Bathroom Extractor Fans - a DIY Guide

How to choose a bathroom fan, axial v centrifugal v inline, extraction rates, bathroom zones, isolator switches and a comparison of the UK's leading fans.
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0:00 Start
0:01 Intro
1:06 Buy Me a Coffee Plea
2:12 Why you need a Fan
4:09 How to choose a Fan
4:27 Axial Fans
5:14 Centrifugal Fans
5:50 Inline Fans
7:05 Extraction Rates
7:01 Fan Size
9:00 Calculating Extraction Rates
9:47 Ducting
11:00 Core Drill or Chiselling?
11:35 Backdraught Shutters
13:54 Air Starvation
14:20 Electrical
14:25 Switching
15:37 Isolator Switches
18:10 Bathroom Zones
19:48 Silent Tornado
20:35 Vent Axia Svara
25:10 How to Test your Fan
Today's Toolkit (UK)*
- Silent Tornado ST100HT bit.ly/2GoWomX
- Vent Axia Svara geni.us/Am7v7 (Amazon)
- TT Pro 100 with Timer bit.ly/3g2Hy7G
Extractor Fan World Resources
- What Bathroom Extractor Fan do I need? bit.ly/3AN1GCZ
- Bathroom Zones for Extractor Fans bit.ly/37HSBia
- How much does it cost to fit an Extractor Fan bit.ly/3m3wQla
- Choosing a Bathroom Extractor Fan bit.ly/3semW1c
- Axial or Centrifugal? bit.ly/3xPa9n0
- Building Regs general information bit.ly/3iKl0dK
- Building Regulations 2010 Part P bit.ly/2VYBXIJ
- Bathroom Zones bit.ly/3ySN98b
* The Amazon links above (if any) are affiliate links. It doesn't cost you anything to click on them but I do earn a small commission if you do.
And here's the legal bit I have to state: As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
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LET'S CONNECT!
Charlie DIYte
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#extractor #fan #guide

[@paulb7716]

This is amazing, thanks so much for going to the effort of researching and explaining this. My bathroom has slowly been developing humidity over the years and now I understand why. I think I’m in love with you.

[@evemaegoodman4983]

I bought the Svara after watching your Video Charlie (in black!) and it has been amazing ! So so silent on trickle mode and even on full speed it is extremely quiet ! The app adds so much more to customisation - we have one in the bathroom and one in the kitchen !

[@davidramsay6142]

Great video that provides an abundance of information. I like the extraction above the shower with the inline fan in the loft space to avoid electrical issues and conflict with code. This maximises steam extraction before it condenses onto cold surfaces away from the shower also extracted air after the showering with a 10 to 15 min timer passes from least damp to most damp before extraction maximising evaporation. Ultimately I am preparing for a Whole house mechanical ventilation with heat exchanger to permanently exchange damp air from the bathrooms and kitchen via a heT exchanger for dry fresh. Air into the bedrooms and apartments.

[@CharlieDIYte]

Thanks David. Yes your MVHR is the Rolls Royce solution 👍

[@misstakenot9582]

43dB is not "nearly twice as noisy" as 25dB - it's more. The Decibel scale is logarithmic, not linear. It's also likely that the measurement criteria are not consistent between manufacturers.

[@SteveBower996]

3db is a doubling in volume, so 28db is twice as loud as 25db. An increase to 43db 'sounds' about 4x as loud.

[@misstakenot9582]

@@SteveBower996 Not quite. A 3dB increase is indeed a doubling of acoustic energy, but the human ear/brain system is also logarithmic (and doesn't work like a meter), so it is not perceived as such. An increase of 10dB "sounds" just twice as loud. A change of 3dB is perceptible, but not significant. As an example, while you are in an adjoining room, have someone unplug one of the speakers of your stereo system. You'll notice a difference, but it won't sound like half as loud.

[@loafersheffield]

Ah, doesn't bother me. I usually listen to Motorhead when I shower. However. I always have to open "that bloody window" whenever I evacuate my bowels. Although the missus never bothers. Lady poo must smell of sugar and spice. I hate customers who try and waste my time setting a timer to run eaxactly for 9 minutes and 32 seconds and setting the humidistat to kick in on wet fart mode.

[@craigbirrell2732]

@@loafersheffield 🤣🤣👌🏻

[@guywilkinson]

But your ear is a log scale too, so it sounds twice as loud 🔊

[@Czechbound]

That was really great ! I hate having a shower - even in the winter - in a room where I can't open a window. But most people that I know have showers with the window closed, and then complain about the mildew on the walls. Cause. Effect. At least with a fan wired in a way so that it has to operate this helps to eliminate the mould problem. Though one couple I know in their new house ( with a timber frame roof and wall studs ) put old t-shirts in the wall vents in the their bedroom, living room and en suite as they hated "feeling cold". When I told them the house has to breathe - it's not like a concrete apartment, and that their roof could rot, they said they didn't care ...

[@CharlieDIYte]

That's extraordinary isn't it. It's happening nationwide though, with new builds these days being hermetically sealed for insulation purposes and then people move in, clamp all fits and windows shut and wonder why they have damp and mould problems within months.

[@kunid]

I respect how much effort you put into doing the research, explaining your rationale when faced with difficult choices, and the comprehensiveness of the videos. And most importantly, the absence of click-bait. Keep maintaining this level of quality ... for it's your USP compared to other channels KZbin. Best regards!

[@CharlieDIYte]

Thanks so much. Really appreciate that feedback! 👊

[@imipak23]

Not *entirely* unique, bu certainly welcome.

