What is a condensing extractor fan? Engineer recommends use

[butterfly]

Basically, I have condensation issues on the bathroom on the top floor. I have been advised that it's hard to drill a hole in the wall, since the bathroom is on the 3rd floor and they would need a v high ladder. So, they advised I get a condensing extractor fan installed. What is that? Does it work as well as conventional?

Also, I suppose it is possible to drill a hole for the extractor fan from inside the house, instead of getting a ladder and doing it from outside, however, I was wondering what is the best way of avoiding unsightly gaps/holes from the outside? Is there a way I can cover the pipe/hole without getting on a ladder outside the house? Perhaps some kind of shield I could put on the pipe before pushing it through the hole that has been drilled. Know what I mean?

[David]

Seen this on diynot too.

Are you sure he doesn't mean a dehumidifier which doesn't require a hole to be made?

[meow2222]

Thats the problem, not making the hole. If you wanted to go that route you might feed a wire out through your new hole, then at ground level attach it to the exterior vent. Now you can pull the wire back in to get the vent up, and hopefully manipulatie it from indoors, using additional wires attached to it if necessary, then glue it in place from inside.

However... there are 2 better options.

1. A window that locks 1/2" open is a silent no run cost replacement for a fan. It can be left ajar all summer. Adding such a catch or lock is usually simple, way less work than fitting a fan.

2 a dehumidifier is generally a better deal, regardless of what floor youre on. It doesnt throw any heat outside, making TCO slightly cheaper, as well as being much more effective, quieter, longer lasting, and much less of a fire risk. It also makes a great clothes dryer, as well as being usable to dry other areas of the house as well:

[cynic]

For an extractor fan the hole will need a diamond core drill. This will cut a clean hole from the inside without blowing all sorts of debris outwards and it falling on some unfortunates head. It is entirely possible to get ventilators which have a grille prefitted and which is the same diameter as the tube it terminates. Thus all your problems can be overcome save the usual numpty rules of part p which we all obey don't we?

[Steve Walker]

I recently fitted an extractor in our house without using a ladder.

You can drill from the inside with a core drill. B&Q sell a vent pipe that has channels each side to allow a grille to be screwed directly to the pipe (no need to screw grille to the wall), drop down a rope, pull the pipe and grille into place, a little expanding foam to lock it into place and fill around it and finally the fan screws directly to the pipe on the inside.

No need to get up to the exterior at all.

SteveW

[Andrew Gabriel]

I would warn that different bricks can be fastly more easy/difficult to drill through with a core drill. Going through commons in a 1909 house was like a hot knife through butter, compared with going through the external skin of a 1990 house that seems to have been built from engineering bricks. In the latter case, it took an hour, and that's with me leaning hard on the drill, which was fortunately at waist height. I would regard that job as impossible at the top of a ladder, and the amount of dust it generates as a serious impediment to doing it from the inside.

[Steve Walker]

It's certainly very dusty, but it's no great problem to enclose the area in plastic sheets and wear a mask. You're right, it can be damned hard work, certainly a whole lot easier standing on a small stepladder inside than trying to do anything from the outside on an extension ladder!

SteveW

[butterfly]

This is a very interesting idea. Thank you for the link. Do you think an electrician could link it up to my light switch so that it automatically comes on when the lights are switched on?