using bathroom extractor

[kitbarnes]

quick question......

when using a bathroom or kitchen extractor fan (xpelair 100 no information on this in instructions), should you have the window in the room open or closed?

if yes, by how much? (opening it a lot would seem to do away with the need for the fan??)

if no, should you open window after it has cleared the steam to replace the air drawn from the house?

thanks in advance.

 

[HERTS P&D]

Close the window and leave the door open (after you have finished in the bathroom) or have at least 10mm gap under the bathroom door, the timer should stay on for approx. 20minutes after the light has gone out.

Andy

 

[bernardgreen]

The basic rule is that while the fan is running air must be able to into the room to replace the air removed from the room by the fan.

Best option is to allow warm air from the house into the bath room through a gap under the door or a louvred grill in the door.

If the extractor outlet is next to the window and the window is the source of replacement air then some of the humidity extracted may come back in through the window.

 

[kitbarnes]

thank you both - if you keep the window shut - do you need to open up after to replace air removed from the house? (not sure how much air gets sucked out by these, it would seem a lot!)

 

[JohnD]

the amount of air that is sucked out will easily be replaced through the gap under the bathroom door. This also encourages extraction of the steam since water vapour is lighter than air (hence clouds) so the dry air will tend to fill the room from the bottom while the damp air is sucked out from the top,

keep the door shut, otherwise the moisture will be able to diffuse throughout the house.

Houses are not remotely airtight, so you don't need to worry about the house being sucked empty.

 

[bernardgreen]

Unless your house is 100% air tight the air extracted will be replaced by leakages around the house.