[@jamesduffy5019]

Excellent info as usual Charlie, Have a downstairs bathroom with no fan in my current property, so this will help no end when renovating it. My last property had an in-line fan in the loft straight over a shower with light incorporated in it. It was the nuts! Cheers.

[@CharlieDIYte]

Thanks James! Yes I'll definitely be installing an in-line when I refurb the kids' bathroom. They're awesome!

[@blackmac1970]

Really appreciate the effort and time put in to the video, especially about the 2/3 core wiring. I wasn't aware of that.

[@CharlieDIYte]

You're very welcome. Thanks for the comment 👍🏻

[@smokinjoe6644]

This is such a well put together and informative video, I feel like I can take on the world when it comes to bathroom extractors now. Thank you very much.

[@CharlieDIYte]

You're very welcome mate. Humbled to hear that. It was a pig to put together but comments like that make it worthwhile 👊

[@peachy0014]

They always are. The guy is superb.

[@DavidZhiweiQin]

talk too much shit without demonstrating it, This is a video but not a talk show

[@tuongkhanhung]

*Works amazingly **Fastly.Cool** . I love all the features and the double expansion. For once a fan is almost as tall as my window. Updated but not overly fancy.*

[@CharlieDIYte]

Yes still going strong

[@gumboe2007]

An electrician fitted two inline fans, one for the main bathroom and one for the ensuite. He said he had a good idea to fit them upside down to the rafters so that it would be silent. Because the white thin flexible hose was used between the grill on the bathroom/ensuite side and to the fan it meant water was pooling in the flexible pipe and evaporating on the fan. This meant moisture ended up dripping out of the electrical part of the fan as it was mounted upside down on the rafter. I put it back on the joists in the loft (the right way up) and replaced the thin white flexible hose with some silver coloured insulated hose. No problems since then. After watching this video I'm thinking of trying to connect the grille on the ceiling to the fan using straight white plastic ducting and covering it with the insulated flexible hose.

[@chrisohanlon69]

Was amazed to find that my not very well maintained vent axia fan installed before I moved in in 2008 was still pulling a tissue. I must say I don't think I could be bothered with an app for a bathroom fan mine comes on with the light and turns off after a few minutes, which is perfect. Very informative video, thank you.

[@CharlieDIYte]

Thanks Chris. Glad to hear it's still going strong 👍🏻

[@simonturner904]

Hi Charlie thanks for this. I’ve never imagined that I would’ve spent 20 minutes watching a video on bathroom fans. It was really informative and useful. I realise what I need is to replace a particularly useless fan that my builder installs in the loft. It currently has ducting all the way from the front of the house and vents out of a Event that looks more like it was designed for a soil stack,at the back of the house. I think it’s almost entirely useless and the ducting is in a really inconvenient position across my loft.. I now realise I need to install one of those tile vents at the front of the house and replace the fan with a decent one. It will be so much more efficient. I have an original 1920s roof with clay tiles. Paragraph the bit I need to install it in is hard to access because of the way the downstairs protrudes out. I wondered how easy it would be to insert the tile vent from the inside. The tiles are held in place with cement that is easily removed (it largely does so by itself bit by bit).Do you think I should just be able to slide the tiles around and remove the ones I need? As far as I can tell none of the tiles and the nailed in place.

[@CharlieDIYte]

Hi Simon, yes that set up sounds hopeless. A new inline fan with rigid pvc ducting is definitely the answer - it will make such a difference. Yes I would have thought you could install from the inside - particularly if the roof isn't felted. It could be a bit fiddly if it is felted. If you're going to do this, I would experiment with the vent in a section of roof that you can get to, just to make sure the vent is an exact match, dimension wise for the tiles you're removing. One of the guys on my Discord group has done this (but vented through a soffit) and posted links to all the parts he bought. Might be worth signing up to the forum through the Buy Me a Coffee link if only for a month, so you can see how he did it. Good luck!

[@CharlieDIYte]

🛠Charlie DIYte Amazon Tool Store amzn.to/3fcLnY4 - all my tried, tested and much loved DIY tools. ☕Charlie DIYte Buy Me a Coffee Membership bit.ly/3xuQ3zb - access our incredible Discord DIY forum and help support my Channel. 👚Charlie DIYte Merch Store charlie-diyte.myspreadshop.co.uk/ - check out my professionally designed merch.

[@Spherian7]

OMG - you've become one of the gods !!

[@CharlieDIYte]

@@Spherian7 That sounds exciting. How d'you mean?

[@impamiizgraa]

What a comprehensive video. So grateful for this. I'm renovating with a shoestring budget (most of the work myself) this is the type of decision and work that you just never know what to do about but makes such a difference to your overall enjoyment of the final home. Thank you!

[@CharlieDIYte]

You're welcome. Good luck with the renovation and thanks for the comment. 👊

[@garypeterson8165]

Great video. Really appreciate the time involved in putting together thorough and clear content.

[@CharlieDIYte]

Thanks Gary, I really appreciate the comment 👍

[@elvosparsley9606]

Thanks for this Charlie, bought 2 no resist grilles based on your recommendation for an install, should stop a lot of the windy rattling as well as improve extraction.

[@chaohongli2329]

I have an innovative and intelligent air duct fan, which is connected to WiFi and can be operated by mobile phone, which is more convenient and fast. I would like to invite you to review it, and then help me make a 1-minute video. Would you like it? Looking forward to your reply .

