Hi, We have an old (1900s) house which has solid walls and as a result after 2 people have showered it gets pretty damp in the winter. I would like to fit an extractor fan. There is not one present currently. I have a good knowledge of electrics but was unsure if i was permitted to do this as a DIY task under part P regulations. In addition our lighting circuit is not protected by RCD (we have MCBs but no RCD). If i am not allowed to do this myself, would i need to have a new fusebox too to become compliant with Part P? Thanks
extractor fan for bathroom
- Thread starter yorkshirelad
- Start date
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You are correct, you will need to advise your LABC if you intend to carry out electrical work in your bathroom.
Bathroom's are now "zoned" and the equipment you install will need to be sited accordingly. A fan that is located close to a bath or shower will need to be suitable for example 12v with the power supply in a safe area. Google bathroom zones and you will find plenty of information about where the zones start & finish. You will need an RCD in the circuit somewhere
Fitting an in-line fan in a duct the loft space is one solution with a grille in the bathroom ceiling. The outlet could be via a soffit vent, which would prevent you having to chop through your walls.
Bathroom's are now "zoned" and the equipment you install will need to be sited accordingly. A fan that is located close to a bath or shower will need to be suitable for example 12v with the power supply in a safe area. Google bathroom zones and you will find plenty of information about where the zones start & finish. You will need an RCD in the circuit somewhere
Fitting an in-line fan in a duct the loft space is one solution with a grille in the bathroom ceiling. The outlet could be via a soffit vent, which would prevent you having to chop through your walls.
the fan needs to be high up, since steam rises. either have it installed to run all the time the light is on, else have a timed one with a 20-minute run on.
preferably do not have it directly above a bath or shower, since that position is a more expensive installation for safety reasons. A Centrifugal fan is generally quieter and more powerful than an axial fan, though also more expensive.
fans are very cheap to run (typical 25 watt fan runs for 40 hours for 13p or so worth of electricity, so not significant)
it is essential to vent the steam outside the house.
you can hire a core drill to cut a large round duct-hole through the wall, it is an easy but quite dusty job.
Electrical work in a bathroom is notifiable work and the easiest way is to get a qualified electrician to do it. However if there is dirty work to be done like making holes or crawling about in the loft, you can do this part yourself, and most electricians will be quite happy just to do the electrical part, so saving you money.
preferably do not have it directly above a bath or shower, since that position is a more expensive installation for safety reasons. A Centrifugal fan is generally quieter and more powerful than an axial fan, though also more expensive.
fans are very cheap to run (typical 25 watt fan runs for 40 hours for 13p or so worth of electricity, so not significant)
it is essential to vent the steam outside the house.
you can hire a core drill to cut a large round duct-hole through the wall, it is an easy but quite dusty job.
Electrical work in a bathroom is notifiable work and the easiest way is to get a qualified electrician to do it. However if there is dirty work to be done like making holes or crawling about in the loft, you can do this part yourself, and most electricians will be quite happy just to do the electrical part, so saving you money.
Thankyou both for your help. There is an existing air brick (too the outside) in the bathroom which provides a bit of ventilation its about 12inch by 8 inch, it above the bath. Although it is not in an ideal location as it is only about 3/4 of the height of the room, i was wondering if i could fit a low voltage fan here as it would save drilling a new hole. Although i am not sure what i would pack around it? Perhaps brick it up partially and use expanding foam for the rest. In a year or so we are getting rid of the backboiler and puttiing a new combi in bathroom so they will probably have to cut a hole for the flue, i may just ask them to drill the hole then and wire it in for me then. Thanks again for you advice
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yes, you can put a fan on an airbrick. When I did it I made up a mounting plate in WBP ply that fitted the hole, and mounted the fan on that. you can fix the backplate on battens or something. That way you can recess the fan into the wall and put a grill over it for neatness. Foam is good but it expands a lot and gets very messy. Whatever you use should be damp-proof.
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