Bathroom extractor fan performance

[gna03633]

I would appreciate some opinions on a extractor fan I've fitted in a bathroom.

A Vent-Axia Eclipse 100X (93 m=B3/h or 26 l/s ) mounted in the ceiling underneath the shower area, venting through a wall with 40/50cm of duct. Imagine if you can the smallest bathroom where a shower in bath, WC and sink that's how big the room is, sort of just 2.1m high and 2.4 long and bath/sink width.

I decided to fit a fan etc, but have been very dissapointed with the performance - maybe I'm being unrealistic. With my shower moving an average 10-12 l/min of hot water the small space gets steam up very quckly. The fan is spinning etc and I can see the louvres on the outside flapping, but the bathroom still steams up. With my hand over the vent I can feel a gentle 'suck', and the fan will un-steam the room as time goes on.

What should I be expected, a totally steam free room? - gentle demisting?

thanks

p=2Es I have a gap under the door which should be adequate

[TheOldFellow]

The room volume appears to be 2.1 x 2.4 cu mtrs = 5.04 cu mtrs, so 93 should move all of it in 3.25 minutes. But those calibrations are against free air. Try opening the door a bit and see if this speeds it up. A gap under a door will almost certainly not be enough: 1m x 1cm = 0.001 sq mtrs.

If I'm right you probably need an extra air input to the room well away from the extractor.

R.

[David Hansen]

On 10 Nov 2006 06:27:23 -0800 someone who may be [e-mail] wrote this:-

Sounds like it's working reasonably well to me.

Would you like to be sucked through the grating as a powerful fan sucks all the steam out instantly? Would you like to heat the walls to prevent the steam condensing?

[Martin Pentreath]

Hi gna,

I've had the same problem in the past which has led to to conclude that

4" fans are a lot of sound and fury signifying nothing (well, not much anyway). I replaced the 4" one in my bathrooom with a 6" one (no ducting, it just goes straight though the wall). It's a Vent-Axia Silhouette 150XH Humidistat Fan. difference between 4" and 6" is phenomenal in terms of the amount of air it shifts - this one does 280m=B3/hr, about three times what a 4" one will do. It actually seems to work.

Martin

[gna03633]

Thanks all for the comments and suggestions. My conclusions are :

I think I need to let more fresh air from the rest of the flat into the bathroom, with the door just slightly ajar the performance it reasonable. I will get the jiggy the the bottom of the door.

My expectations were probably to high for the 100mm fan, I'll go bigger next time.

I do need to replace the flaps outside as I'm getting board of the noise its making in the wind.

thanks gna