[@RobertKza]

Great video, many thanks. On enquiring I discovered a recommended alternative to extraction is a PIV (positive input ventilation) fan in the loft as long as your rooms have window trickle vents fitted. This method slightly pressurizes the house. It's worked well for me and window condensation is gone. Supply and installation cost around GBP 700

[@CharlieDIYte]

Thanks. Yes there's a lot of love for PIVs in the Comments below this video I did on condensation kzbin.info/www/bejne/inqnk2CmmbShjq8

[@nigeloshea9165]

An excellent video 👏👏. Very well presented and put together without lots of techical jargon

[@FredWilbury]

Interesting Charlie and as always very comprehensive, just as an aside we fitted an above shower fan with light and turbo motor in the loft which vents out of the soffit very effective and yes window permanently open 😊 regards Fred

[@bharatmorarji8979]

Hi Charlie, again great vid, as usual simply explained. This will be my next think to tackle in two bathrooms. Great work!

[@kokololipop2206]

Amazing video! The water from humidifiers and shower cleaner is good for watering plants. Cheers

[@davidlloyd1485]

Just in the market for one of these so good timing. Tons of detail so will go through it a few times I expect!

[@CharlieDIYte]

Thanks David. Glad you found it useful 👍🏻

[@OthmanAlikhan]

Thanks for the video =) The country that I live is rather hot so we need a lot of ACs cooling the air in the house. Having an oversized exhaust fan is a double problem for us since it means more loss of cooled air.

[@jamesdozier3rd844]

Howdy! First time seeing any of your videos and I'm really impressed. Thanks for all the detail. Seriously, really great.

[@CharlieDIYte]

Thanks James, I really appreciate that. Good to have you on board 👍

[@rodgerq]

Good info, I'm doing a bathroom just now and the existing fan is so noisy so it'll need to go. As a side note, I also intend to fit one of those inline fans in my garage workshop and vent it out an air brick in order to remove airborne dust. Seen it suggested by Mike on the 10 square metre workshop channel.

[@CharlieDIYte]

Good work Rodger. Good luck with the install.

[@colinfarrell6444]

I installed 2 manrose inline extractor fans {for main bathroom and ensuite}, after watching this vid. Great advice

[@CharlieDIYte]

Great work Colin. They're fab aren't they! Thanks for letting me know 👍

[@mishabruml]

Thank you for this video! I replaced the horrible old inline fan and ducting run that wasn't working as it was a total bodge job, and had caused a lot of mould in the bathroom that sadly had been painted over by the vendor before we purchased the house. I purchased a Tornado TT100PROT Turbo Tube from Extractor Fan World after your recommendation, and its really good, and the customer service/support I got from them on the phone was also really good so thanks for that! The fan itself is of good build quality, the only niggle I have is the screws for the electronics enclosure are really cheap, poor quality screws the heads stripped very easily. I replaced them with some similar dimension pozi screws I had lying around, which makes for a much better enclosure seal as I can tighten the screws adequately, without fear of stripping the head. The install itself was simple, although time consuming given the confined space and damp dark conditions in the loft. I used an existing showerlite fitting in the ceiling as the intake, and installed a new grille vent in the fascia for the exhaust. I installed an inline backdraft valve in the exhaust side of the ducting run. For the run itself, I used solid 100mm PVC pipe for the majority, as this improves airflow and reduces water pooling as there is less nooks and crannies for the steam to catch and condense on. I used a short section of flexible ducting to make the bend from vertical to horizontal. I used jubilee clips on all the joints to make sure they are good and sealed, and then I wrapped all the ducting in plenty of insulation; I used some leftover loft insulation first, fixing in place with long cable ties, and then a layer of foil bubble wrap insulation to seal it all up, again fixed with long cable ties. Pro tip from my dad: the fan itself is not mounted to a joist, but suspended from the rafters with some used bike inner tubes. This acts as a damping system, reducing the noise and vibration of the fan. As a result, the fan is very quiet, you can only really hear the whirring noise of the blades spinning, rather than echoey mechanical noise reverberating through the house as I have experienced before. Extraction is very powerful and I am really pleased with the product. Some pics and review from meon this page www dot extractorfanworld dot co dot uk/tornado-tt100prot-turbo-tube-4100mm-inline-fan-with-timer-3785-p.asp Now I just need to finish treating the mouldy ceiling, repainting and sealing it in, replacing the horrible old bulkhead light with something from this side of the millenium, and the bathroom will be looking good.

[@CharlieDIYte]

What a great review - thanks so much for sharing. Glad you had good experience buying from EFW. Same as me! Some great tips on damping the noise!

[@mishabruml]

The ceiling is pretty old and appears to made from soggy weetabix (some kind of hardboard?)

[@Spherian7]

I'm putting my house up for sale, and the real estate agent who has seen it all, was very impressed with the caulking in the shower/tub which, of course, I did using your great instruction and profiling tool. You have increased the value, and I shan't soon forget it. 💎

[@CharlieDIYte]

Ah, that's great news. Really glad to hear it 👍🏻

[@GoogleGoogle-ef5pw]

Wtf….

[@Spherian7]

@@GoogleGoogle-ef5pw go to his bathroom caulking guide.

[@herosandwich7940]

@@GoogleGoogle-ef5pw How to Silicone Behind Taps? Could be this one.

[@raftonpounder6696]

Send him a few bob of your profits!

[@KAJJTAN]

Great video, will be doing renovations soon, seems like I will use inline fan and a Sonoff TH10 to make it smart just like svara, just not sure if I can hide it since ceilings are quite low already

[@Steve19105]

Absolutely brilliant video Charlie. I need to do something strong for my new kitchen and you had all the right answers 👌😅

[@CharlieDIYte]

Glad you found out useful. Thanks for letting me know 👊🙏

[@andylees2940]

Very helpful and informative. Cut thru the air vent jargon for me. Thank you very much.

