Bathroom Extractor - Please Help

[ziggy1979]

Hi All

I'm not sure if this is the right part of the forum for the post so apologies if i got the wrong place

We have a small bathroom (2x2m with 2.7m height), with a small sash window and a power shower.

The bathroom steams up a lot (even with the window open) so we are thinking of fitting an air extractor on the ceiling and running into the loft.

Can you please:

1. Advise on the "best" extractor for the job. Ideally we would have little or no steam after showering without having to open the door or window.

2. Can you please advise on whether we can vent into the loft without any problems. We are on a top floor flat and to vent out through the wall requires scaffold for which we were quoted £800.

I really look fwd for your help/advice.

Thank you all so much.

Zigs

 

[IJWS15]

You can only extract the water vapour laden air from the room if you let other air into the room from either the house or outside. In winter I prefer to draw air from the house so the bathroom does not get cold, in summer from outside.

Look for a fairly high flow rate fan in cubic metres per hour - the ones builders install are not normally much good.

May require an electrician to install - bathroom is a special location.

 

[mointainwalker]

No, of course you can't vent into the loft, please use a little common sense.

You want to get the steam out of the bathroom because it's water-vapour and a nuisance.

What do you think happens if you vent into the loft ?

Well, the water-vapour condenses and all the water starts running down walls causing damp ceilings, mould and many other bad things.

It has to be vented externally . You should be able to find a unit that fits into your window without blocking it entirely and then you won't need scaffolding.

 

[cmother1]

If you could drill through the wall within reach of the window you should be able to vent through the wall and make good the exterior without the need for ladders, etc.. My upstairs vent is like this and I've changed the outer grill a couple of times without needing to get the ladder out.

NB the advice about an electrician. Bathroom requirements are pretty horrendous now.

 

[peteuk]

I'm not an expert on anything but have just installed replacement fans in the bathroom and ensuite.

To find the extraction rate needed I used this:
http://www.tlc-direct.co.uk/Technical/Ventilation/Ventilation4.html
and because I could not find a suitable fan (the distances to an outside wall were horrendous) I asked for tlc-direct for advice about installation and fan choice.

I may have paid a little over the odds but you can now feel the draught to the fans and I know they are adequate.

BTW - still haven't solved my "musty smell" problem but this was a 1st step in fixing it. (I have raised a separate post about this)

 

[joe-90]

Well if it were me I'd get someone outside keeping people/traffic away then I'd drill out using a long core cutter. Most of the debris would be captured by the cutter and unloaded inside the flat. I'd warn the person outside when I was about to break through. When done I'd line the hole with a piece of plastic tube - and then fix the fan to vent out of that. I'd build a barrier inside the pipe to prevent rain water ingress.

It would cost peanuts compared with scaffolding.