bathroom fan/light switching

[martin86]

Hi guys,

is there a way i can have a 2 gang switch in my bathroom with one switch turning on the lights and fan (bathroom with no window) and the other just the lights?

As the light has to be used whenever the bathroom is used due to poor natural light. It would be nice not to have the fan running for 15 mins when u just pop in for a wee or brush teeth etc.

Thanks

 

[Aragorn84]

A switch in the permanent live to the fan should do it.

You might even be able to fit a momentary switch to "cancel" the overrun.

 

[martin86]

do you mean an isolator between the jb and the fan?

if you do my concern with that is the fan would just get ignored

 

[Aragorn84]

no i was thinking more of a "momentary" type switch that interrupts the live to the fan when pressed, but doesnt latch like a normal switch.

So you'd turn the light on like normal, and light and fan would start up as normal.

When your finished, you'd turn light off like normal and fan would run on as normal. If however you wanted to stop the fan, you'd press the second switch for a short time to kill the fans permanent supply.

What i dont know is how long that supply would need to be disconnected for it to work, if you have to hold it down for 10 seconds or something that probably wouldnt be very practical.

 

[martin86]

got you. yeah not sure how practical that would be.

also wouldnt stop the fan in the middle of the night when someone uses the loo.

 

[Aragorn84]

Well yeh, but at least it stops it running on for 15mins!

Any switch that allows you to stop the fan running at all, can also end up "forgotten" about and will result in the fan not being used when it should be.

The advantage of the momentary switch being that it cant be forgotten about, you have to actively decide that you want to cancel the fan overrun, and press the second button.

 

[martin86]

Any switch that allows you to stop the fan running at all, can also end up "forgotten" about and will result in the fan not being used when it should be.

yeah i agree.

Was just thinking that way would be easier for the kids (6 and 4)

 

[EFLImpudence]

There are methods to do whatever you want but whichever is employed people will forget to reset.
You may as well have the light and fan totally separate.

 

[martin86]

as there is no window do i not have to have the fan run off the lights?

what would be the best way to do this on a 2 gang switch?

 

[EFLImpudence]

as there is no window do i not have to have the fan run off the lights?

...but you don't want it to run off the lights.

what would be the best way to do this on a 2 gang switch?

One for the light and one for the fan.
Any fancy method will result in just as many switching operations - IMO.

 

[martin86]

as there is no window do i not have to have the fan run off the lights?

...but you don't want it to run off the lights.

i want the option to not run it off the light but understood you must run it off the lights in a bathroom with no window. hence my question to have both options one to comply with the rules and the other which is more practical in many ways.

what would be the best way to do this on a 2 gang switch?

One for the light and one for the fan.
Any fancy method will result in just as many switching operations - IMO.

would the run on timer still work if its switched directly?

 

[martin86]

part of my reply is in the quote there

 

[chivers67]

Why don't you just change the fan for one with a delay timer, Airflow do an ultra quite one too if you're bothered by the noise?

 

[martin86]

yeah that would work how long can the delay be?

 

[chivers67]

The one i have did cost a fair bit but is ultra quiet and has a delay of a few minutes, when you have a shower it comes on and I've set it to over run by five minutes beats peeing in the dark