(A) and 45dB(A) with the more powerful centrifugal bathroom fans between 40dB(A) and 55dB(A). In recent years however the trend has moved towards quieter fans and now fans, such as the QT100 discussed earlier, are whisper quiet at 24dB(A) Aesthetics Remember: you are likely to see this fan everytime you use the bathroom. The money you saved on it when purchasing will soon be forgotten, so don’t install an ugly fan just because it’s cheap. Homeowners are spending more in making their bathrooms beautiful with cool lighting and funky fixtures and fan designs have improved immensely. The old ‘box with grilles’ is slowly being replaced with unobtrusive and subtle ‘tile’ type designs which sit comfortably with any bathroom aesthetic.
Nick shares his story of finding local tradespeople in his new area.