[@jonathanm9436]

Very interesting. I am AMAZED by the sophistication of these English/European fans. Even your back-draft prevention methods are very cool. And finally, someone speaks about the counterproductive concertina ducting, which is so prevalent here in Australia. Here, the bathroom fans are often vented straight into the roof cavity. On this subject, we are dinosaurs. It's great to see how well thought through your solutions are. When I built my house ten years ago, I just imagined that the ducting would be terrible, so I commenced installing PVC piping and an inline fan, so although we are the same wave length, I am embarrassed to say that I haven't yet finished it. At least your confirmation has motivated me somewhat. As a side note, a simple calculation tells us that the cross-sectional area of 100mm vs 150mm spigot is 7,853mm2 vs 17, 671mm2 - nearly three times the capacity. Oh, and subscribed.

[@CharlieDIYte]

Great to hear from you, Jonathan and humbled my vids have reached you in Oz 👊🏻 Thanks so much for the sub. Don't worry, I have jobs that remain undone and in fact the old fan gave up the ghost months ago! Yes I've never quite understood the practice of venting directly into the roof space unless the tiles aren't felted or perhaps with the heat you get, the moisture evaporates, but baby be good for the roof joists 🤔 Good luck getting it finished and great to have you onboard. Plus those stats are mind boggling - thanks for providing them!!

[@Playingbyear]

Thanks Charlie. That tornado looks suspiciously like a rebadged Soler & Palau silent 100, which is what your previous fan was too (envirovent silent 100). BTW, the S&P silent is available in 5” (125) and 6” (150) models. These fans are the best by far in suction tests, I bet they'd outperform the vent axia you tested. Best solution as you say is an inline fan in the attic - these are more akin to professional HVAC fans than crappy manrose ones installed in new builds by builders looking to install the bare minimum. I'll be installing S&P / envirovent (same thing) again, I reckon they punch well above their weight.

[@paulmackilligin1754]

Yes, I second that. The S&P fans are very excellent, and have not been changed in design for at least 20 years as far as I can make out. It is often the way. Only bits of kit that are on show get makeovers and re-designs every two years. Proper decent professional stuff doesn't need to be changed about. Good kit is good kit and nearly all the upgrades and smartness and wifi-ready and whatever other fashionable nonsense, is largely driven by the marketing department who know that consumers are easily swayed by NEW! Technology!

[@Ste2023]

Thanks 👍

[@Rjw117]

Another great video thanks Charlie. I recently had a Vent-Axia inline fan installed in my bathroom and it's absolutely fantastic. I'd really love to see a video about kitchen extraction in the future as I'm a bit stuck on that. Would really love to do an inline install but it looks a bit tricky.

[@CharlieDIYte]

Thanks Richard. I think in the kitchen you might be best with a 150mm diameter axial as the air shift isn't much behind the inline (assuming of course you've got a short ducting run. Have a look at Dudley Joseph's comment below, as he's installing an in-line fan and is getting around the lack of a humidistat issue by installing a separate sensor.

[@neelmistry8502]

Any one in the London area who has watched this video through to the end? I'm based on Bow (E3) and have a windowless bathroom in a new development. I require a new fan (long ducting), something that stays on when I switch off the light and is more powerful than the one Linden Homes installed. I currently have issues with mold. If you're keen to help, please respond to this comment and I'll contact you directly. Thanks. Also thanks a ton Charlie! Best video online! instant Subscribe.

[@AudiRSQ]

Thanks for the info of the switched live limitation on the Vent Axia, mine is now working great with the 2 wire connection

[@CharlieDIYte]

Glad to hear it. Odd isn't it, and something they should have mentioned it better still, designed around.

[@philhario3640]

Charlie, I always love the clarity and thoroughness of your videos. Is it possible for you to make a similar video for kitchen extractors? We're doing a kitchen build into a room without a kitchen, so need to think long and hard about how the exhaust will be laid out. I guess with a kitchen, there are different considerations than a bathroom.

[@CharlieDIYte]

Thanks Phil. I appreciate that. We're redeveloping our kitchen at the moment so I'll be doing an extractor video. Unfortunately it won't be for a couple of months though.

[@eddiemonsoon2620]

Great recommendation with the Ebac 3850e. We bought the same one about 7 years ago. Wouldn’t be without it. Empty it sometimes twice per day. Worth their weight in gold & certainly worth the investment 😊

[@CharlieDIYte]

Yep mine still going strong too 👍

[@chris-non-voter]

Excellent video, I have just had an air-air source heat pump installed in my flat and it's working brilliantly, however I have a cool lounge because the fan blows past the lounge down the hall. I'm planning on puting a fan low on the wall in the lounge to move cool air from the lounge into the kitchen, hopefully this will pull warm air from the hallway into the lounge. Ideally this would work with a thermostat. The hall can get very warm so there is plenty of warm air for the whole flat. What fan would you recommend , thanks

[@globalste]

The stuff from extractor fan world is outstanding. With the big turbo inline fan make sure the ducting is a taught as possible otherwise it can generate noise

[@CharlieDIYte]

Thanks buddy. Yes they're great aren't they. Been buying from them for years which is why I was so happy to begin then in the vid. Good point about the ducting.

