I want a humidistat fan, but all I can find is 4 inch ones. These never
seem to actually make much difference to me. Anyone know where I can get a
6 inch one (ideally nice and quiet)?

And while I'm here, any general views on humidistat fans? I remember
reading here that they can get triggered by atmospheric humidity when there
is a storm brewing etc. Are they actually any good?

"Martin Pentreath" wrote in message
. 2.85...
I want a humidistat fan, but all I can find is 4 inch ones. These never
seem to actually make much difference to me. Anyone know where I can get a
6 inch one (ideally nice and quiet)?

And while I'm here, any general views on humidistat fans? I remember
reading here that they can get triggered by atmospheric humidity when
there
is a storm brewing etc. Are they actually any good?

Both Manrose and Greenwood do 6 inch humidistat fans.

http://www.manrose.co.uk/
http://www.greenwood.co.uk/data/el15...alflowfans.pdf

There will now be several people about post "open a window" but I have never
regretted putting fans in the bathroom, toilet and kitchen as opening a
window was not then an option.

Adam

"Martin Pentreath" wrote
| And while I'm here, any general views on humidistat fans?

They are fine for showers, but not for toilets unless there is some other
way of triggering them. I haven't seen a pongistat fan and although you
could use a methane detector if levels get that high the toilet fan is the
least of your owrries.

Owain

"Owain" wrote in message
...
"Martin Pentreath" wrote
| And while I'm here, any general views on humidistat fans?

They are fine for showers, but not for toilets unless there is some other
way of triggering them. I haven't seen a pongistat fan and although you
could use a methane detector if levels get that high the toilet fan is the
least of your owrries.

Owain

Get one with a temperature compensated humidistat (not cheap, VentAxia ?) or
else you will come home in the winter and find the fan on every day.

I also wired a pull switch up, after removing/modifying the internal
latching mechanism to make it a momentary action switch (pull to close
contacts, release to open contacts) so that you could trigger the fans timer
(normally connected to lights so that it carries on for a couple of minutes
after you turn the lights off) so that if you dropped a "non humid" stinker
in the bog you could get the fan on to clear the air.

"Ian Middleton" wrote in
:

Get one with a temperature compensated humidistat (not cheap, VentAxia
?) or else you will come home in the winter and find the fan on every
day.

Are you saying Vent-Axia do have temperature compensation or that they
don't? I was looking at their Silhouette range which does have a 6" (150mm)
humidistat fan (Silhouette 150XH):
http://www.vent-axia.com/awwebstore/...silhouette.asp

I like it because it has a fairly unobtrusive profile. It's not cheap
(about £100) so I would hope they haven't skimped on the humidistat but you
never know. The website doesn't specify temperature compensation.


I also wired a pull switch up, after removing/modifying the internal
latching mechanism to make it a momentary action switch (pull to close
contacts, release to open contacts) so that you could trigger the fans
timer (normally connected to lights so that it carries on for a couple
of minutes after you turn the lights off) so that if you dropped a
"non humid" stinker in the bog you could get the fan on to clear the
air.

Good idea. I'm not sure if the 150XH would be capable of this. I get the
impression it's not designed to be wired into the light at all and that the
overrun just means that the fan continues to run a bit after the humidistat
has stopped telling it to. Or am I wrong?

"Martin Pentreath" wrote in message
. 2.86...
"Ian Middleton" wrote in
:

Get one with a temperature compensated humidistat (not cheap, VentAxia
?) or else you will come home in the winter and find the fan on every
day.

Are you saying Vent-Axia do have temperature compensation or that they
don't? I was looking at their Silhouette range which does have a 6"
(150mm)
humidistat fan (Silhouette 150XH):
http://www.vent-axia.com/awwebstore/...silhouette.asp

I like it because it has a fairly unobtrusive profile. It's not cheap
(about £100) so I would hope they haven't skimped on the humidistat but
you
never know. The website doesn't specify temperature compensation.


I also wired a pull switch up, after removing/modifying the internal
latching mechanism to make it a momentary action switch (pull to close
contacts, release to open contacts) so that you could trigger the fans
timer (normally connected to lights so that it carries on for a couple
of minutes after you turn the lights off) so that if you dropped a
"non humid" stinker in the bog you could get the fan on to clear the
air.

Good idea. I'm not sure if the 150XH would be capable of this. I get the
impression it's not designed to be wired into the light at all and that
the
overrun just means that the fan continues to run a bit after the
humidistat
has stopped telling it to. Or am I wrong?

It was an expensive VentAxia one we finally fitted after trying two other
other (4") humidistat fans that come on all by themselves in the winter
during the day. In fact I was round a mates house recently an noticed that
there was no fan fitted, just the 4" hole in their recently (this summer)
installed new bathroom. "Why no fan I asked ?". "As recently, in last month"
he replied "the humidity controlled fan we had fitted (£50 worth) has
started coming on by by itself during the day and as there is no off switch
I have removed the fan until I have traced the problem". Hmmmm know the
answer to this problem, heat the bathroom during the day or fit a
compensated fan.

The one I fitted did look like the 150XH, we fitted it ceiling mounted. It
had a two adjustements humidity set point and run on time. The run on time
could also be triggered by an external connection (not known be me at time
of purchase from Jayhards) really designed so when you switch the bathroom
light on the fan comes on, but we found it a pain, go to loo in the night
and suffer the fan running for 10mins when back in bed (next to bathroom).
So this is why I did the fiddle with the pull switch.

Anyway the fan worked great and did not come on by itself in the winter (at
over £100 I would have expected this !!!!). Drop a stinker, pull the cord to
switch the fan on. We found out the hard way £30 a go(x2) before buying the
expensive fan.

