Quote to fit extractor fan

keyboardangst · 29 Nov 2012

I have a quote to fit an extractor fan in the bathroom. I was told that I'd probably need an "upgrade to the existing consumer unit or at the least a separate RCD protected supply". All this was due to "new regulations".

The cost for materials and labour is £350+ VAT.

Is this reasonable? I have no idea how much the fan itself is supposed to cost.

securespark · 29 Nov 2012

How much is a fan?

How much is a car?

If a 4" fan, £10.

If a 6" high power inline duct fan, £100.

bhm1712 · 29 Nov 2012

for the work involved and cost to buy materials id say thats reasonable. if the fan is not a £10 special of course.

ban-all-sheds · 29 Nov 2012

keyboardangst said:
I have a quote to fit an extractor fan in the bathroom. I was told that I'd probably need an "upgrade to the existing consumer unit or at the least a separate RCD protected supply". All this was due to "new regulations".

Get them to quote for installing an ELV fan with the supply outside the room, then you won't need to have RCD protection.

Do you not have an RCD at all, or is it that the lighting circuits don't have it?

Johnmelad · 29 Nov 2012

keyboardangst said:
I have a quote to fit an extractor fan in the bathroom. I was told that I'd probably need an "upgrade to the existing consumer unit or at the least a separate RCD protected supply". All this was due to "new regulations".

The cost for materials and labour is £350+ VAT.

Is this reasonable? I have no idea how much the fan itself is supposed to cost.

What do you think? Get some more quotes...

And the regulations covering this are not new.

chivers67 · 29 Nov 2012

I think you should get two more quotes.

Is it through a solid brick wall with cavity? Difficult to price up without knowing more about whats above the bathroom and how you can run cabling ot the fan

SaladFingers · 29 Nov 2012

securespark said:
How much is a fan?

How much is a car?

If a 4" fan, £10.

If a 6" high power inline duct fan, £100.

Depends on type.

I bought a manrose 12v 6" fan tonight and humidistat with transformer and that was £112.

Chri5 · 29 Nov 2012

Most fans are run off the lighting circuit and via a 3 pole switch outside the bathroom. The fitter could then provide an rcd based fspur unit which means no fuse board upgrade.

The other way would be to swap out the existing light circuit fuse for a rcbo which does the job of an rcd and a mcb in one. Depending on the existing board that may or may not be viable.

The room air space dictates the fan size ( m3 v fan performance) so will it need a 4, 5 or 6 inch hole? Is the bathroom upstairs and need ladder work to access from the outside?

There's a lot of variables that unless you detail them no one here can qualify the price.

Room size
Fan size
Ease of access to the external point of the fan
4-6 inch hole
Picking up lighting circuit (is there access via loft / above ceiling)
State of existing board
How the fan will work (stand alone, over run timer, humistat)
3 pole switch requirement
Mi's instructions on fan

Hope that helps, get another quote and if you can fix the spec get a require from the first one.

If you like the first quote, have a talk though based on the new knowledge garnered from this thread.

Taylortwocities · 29 Nov 2012

The OP did not mention that his bathroom is on the 5th floor of some flats!

Some folk (not me, of course) will overprice a job if they really don't want to do it, or they suspect the customer is going to be a pain in the derriere.

keyboardangst · 30 Nov 2012

ban-all-sheds said:
keyboardangst said:

I have a quote to fit an extractor fan in the bathroom. I was told that I'd probably need an "upgrade to the existing consumer unit or at the least a separate RCD protected supply". All this was due to "new regulations".

Click to expand...

Get them to quote for installing an ELV fan with the supply outside the room, then you won't need to have RCD protection.

Do you not have an RCD at all, or is it that the lighting circuits don't have it?

The bathroom is in a house that is permanently let out and I'm afraid I don't know as much as I should about how the house's electrics are set up. I've owned it since 1985 and the house has had nothing major done on it electrically in that time.

I've a feeling - having just 'educated' myself about RCDs and consumer units that I don't have either of these but just an old fashioned set up.

keyboardangst · 30 Nov 2012

chivers67 said:
I think you should get two more quotes.

Is it through a solid brick wall with cavity? Difficult to price up without knowing more about whats above the bathroom and how you can run cabling ot the fan

The bathroom is in a single storey extension to a terrace house, added I think in the fifties. I doubt it's got a cavity at a guess.

Taylortwocities · 30 Nov 2012

Any new work must comply with the latest wiring regulations. That does not mean that you have to update everything.

So the electrician who stated

keyboardangst said:
t I'd probably need an "upgrade to the existing consumer unit or at the least a separate RCD protected supply". All this was due to "new regulations".

.

is quite right. he will also have to upgrade the bonding to the latest standards.

So £350 may be a fair price. It all depends on all sorts of logistical issues.

But a £350 investment in electrical work over 30 years doesn't look like much if you look at the annualized cost

ban-all-sheds · 30 Nov 2012

Taylortwocities said:
So the electrician who stated

keyboardangst said:

t I'd probably need an "upgrade to the existing consumer unit or at the least a separate RCD protected supply". All this was due to "new regulations".

.

Click to expand...

is quite right.

Not if he doesn't install any new LV cables.

ban-all-sheds · 30 Nov 2012

keyboardangst said:
The bathroom is in a house that is permanently let out and I'm afraid I don't know as much as I should about how the house's electrics are set up. I've owned it since 1985 and the house has had nothing major done on it electrically in that time.

I've a feeling - having just 'educated' myself about RCDs and consumer units that I don't have either of these but just an old fashioned set up.

Given your duty of care to your tenants you would be strongly advised to have the whole lot inspected, RCDs fitted etc.

Taylortwocities · 30 Nov 2012

keyboardangst said:
I have a quote to fit an extractor fan in the bathroom. .

Sounds to me like a new fan, not a replacement!
So there will be new LV wiring, unless its one of those new fangled things that runs on wireless electricity.

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Quote to fit extractor fan

SaladFingers

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