[@darrenmooruthv2]

Very well covered. I had a qualified electrician to change the consumer unit in line with future shower upgrades. They installed the TTPro inline fan with the pull cord light switch on a timer for the fan. Having seen this video with the location of where it was installed in zone 0 (1 to 1.5 metres away from the shower head in the ceiling), plus the choice of fan and ducting, I'm very happy with their choice. I do want to check if the sock will hold up on the ceiling though 🤣 We do have a window right next to the shower, but of course no one wants to be stood in the shower with the window open, even in winter. Great points made there. Those who stumble upon reading these comments and the reason for the above is that the shower pull cord failed on a 7.5kW shower, old fuseboard with 6mm being run to the bathroom. A quick switch of the failed 45amp cord was not a solution. Having felt the newly fitted shower pull cord with the back of my fingers and the level of heat emmiting from there, I ran to the old fuseboard and pulled the fuse out for the shower. 🔥 It overheated and melted. 😱 The connections were fully secured. On replacement, and checking the housing of the cord, seeing it reached melting point was a clear indication to get the professionals in and make sure the house is safe. Seeing as I could not find videos or reviews to help with this issue, it was better to leave it in the hands of the professionals to advise. Some were friendly, some very direct and decided not to go with them. In the end chose the right people to get the job done. New consumer unit, new 10mm cabling for future showers of higher power, peace of mind and safe house. ✅ ❌ I was actually wondering why builders installed this type of fan in the kitchen. Now I see those builders were cowboys and fitted a bathroom fan, in a kitchen. No wonder it's full of cooking grease. 👎 Thank you Charlie for this in depth video and all the editing involved. 🙌

[@CharlieDIYte]

Hi Darren, thanks for this excellent comment. I had no idea electric showers drew this level of power. 7.5kw is more than my car charger! I suspect you had a hefty voltage drop on that cable. As you say, the peace of mind from having the cabling and CU upgraded and the future proofing is huge. Well done for taking this action and thanks again for the comment.

[@darrenmooruthv2]

@@CharlieDIYte you’re welcome. Videos like this make it worth listening to and watching. Insane when you relate it to cars! Yes, 7.5kW, 8.5, 8.7, 9, 9.5, 9.8, 10.5 and 10.8kW. Some people want a jet wash and heat I guess lol. Full electric car club buddies ✊🏽 VW ID.3, what do you have?

[@simmogs]

I'd love to see a follow on from this that covers models that include single room heat recovery.

[@stephengrant7627]

Recently installed a few of these in lieu of our inability to go with a centralised unit (difficult to retrofit). They need a core hole of 180 mm and a power source of course but I'm looking forward to getting these switched on and going!! kzbin.info/www/bejne/jpzdYYxuqr92Y7M

[@SuperShrimper]

Great video as always. We had our bathroom redesigned in February this year and one of the things that I wanted to make sure was that i got a very quite running extractor fan. Whilst the bathroom has a window i'm the only person that would ever open it whilst having a shower, with others only opening it once they had left the room (if the remembered) I went for a humidistat Silent Fan from Vent-Axia. Like yours looks quite smart, but is hidden behind a blank panel so you never actually see the fan turning. However, the humidstat adjustment option that we have is very tempermental. It ranges from on all the time (even when noone has had a shower that day) to not even coming on when the shower has been on leaving the bthroom feeling more like a rainforest than a bathroom. I will be looking at the Vent Axia Svara to see if it meets my needs. Although i noticed in your video the wiring was on the left hand side of the extractor fan, whereas mine comes down the right hand side and as the wiring was put in by plumbers / electricians unfortunatley they never put the wiring into ducting, but just kept it in place by plaster rather than some trunking / capping.

[@FrequencyLost]

Hi, I’ve been looking at a Vent-Axia humidistat to replace my old noisy Manrose. Reading this is making me reconsider. Did you find a good solution in the end?

[@SuperShrimper]

@@FrequencyLost Until you commented I'd forgotten about it and just put up with it and opened the window more. I did do some research and found an Airflow ICON which looks quite good. You can switch out the various modules and have different combinations, Pull cord, humidty, PIR, Humidity and PIR etc. To be fair to it it is very quite and with the bathroom door closed your can't hear it, and even when your in there you can't hear it that much. Just a gentle hum. Note though that mine is on the lower speed setting (6 litres per second) as apposed to the maximum (21 litres per second) I did purchase a ThermPro (TP-55) model which i hung right next to the Vent-Axia. I could see the humidity increasing on that but the vent-axia was very hit and miss. May well do a video on it.

[@petefrys545]

What an excellent video, so informative. Wish I'd seen it before having the bathroom redone.

[@CharlieDIYte]

Thanks Pete 👍

[@MrManningata]

Just installed my Svara fan, I'm very happy with it. It would be nice if the app was more configurable.

[@Space-O-2001]

Great video, love the Boost Mode, AKA Stink Mode. What I found when I swapped out the one in the downstairs toilet was if I'd just cleaned the existing fan it would have gone back to its "as new" like the sound levels - a more cost-effective and environmentally considerate option, arr well live and learn

[@CharlieDIYte]

Yes I agree. Regular maintenance removing all that dust will definitely prolong it's life. They're a pain to clean though so typically you don't get round to it. That Svara is brilliant though because the front pulls off and you can then get a hand in to clean out the duct.

[@Space-O-2001]

@@CharlieDIYte I hope you get around to fitting that turbofan, the nerd in me would love to see some benchmarks versus your current setup lol

[@donkey1007]

Hmm very interesting Charlie. Time to update my extraction fan me thinks. Nice one 👍

[@CharlieDIYte]

Thanks Don 👍🏻

[@amwphotos]

Did you consider getting one of the heat exchanger extractors? Youve done so much work to make the rest of the house well insulated, seems amiss to leave a window open or blow all that warm air outside. Thorough video!

[@nickolasreeks4743]

Great Video as I'm thinking of replacing the down stairs loo fan and the fan in our ensuite shower.

[@CharlieDIYte]

Thanks Nickolas. Glad you find it useful and thanks for the comment 👍

[@george9710]

Good video and very well researched. Well done!

