Bathroom Air Vent

[polo761uk]

Hi everyone. I'm not sure if I've posted this in the right section. Apologies if I
haven't.
I'm not too sure as to whether the air vent in our bathroom is working correctly or not.
Firstly, should the air vent remove all the steam from the bathroom whilst having a shower, or does the window need to be opened afterwards to let out the steam.
We need to leave the window open for ages afterwards which is no good in winter as fuel costs go up.
I have put my hand next to the vent and is doing seem to be generating a lot of air ?
Also, is a sleeve ment to go around the air vent to ensure the steam goes out rather than rising inside of the house ?
And lastly the air vent cover on the outside keeps getting detached from one end when its windy. Is there any way to stop this happening ?
I'm a complete novice here so if I don't make much sense, please feel free to laugh !!!
Any help would be appreciated
Thanks !!

 

[Softus]

You keep referring to an "air vent", but do you in fact have an extractor fan?

If so, please post the dimensions of your bathroom, the make and model of your fan, and the average time you spend in the shower, and I (or anyone else) can tell you how long (on average) the fan will take to to clear the vapour-laden air from the room.

 

[JohnD]

Sleeve: Yes, there should be a duct (105mm plastic is usual) lining the hole through the wall. This prevents moisture getting into the wall. Especially important if you have a cavity wall.

Window: Assuming you mean you have a fan (which you need) it is better not to open the window at the same time, this prevents the fan creating suction and depending on the layout of the room, it can result in the fan sucking air that has just come in through the window, instead of clearing the room. Let the fan draw in air from the rest of the house, by having a slight gap under the door. This also prevents steam and moisture being blown into the house.

Time: Assuming you mean you have a fan, it is best IMO to turn it on when you enter the bathroom (coming on with the light switch is best, otherwise people forget or don't bother), and continue after you have finished your bath or shower. That will prevent the steam building up so much, and will continue to remove the excess that arises while the walls and tray dry off. Many fans have a delay timer to help with this, if not, leave it running while you brush your teeth, cut your toenails, pluck your nasal hair or whatever you do.

Cover: I prefer the kind of cowl illustrated below. It has a one-way flap under the rain cover. It can be secured by screws at each corner (I prefer brass as there is little load and they do not rust). The kind with flaps like a venetian blind rattle annoyingly in the wind and the flaps fall off.

 

[polo761uk]

Hi, thanks for your replies. Silly me, yes I ment to say extractor fan. I must have been half aslep while posting !!!
The extractor fan by the way says on it air vent written in green. Not sure about the make.
With regards to shower time, normally spend 20 - 30 minutes in the shower.
Once again thanks for all your help.

 

[polo761uk]

Hi, the cover is like a venetian blind. Every time it's windy, it gets detached at one end. Will have that changed. Also could be a reason why when the fan is on, it seems to make a horribl rattling noise !
Thanks

 

[JohnD]

If you can lay your hands on a digital camera, put up some pics of the inside and outside. Someone may recognise it.

On a cold frosty day, go outside and have a look when someone is having a hot shower. You should see steam visibly blowing out.

Has yours got a duct?

Do you leave it running after your shower (with the window shut)?

Is it in/over the shower cubicle? (this makes extraction better but electrical safety needs additional steps).

As Softus mentioned, we need to know the dimensions of the bathroom to work out what extraction rate is needed.

p.s. although "Centrifugal" fans are generally more powerful and quieter than "Axial" fans (and more expensive), I notice that on the Screwflix site a lot of fans are wrongly described as Centrifugal. If you download the Instruction Manual you can check.

 

[WabbitPoo]

Hi, thanks for your replies. Silly me, yes I ment to say extractor fan. I must have been half aslep while posting !!!
The extractor fan by the way says on it air vent written in green. Not sure about the make.
With regards to shower time, normally spend 20 - 30 minutes in the shower.
Once again thanks for all your help.

30 minutes?!??? What on earth do you do in there?