Current house has extractor fans controlled by "normal light style" switches
outside the bathroom/shower areas, so that is another option to consider
rather than getting an expensive humidity controlled fan.

"Ian Middleton" wrote in
:


[Snipped useful tales of experiences of humidistat fan.]

Thanks Ian, very helpful. I don't mind forking out £100 just so long as the
damn thing works as it should. I do like the DIY pullcord modification, so
I'll be looking into that further.

I can never really understand the point of wiring fans into the light
switch (unless maybe the room has no window). When you put on the light you
often don't need the fan, and when you do need the fan it will often be
broad daylight and the light won't be on.

Martin Pentreath wrote:


I can never really understand the point of wiring fans into the light

switch (unless maybe the room has no window). When you put on the
light you
often don't need the fan, and when you do need the fan it will often
be
broad daylight and the light won't be on.
I think that you need a motion detector switch :-)

wrote in
oups.com:

I think that you need a motion detector switch :-)

You would still get the fan whirring and rattling for half an hour in the
middle of the night when you just got up to have a pee! Sorry, but I lived
in a flat with a very irritating fan for a while, and have been permanently
mentally scarred.

wrote in message
oups.com...

Martin Pentreath wrote:

snip

I think that you need a motion detector switch :-)

Or you were very still doing a long motion, where you would need the fan and
it was off !!!

[Snipped useful tales of experiences of humidistat fan.]

Thanks Ian, very helpful. I don't mind forking out £100 just so long as
the
damn thing works as it should. I do like the DIY pullcord modification, so
I'll be looking into that further.

I can never really understand the point of wiring fans into the light
switch (unless maybe the room has no window). When you put on the light
you
often don't need the fan, and when you do need the fan it will often be
broad daylight and the light won't be on.

My point exactly.

I think if I was doing it again, I would put both the light switch and fan
switches outside the bathroom (like in my current house) on a 2 gang
standard light switch and KISS (keep it simple stupid), after having all the
faffing around with fans, humidistats, switches etc etc in last house. You
generally know when you are going to need fan on before you enter the
bathroom ie shower, drop a stinker etc and just turn on light and/or fan as
you enter. A much cheaper solution and can use a considerably cheaper fan.

Hi,

How did you go about doing this? I'm putting a fan in which I don't
want connected to the lights (I only really want it on when a) the
bath/shower is in use, or b) the air needs clearing :-) ). However I'd
also like to use a timer one because if I have a shower first thing in
the morning and then leave to go to work I don't want to leave the
window open/fan on all day. But it has struck me that using a timer one
with a normal pull cord switch could be a bit confusing.

I did have a look on t'internet but I couldn't find anything like
you've described so at the moment I've just got a standard one...
Cheers,
Andy

On 08 Dec 2004 23:38:58 GMT, Martin Pentreath
wrote:

wrote in
roups.com:

I think that you need a motion detector switch :-)

You would still get the fan whirring and rattling for half an hour in the
middle of the night when you just got up to have a pee! Sorry, but I lived
in a flat with a very irritating fan for a while, and have been permanently
mentally scarred.

Hi,

Would have thought a pipe stat on the HW supply for the shower would
be a good way of triggering a fan.

The pipe will take a little while to cool down so giving a 'run on'
effect for the fan. Some insulation would extend the time that this
takes.

If 'jam tarts' are really a problem, maybe a dietary solution is
called for

cheers,
Pete.

How did you go about doing this?

Do you mean a normal fan, rather than humidistat one ? I would change any
pull-switch in bathroom to a 2 gang switch outside the bathroom, one for
light one for fan. The timer bit on the fan can be used for run-on after it
has been siwtched off, though I suspect this could be confusing, turn off
switch and fan still running ?

3 of the bathroom/shower fans in my current house are all controlled by a
switch outside the bathroom/shower room. Just switch on before you go in
maybe leave on a bit whilst getting dressed and turn off after a while.
Occasionally left on all day, but very rarely. Also have quite good trickle
vents on windows, which well leave open and that reduces the condensation
very nicely.

In fact the friend who had removed his always on humidistat fan also retro
fitted trickle vents to his wooden framed double glazing in the bathroom, by
just drilling a row of 10mm holes in the frame and attaching vents and
covers (from a double glazing supplier ?). This has made a more of a
difference to the condensation in his bathroom than the fan every did. I
suspect part of his problem is the bathroom is tiled over all the walls
which condenses the moisture and is thus harder to remove from the room
quickly using a fan.

"Ian Middleton" wrote in message
...
How did you go about doing this?

Do you mean a normal fan, rather than humidistat one ? I would change any
pull-switch in bathroom to a 2 gang switch outside the bathroom, one for
light one for fan. The timer bit on the fan can be used for run-on after
it
has been siwtched off, though I suspect this could be confusing, turn off
switch and fan still running ?

Not that confusing if you know what standard position for on and off on a
switch



Also have quite good trickle
vents on windows, which well leave open and that reduces the condensation
very nicely.

In fact the friend who had removed his always on humidistat fan also retro
fitted trickle vents to his wooden framed double glazing in the bathroom,
by
just drilling a row of 10mm holes in the frame and attaching vents and
covers (from a double glazing supplier ?). This has made a more of a
difference to the condensation in his bathroom than the fan every did. I
suspect part of his problem is the bathroom is tiled over all the walls
which condenses the moisture and is thus harder to remove from the room
quickly using a fan.

The vents will aid the fan as there is a way in for the fresh air.

Adam