[@mstatham10]

I put an 150mm in-line fan with pvc ducting into my shower with the vent positioned above my shower. I left my old bathroom wall fan in place but switched off, to allow air inlet. The results transformed my bathroom eliminating 99% of condensation. No more Mold, and my painted walls remain in fantastic condition 3 years on! I run the fan at medium speed option, as it is much quieter

[@CharlieDIYte]

Perfect arrangement Matthew - so satisfying nailing that problem. Thanks for the comment 👍

[@kingofthetrowel1725]

Matthew statham , I’m hoping to do the same as you to help with condensation 👍 does your shower room have a window at all by any chance 🤔

[@tinkerbellpan5288]

Can I vent to the attic?? Or do I have to have a hole cut on my metal roofing ??😢

[@MS-yy2dh]

Excellent video. I am in the process of installing a fan through the wall and a small section of loft space myself. My concern is the cold air being let into the room during the winter months when the fan is off, even with the back-draft flaps (the distance from my fan to outside is about two feet). Was this a problem (it looks like it might be)?

[@h.s.3401]

Charlie I am from Europe and I need a fan because I don't want to be listening by my neighbor and believe me I feel a more comfortable to do so so that's why I decided to install the fan I have window as well and I not open during the shower but after so thank you for your informative video and properly explanation

[@CharlieDIYte]

Thanks for the comment. I'm glad you found the video useful. 👊

[@JoshuaLawton1989]

Excellent and thorough video - I wonder if anybody knows if there is a humidistat controlled inline fan. Can't find anything online. Main issue as I see it is the unit is away in the loft so no way of monitoring moisture in room. But surely there's something which can monitor the moisture content of air as it passes through the unit as a proxy for room? Thanks

[@CharlieDIYte]

Apologies if you watched this video yesterday and/or kindly left a comment. Unfortunately I had to delist the video to correct a couple of inaccuracies.

[@jonny7491]

I’ll like it again then.🇬🇧🇦🇺😀

[@PropertyAtAuction]

Thought it was deja vu!

[@CharlieDIYte]

Ah, Jonny, can't thank you enough mate 👊🏻👍🏻 This video has very nearly broken me!!

[@CharlieDIYte]

Sorry about that Julian 🤦

[@PropertyAtAuction]

@@CharlieDIYte no apology needed

[@liammillichamp]

Been looking extractor fans for our bathroom as we don’t have one installed at the moment. Think I’m going to go with this one with all the smart features. Just to clarify, I only need to send a two core cable live neutral from the isolator to the fan not 3 core??

[@adamjamro23]

Hello, as always very useful video packed full of information. Thank you. Regards

[@CharlieDIYte]

Thanks Adam 👍🏻

[@katherinehickey6915]

Great video, very helpful. Thanks Charlie

[@CharlieDIYte]

You're welcome. Thanks for the comment 🙏

[@murrayedington]

15:40 IIRC, building regs actually require fan isolators. Or at least that's what our local office insisted. Nice thing about humidistats is they run the fan when needed during day time. Simple fans that share the lighting circuit won't come on unless you flip the light switch, which most people don't do during the day.

[@unnamedman1720]

Top lad Charlie, saves me doing the research, cheers!

[@CharlieDIYte]

You're welcome. Thanks for the comment.

[@johne5854]

Great Informative video. Has helped me a lot. Many thanks.

[@CharlieDIYte]

Thanks John 👍🏻

[@daveoconnor5084]

Hi Charlie, great video as usual. I wonder if you've thought of continuing the fan theme. Doing a video on extractor fans in cellars which would help with damp issues. I don't mean tanking etc just getting air circulation better to stop minor damp problems. Thanks Dave...

[@CharlieDIYte]

That's an interesting one Dave. For air circulation you almost want something like a PIV but I doubt the circulating air would reach into the cellar. I'll mull that over 👍🏻

[@geowgeow]

@@CharlieDIYte I'd second that. I'm planning a basement conversion at the moment and struggling with the ventilation side of things. It's not a damp basement so we haven't tanked it fully, but have dug out and put a membrane in the floor. The plan is to stud out the walls and run continious ventilation in the cavity AND the room itself

[@Kymbo202828]

my goodness the YT algo has knocked it out of the park...I'm completely DIY useless. Subbed for future reference!

[@yorsoul1555]

Great helpful vid. My fan is straight up from the ceiling and out to the bungalow roof and I’ve noticed condensation dripping back through the internal grill. I’m worried this could compromise the electrical safety, any advice please?

[@craiggiles5285]

Excellent guide, thank you.

[@simonknight2973]

Thanks so much. How did this fan work out in the end please? Seems to have very mixed reviews. Could you explain what to do if the existing fan I want to replace is running off the light circuit? Is it just a case of wiring two of the three wires and leaving the switch line?

[@Taz6688]

New build 2 years old, vent in bathroom and kitchen, both had venting miss aligned, both had back draught flaps stuck, horrible cold draught in the kitchen till it was sorted, if you want a good job done, Do it Yourself.

[@CharlieDIYte]

I'm afraid that's right. Good work fixing them 👍

[@sabrinamulligan6235]

Will purchase again. I have always trusted the Lasko brand.

[@luckystrike656]

Really interesting video and many thanks for doing it. I am searching for a bathroom fan but most importantly a kitchen fan Need something strong yet silent. Suggestions?

[@CharlieDIYte]

For kitchens you want to go 150mm I like the look of that 150mm fan I showed in the video, the Vent Axia but the reviews suggest it's quite noisy. Definitely 150mm though.

