Installing Ventilation Fan in Bathroom

[Puppeteer]

OK - for some reason the builders put a fan in the toilet, but not in the Bathroom of our PPOR (probably slack, or they plain just missed).

Anyway - I like my showers hot, and that means lots of steam, and before it starts getting mouldy, I'd like to rectify the builders mistake.

What's involved in puting in a Ventilation Fan, can we do it ourselves, or should be get the pro's in to do it?

We have a colourbond roof with a standard ceiling.

And if the pro's are the answer, who should be get? A sparky, a roof plumber?

Oh, the stress...

Thanks in advance

 

[michaelg]

Hi,

We had a 3in1 installed, the main issues are;

- the possibility of requiring a new switch.

- the possible requirement of running a seperate power line to the main switch box if you're unit draws alot of power.

Having absolutely no aptitude in this department, we called in a professional to do it for us.

Michael

 

[sbe]

Usually they vent into the roofspace, so no roofing needs to be cut etc.

To put it in, you need to
1) Decide what you want - Standard fan or IXLTastic. (One goes over the shower, one in the middle of the room)

2) Ascertain where it's to go. This sounds easy, but check the roof trusses/beams before you cut.... A circle with a beam through it makes it hard to put the fan in.... ;-)

3) Mount the fan. If you have fluff insulation, use a box to keep it out of the fan.

4) Electrical - depends on type of fan. Standard fan can be wired to light switch (cheap), or seperately (better). IXL's usually require own (3-4 switches), but some are remote and are easier.


An electrician can usually install this type of item. (Being electrical, they are supposed to be the ones connecting it. If you want to save costs, you can mount it.)

Cheerio

Simon.

 

[Rixter]

Hi Pupp,

Your question is right up my elly being a fully qualified electrician myself. Go the whole hog and get the 3 in 1 fan, light & heater for those chilly winter mornings as there's no real extra installation labour involved in doing so.

I prefer the well known Mistral brand which included the 3 gang switch - available from Bunnings for under $80.

The fitting by law only needs to be wired into your houses lighting circuit but you legally need to have wired by a Qualified Electician. If it is not you leave yourself wide open & liable to prosection should anything unforeseen ever happen, your buildings insurance will be void plus the fitting will not be covered under warranty.

You can cut the hole in the gyprock & mount it yourself but it will not really save you that much in time or labour as the electrician has to get into the roof space to wire it and pull the new switch wires down the wall anyway.

Hope this helps

P.S. If your toilet does not have an outside window as is the case with alot of house designs these days, then by law they have to a ceiling extraction fan installed. This may the reason why you have one there but not in the bathroom.

 

[Puppeteer]

Thanks all.

Rixter,

The toilet does have an external window with a vent, but is right next to the bathroom.

I think that they just missed, and couldn't be bothered fixing it. The house was built about 12 months ago, right in the middle of the building boom, and there are more than a few corners that have been cut, and a few items that aren't quite the same as the design.

The people that built were first home owners, and didn't get the builder to rectify all the problems. No major ones, and a couple of "bonus" ones, but there's a few things that do need to be squared away.

Thanks for the tips on the fan. For $80 I might go for the Mistral and then try the arduous task of trying to find a sparky. They seem to be pretty busy at the moment.

Interested in some work Rixter?

 

[Rixter]

Pupp,

W**k ??- Dont use that 4 letter word around here

In my former life I would have been

 

[Jas]

Only thing you need to check is roof clearance. If the bathroom's agianst an outer wall, the slope of the roof might mean there's only enough clearance in part of the bathroom.

You need the height of the unit plus extra as the air gets pushed out the top.

Jas