Extractor fan or dehumidifier for bathroom?

Extractor fan or dehumidifier for bathroom?

10:51 AM, 5th December 2016, About 8 years ago 44

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I have a 2 bed top floor flat in Aberdeen. The bathroom has a velux window but no extractor fan. The current tenants have asked me if I could get an extractor fan fitted as they feel there is a lot of condensation and don’t want the window open all the time.bathroom

I would like some advice on the best solution. I could get an extractor fan fitted, it would require going through the wall which is actually a slate roof, or I could get a dehumidifier, but I don’t know much about these and whether this would be a better solution or not. There are portable units but they would require a cable to be plugged in outside the bathroom, or there might be units I could have fitted and wired in by an electrician.

I could say no since there is a window, but it seems a reasonable request and can only be good for my bathroom. I am prepared to pay for a proper solution, I just need some advice on the best way forward from other landlords.

Thank you in advance for your help.

Angela


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Darlington Landlord

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23:01 PM, 13th December 2016, About 8 years ago

If you have a velux window or roof light it may not be a big deal to fit a fan, you just need an installer who knows what they are doing to be able to reach to fit a slate vent (replacing a slate) which you can connect your fan to with flexible ducting.
it will probably mean making a hole in, and repairing and redecorating the ceiling.
A humidity sensitive fan is definately the best option overall.

Paul Fenton

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17:50 PM, 14th December 2016, About 8 years ago

Reply to the comment left by "Paul Green" at "05/12/2016 - 15:58":

You have a good point about Relative Humidity ( RH ) that in winter the external RH is higher than inside. However as cold air can only contain a relative small amount of water relative to hot air there is benefit of having a window open as the hot air ( assuming inside is heated and warmer than outside in winter) will carry out moisture . If the air temperature is around 10degrees centigrade higher inside it will carry almost twice the level of water as the cooler air outside . So on a cold winters day say 0 degrees outside verses 20 degrees inside the warm air inside would have around 4 times as much water in it to have the same relative humidity. Therefore humidity activated fans will work well in winter when condensation issues mainly occur. Personally I have tried the cheaper end of the market and not been satisfied with the fans working and now use Envirovent having trialed them is several properties , they are expensive but my view is that the cost will be recouped as I will be holding properties long term and they have very low maintenance requirements being cyclonic fans. I have not tried Nuaire. So that the fans can't be switched off all my electric switched to switch off fans have been changed so they need a special key to switch off so they run all the time . One of the main complains about fans i get is the noise and these fans can't be heard unless there is someone having a shower when they speed up .

I also have a few heat exchanger fans but they are more expensive and cost more to install and maintain but have done a very good job in smaller flats for peopel desperate to save every penny of heat.

Colette Philp

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15:10 PM, 23rd January 2017, About 8 years ago

Ihave a very simialr problem in a tenement ground floor flat. There was a recent leak into the flat and I used dehumidifiers to dry the walls before redecorating. However, abaove the window ( which opens and is used for ventilation ) the wall is damp and I had decorators who were going to plaster it today but its too wet! IThey have said I need an extractor fan as this will 'cure ' the problem and then they will plater and decorate. Im a little confused as it seem that the only dampned is coming from this one area the rest of the walls are bone dry. As its above the window would they ge right in suggesting that this is where all the condensation is collecting? Thanks

Question Everything

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18:03 PM, 23rd January 2017, About 8 years ago

Reply to the comment left by "Colette Philp" at "23/01/2017 - 15:10":

Hi Colette,

Yes, an extractor fan would help, but it won't solve the problem. If this area is still wet, then the leak may still be present and it sounds as if this is the place where the leak affects the worst. Was the leak identified, was it repaired, have you been given assurance?.

Obviously you never had damp walls before the leak so why would you now all of a sudden need a fan?

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