[@bdhall77]

Fantastic and insightful! So can the Vent Axia Svara be installed in Zone 1? i.e. directly above the shower? Cheers for another great video.

[@paulfrost3501]

Another good video. So much I don’t know, ( like electrics ), but your videos give so much info on what to look out for. Do you have any advice or have you looked into heat recovery extraction options, having seen your other insulation videos ?

[@CharlieDIYte]

Thanks Paul. Yes, I've bought a BSK Zephyr single room heat recovery extractor for the new utility. Haven't got round to fitting yet but I will be doing a video on it.

[@fattoamanowoodwork3638]

brilliant video, extremely informative. Thank you.

[@chaohongli2329]

Hello, I have designed a more intelligent new technology air duct fan, which can operate the fan on the mobile phone, which is very powerful. I want to invite you to review it. Take a short 1-minute video, and the product is given to you for free. If you are willing to experience our products, send your email to me, and I will give you the pictures and code of the products. You can contact me directly.

[@spongefactory]

Great video Charlie, thumbs up from me for the Airflow Icon iris fans - have installed 5 of them in 2 different houses and been very happy with them.

[@CharlieDIYte]

Hi Paul, good to hear from you. Yes that is emerging as most people's favourite. The Icon 30 has a very impressive extraction rate.

[@JUSILINS]

@@CharlieDIYte Just be aware that whilst the spigot is 100mm on the Icon 30, as I discovered when it arrived, it does need a wider recess of c160mm into the wall for the bigger body to about 80mm depth to recess into. This was easy enough for me as it was going into a drylined false wall that is actually a service riser behind in the ensuite. I had enough of a void to the solid wall to accommodate the body, I just had to trim a stud, but in a solid wall it would need a larger hole saw of c 160-170mm cut to a depth of 80-90mm, and then chiselling out.

[@nthlevel]

I very through various wall fans and i always ended up with the same issue, sound, backdraft and poor air flow. So i filled up the hole and went for a manrose inline fan 100mm (to use the same 100mm ducting vent.). positioned above the shower with a vent /light it sucks up most of the moisture. I walked in when wife was having a shower at inferno temperatures and you can see the tornado effect of moisture being sucked up. Ensure that the inline fan is secure or you can end up with fan vibrations going across all the joists. I would always opt for a vent you can get access to for cleaning, if you duct it via roof tiles and it gets clogged up with moisture / dust its much harder to maintain.

[@CharlieDIYte]

Thanks Alex. My problem is the roof line starts immediately so there's no room for a vent - which I agree would be the better solution. Sounds like you did a fantastic job there!!

[@freebornjohn2687]

I'm doing a renovation and was thinking of installing an inline fan in the void above the ceiling and below the floor of the flat above. This would mean it will be boarded up in the ceiling. However, the guarantees are mostly for one year and at most 5 years and it would be a complete pain to cut a hole in the ceiling to change/fix it. I would pay a premium if I knew it was going to last 10 plus years.

[@apb3251]

Thanks for this very helpful video. I’m just about to tackle this with the option of new wiring. Is your recommendation to not have the T wire connected or to connect the T wire (3 core plus Earth) but tell the app you haven’t. That bit is not clear in your summary

[@antoniopinto4382]

So much to learn from you. A huge Thank you

[@CharlieDIYte]

You're very welcome António. Thanks for the comment 👍🏻

[@geewilliams2178]

Thanks video saved for next year when I do my bathroom

[@CharlieDIYte]

You're welcome. Thanks for the comment👍🏻

[@mikewoodhouse9036]

Extremely informative. Thank you very much.

[@CharlieDIYte]

You're welcome. Glad you found it useful and thanks for the comment 👊

[@peger]

13:22 i have to instal two of this "flap". Single one on the exterior vent caused only problem during the wind.

[@PropertyAtAuction]

Saved a lot of your videos for the future!

[@CharlieDIYte]

Thanks Julian, realty appreciate your support of the Channel 👊🏻

[@justintemp]

Would be interested to find out if the same approach can be taken for kitchen fans. Eg does the backdraft shutter be needed for kitchen extractor fans as well?

[@DTech101]

Great guide, Only issue with the inline is no humidity sensor, if it had one it would be great, I’ll look at an inline when my bathroom is rejigged I’ll look to see if there is an external humidity sensor to couple it with.

[@CharlieDIYte]

Thanks Darren. Funnily enough one of the guys on the Community post mentioned an external humidity sensor you can get on Amazon. Just don't know quite how you'd make it safe in the bathroom. amzn.to/2VWhofA

[@StrawbyteWorkshop]

I installed the Svara fan around 18 months ago and love it. There are a couple of niggles - the one you point out in the video is the biggest. Having to disconnect the switch live is a pain and like you say this should be software configurable. The other issue with mine is that it loses its settings after a power cut and as I live on a new build estate that happens every 2 - 3 months and the default settings don't really give you much benefit. Otherwise it's great.

[@CharlieDIYte]

Yes I agree. Although on the power cut point I think it's just a case of reconnecting to your phone to restore functionality? Shouldn't have to do that, though!!

[@PetesVids4u]

Hi there, when you say it's a pain removing the switch live, how is it done. Thanks

[@StrawbyteWorkshop]

@@PetesVids4u what I’m referring to is how the fan knows which mode to operate in. A fan will generally have a permanent live and a live from the switch which tells the fan when to turn on. The svara can use that live, or use the sensors. But to have the fan use only the sensors you have to disconnect )or not connect) the switched live. This means taking the wire and putting a terminator cap on the end of the wire. I hope that helps.

