Replacing a bathroom fan....what to get.

[Lusi83]

Getting myself confused! Want to replace a bathroom fan - it is Zone 3 and 240v.
It comes on with the light switch but there is also a separate isolator pull switch in the bathroom.
It stays on for a while after you turn the lights off so has a timer.
Bathroom has a window but it is still a bit dark - unless it is really bright outside the light tends to get turned most of the time (and left on by children...)
I like the fact you can turn it off with the isolator - so it isn't constantly running but then can be turned on with the isolator for showers/baths (or for smells - not me obviously just everyone else in the house!!!)
Don't want to spend a fortune - want to do this as cheaply as possible so don't want a humistat/PIR/bluetooth etc etc.
I think I just need a basic fan with a timer - and that will mean the light switch will turn it on and the isolator will act like a pull cord to turn it off.
Does that sound right?
Also externally it does get exposed to the wind - previous occupiers had taken the back draught shutter off and I ended up keeping the fan off and taping over the front until I could fit a new shutter - it was like being next to a wind tunnel with a strong wind in a certain direction ...even when it was running there was a draught coming in. It did bang in the wind but I found that less annoying than an icy blast when you got out the bath etc (And at the time the bathroom wasn't insulated or heated - it was like a fridge in there anyway)
I can reach the outside grill/vent and thinking I will replace the open one with a gravity type one -or even one with a cowl/backdraught shutter? Which would be best and if I do will I need a fan with a back draught shutter too? Or should I leave the open vent and just get a fan with a back draught shutter?
Thanks for any advice...

 

[ericmark]

How much do you want to pay?

this one is actually called a heat recovery unit and would likely get around the cold draft when wing is in the wrong direction, but they are expensive.

 

[Lusi83]

Would love something like that - but I want to spend as little as possible ...a gravity flap grill is £2 ish (and a basic timer fan -if that will be good enough - about £15) ...

With a back draught shutter on the current fan was ok - apart from when the shutter banged or occasionally got stuck open - which I think was the wind as it only seemed to happen when it was windy, but might just be because it is so old. It is ancient (pre 1988 from what I can work out ) but it would have been expensive.
Wondering if it is best to get one with a back draught shutter or would I be better with a gravity flap grill ( or even a cowl - also cheap -but seem to be for kitchen extractors?) - or is it worth having both.

I think I have written my first post very badly - I decided I just needed a basic fan with a run on timer - then thought I might need one with a pull cord to do what I want - but now am back thinking I was right in the first place - a basic fan with a timer will work like the current one.

 

[Taylortwocities]

My recommendation is one of the lovely ICON fans.
Not only does it look cool, it also has a groovy iris-type shutter on the front to block off the winter winds.

Click on the image below for details. Note you'll need to buy the integral timer module too.


in action

 

[Lusi83]

That does look nice - but more than I want to spend at the moment.
Also I need a square one really as that is what the current one is and some trim on the edge of the ceiling has been cut out slightly for it to fit - it is (probably too) close to the ceiling. Trying to get away with doing nothing to the trim - at worse a bit of filler and touch up the paint.
Also how does it open/close? Is it mechanised? Could it go wrong and get stuck open or closed? It does look very 'space age' ...really cool though..

 

[Taylortwocities]

Anything can go wrong. But I’ve not had one fail yet.
If you buy cheap then you’ll get cheap and will be back in 3 years looking for another one.

 

[rsgaz]

I have two of the Airflow Icon 15, well worth it. It's not just the draught they keep out, they keep out sound too compared to my normal Manrose ones before.

Also how does it open/close? Is it mechanised? Could it go wrong and get stuck open or closed?

When switched on, they heat up a small wax cylinder/piston which expands and opens the iris shutter. It can't get stuck in the open position, because it uses no power to close again. So even if you switch it off with the isolator switch instead of the pull-cord, it will still close when the wax cools down. The iris itself is spring loaded to close. The same would be true in a power cut also.

The ever-so-slight downside is that it takes nearly a minute to fully open as the wax warms, but if they had designed it with a tiny motor to do the opening/closing, then it could easily end up in the open position all day by mistake (i.e. if someone switched the isolator off).

Gaz

 

[DetlefSchmitz]

Ah, so that's how they work - I saw one in a holiday cottage. I wondered why it ran for a while without opening the flaps!

 

[Taylortwocities]

@Lusi83

Best alternative I can suggest then is
CLICK ME
It’s still £50 though.

 

[Lusi83]

If you buy cheap then you’ll get cheap and will be back in 3 years looking for another one.

I agree to an extent - and in this case that is probably true. But the bathroom could do with a complete refurbishment - so in 3 years might be looking for a new one anyway.
And in general... sadly I don't think buying quality to last is always a good idea these days with technology etc moving so fast. I know several years ago a family member (DIYer) spent a fortune on a good quality cordless drill driver (makita or hitachi or similar) with spare batteries (lucky as I don't think you can get them easily now) - my couple of year old Lidl £30 one is just as powerful, lighter, battery lasts longer and Li-ion so always ready to use...the technology is better and cheaper.
(Same is definitely true for things like laptops and mobiles - 3 years and they are more or less obsolete - an environmental nightmare really... )

When switched on, they heat up a small wax cylinder/piston which expands and opens the iris shutter.

That is really clever ...I do like the look of them - but not for me just now.

I am torn about spending a bit more for a 'decent' make - that you can parts to repair it etc if need be. The ancient one I have is an Xpeliar - I could get a new back draught shutter as a spare when it must have been nearly 20 years old and you can still get some spares for it now - but not the plastic casing - which has yellowed, looks grubby and suspect has gone brittle too -so not worth trying to repair it...

 

[ericmark]

A switch like shown can be set 10 seconds to 10 minutes and if this works your fan can't be left on if you want to set for more than 10 minutes get a fan with timer, using a fan with timer and a momentary switch pull cord is another way to get it so you can select when you want fan but it can't be left on.

 

[ban-all-sheds]

You can get switches with a longer delay.

 

[Lusi83]

Don't think I can use one of the timer switches in the bathroom as the light is a pull cord one inside and I couldn't easily wire it up anywhere without moving wires - so chasing out or having surface wires...
However I'd forgotten they exist (brought back memories of rented flats and bedisits and being plunged into darkness as you were about to put your key in your door) Would be handy for possibly the stairs but definitely the under stair coat cupboard - both of which lights I spend my life switching off after children and nagging about...

 

[stillp]

both of which lights I spend my life switching off after children and nagging about

Get LEDs, and stop worrying about them being left on.

 

[winston1]

Train your children properly. I was never allowed to leave lights on.