[@TonyOSHAUGHNESSY-jk5vq]

Brilliant..full of knowledge

[@CharlieDIYte]

Thanks 👊

[@katiethomas7386]

Hi, very informative. I can see you point us to Extractor Fan world, for the TT pro inline fan. Great. BUT the ducting, in the video you recommended a rigid and I cant see on the site for this fan where to get it from. Alternatively, I believe an insulated flexi, and again, unsure where to buy this from. Shame doesn't appear to all be on this one website. Be good if you can assist?

[@simonmiddleton4977]

Great detailed video thank you! 👍😃

[@Godshole]

That plastic squeezebox stuff ... My mice love it. Had it replaced (not knowing what I know now) a few years back (renting), I could hear the mice celebrating. Looked a few weeks later and had to ask the landlord to ask the sparky if he had actually replaced it. Job added to list.........

[@CharlieDIYte]

Yep, you always need to keep those pesky rodents in mind. 😬🤦

[@paulhelvie972]

What would you expect to be the least resistance when ducting an extractor fan ? I have a 3 metre run from my ceiling fan to the soffit outlet with the middle 2 meters being rigid pipe and both tails plastic flexi but there was the option to connect into an existing roof vent say about 1 metre from the fan outlet to the roof vent. I realise the shorter the run the more efficient it will be at extraction but wandered if the fact it has to push upwards rather than horizontally would mean it’s probably around the same ? I also did some air flow measurements which directly at the fan outlet was 4.4 M/S and then at the soffit vent was reduced to 1.1 M/S so has dropped by 75% over the short run which really surprised me.

[@dudleyjoseph9485]

Great comprehensive video. I'm just about to put a kitchen extractor in. Going with an inline unit above the ceiling then ducting through the thinner wall upstairs under the window (house with thick stone walls). I'm going to buy a Manrose unit - they seem to be very well rated and good value. I'm going to control it with a Shelly WiFi relay wired into the fused spur then control the relay with a Shelly Humidity sensor which can be placed anywhere in the kitchen. Completely automatic or that is the plan anyway!

[@CharlieDIYte]

Wow! And I was just replying to someone else that the problem with in-line fans is they lack a humidity sensor. Would be interesting to hear from you when you get it installed 👍🏻

[@dudleyjoseph9485]

@@CharlieDIYte yep absolutely. Lack of humidity sensor is the prob. I think you can get them but much more expensive. The Shelly bits will cost me about £35. I'll report back on how it works :-)

[@gpbeck]

Kitchen fans aren't just for humidity though. Smoke? Methi gosht?

[@danielwarrington2865]

Hi Dudley, thinking about doing the same thing, how did you get on?

[@dudleyjoseph9485]

@@danielwarrington2865 in true bloke DIY fashion, I haven't managed to do it yet! Still planning to do though and will report back.

[@alanclark1146]

Very useful information, I think we will go for the big one, could we just run it though the wall once it is in the attic. Rather then pulling roof tiles off, we also have solar panels to complete with.

[@CharlieDIYte]

Yes absolutely. The only reason I have to go down the roof tile route is that I have no wall in the loft.

[@ParentsandProjects]

Thanks for this. Very Informative!

[@CharlieDIYte]

You're welcome. Thanks for the comment 👍🏻

[@Chris-BognorRegis]

Hi Charlie - Now where do I begin. After all that great advice below I concentrated on the ducting to the family bathroom where mold keeps appearing on the ceiling. I have replaced the concertina hose with plastic ducting pipe from 5' to 1' would you believe, with the in line fan directly in the middle. In the meantime I have purchased two humidity meters, both different brands to check the humidity throughout the bungalow. They only differ by 1%. Now the bathroom reads 65% during the day and goes upto 90% when we have a shower. The living room reads 70% during the day likewise throughout the bungalow. If I open my front door I can look across the fields and see the harbour, that is how close to the sea we live in West Sussex. Yesterday I put the meters outside in a cardboard box on its side so the air could get to them and so the sun was not directly on them and they were around the 90% mark. It is certainly not uncomfortable in the bungalow. we have no mold in any of the other rooms, no smell of dampness and the windows never have condensation on them. So having changed the ducting how can I further prevent mold appearing on the bathroom ceiling. Regards Chris

[@MrLuizlaf]

If the whole house is at 70%, it is unlikely that you will get much better than 65% in the bathroom with a fan alone. If the mold issue is on the ceiling only, you might be able to get away with some mold retardants that you apply on the ceiling with a brush. Despite the more expensive option, you might need to get one of those dehumidifiers that has a cold coil to condensate water and a fan to circulate the air.

[@davidcroker9333]

Really informative video, thanks. Can you or any other viewers advise if any of these fans can be ceiling mounted? My reason would be that it would be easier to mount and wire up to the light circuit without removing existing wall tiles?? Thanks in advance of any replies

[@CharlieDIYte]

Your best option for a ceiling mounted fan would be an in-line fan, assuming you've got space in the loft for the ducting and fan.

[@user-jn7nf6xu8l]

please tell me, it is desirable to put the filter in front of the fan or after it, and what diameters of the air ducts will work better with the fan before and after it. I am clarifying regarding the duct fan

[@chrisb9360]

Hey Charlie. Is it possible to install a vent like this in a double glazed window? I’m in a listed property with sandstone walls that can’t be altered. Thinking a window installation might be an option.

[@mda5003]

How do they compare with regards to electricity consumption?

[@SuperJay217]

Could you possibly use the same inline fan set up for a bedroom? To come on when humidity is highest?

[@JonathanFunkhouseMonkhouse]

Do you have a link to the backdraft stoppers that you demo’d, please? Probably going for the Vent Axia myself, based on this vt. Thanks!