Bathroom extractor fan advice please?

stockhausen

stockhausen

stockhausen

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I have an ancient, noisy extractor fan in the bathroom which is controlled by a pull switch.
It is fed by four wires (Earth, Neutral, Live and Switched Live).
If you pull the cord twice to turn it on and immediately off again the fan carries on running for a while - which is good.
However, if you forget to pull the cord a second time it (understandably) keeps on running which is not so good (with apologies to the Spencer Davis Group).
There is a small (almost invisible) light on the front that tells you that the fan is running (just in case you are deaf).

I know that the correct solution is to have a ceiling light that comes on when the cord is pulled the first time and goes off when you pull the cord second time but I would really like to install an extractor fan that includes such a light - any suggestions?
 
NoobCannon said:
You want an extractor fan with a light? There are loads on Google
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Yes, I do. The extractor fan I already have has a light as I mentioned above - it is just that the light remains on until the fan stops turning.

Delvis said:
Most fans now can be tied in with the mains light itself, i.e turn on light fan comes on, turn off light fan goes off or stays on for 2/5/10/15 mins afterwards.
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Indeed. I could do that.

However, I do not want to tie the extractor fan in with the lights which I tend not to turn on during the day.
 
stockhausen said:
Yes, I do. The extractor fan I already have has a light as I mentioned above - it is just that the light remains on until the fan stops turning.

Indeed. I could do that.

However, I do not want to tie the extractor fan in with the lights which I tend not to turn on during the day.
Click to expand...

Right sure, not aware of anything that will run independently like that, unless you get a separate switch all together
 
Fit a retractive switch. This will activate the fan, it'll run until it hits the timer limit and then turn off. You can't forget it as the switch breaks the switch line after you let go.
 
checjb said:
Fit a retractive switch. This will activate the fan, it'll run until it hits the timer limit and then turn off. You can't forget it as the switch breaks the switch line after you let go.
Click to expand...
I had to look up "Retractive switch", it seems to be somewhat akin to a bell push?
However, I can't find one that operates off a "pull" cord as mandated in a bathroom.

I suspect that I will have to bite the bullet and put in a ceiling light.
 
stockhausen said:
I had to look up "Retractive switch", it seems to be somewhat akin to a bell push?
However, I can't find one that operates off a "pull" cord as mandated in a bathroom.

I suspect that I will have to bite the bullet and put in a ceiling light.
Click to expand...

Why not have it outside the bathroom? Like the light switches nowadays?
 
stockhausen said:
However, I do not want to tie the extractor fan in with the lights which I tend not to turn on during the day.
Click to expand...

I've just read this again, why not? You flick the light on and off, which turns on the fan, then the auto timer is set to like 15 minutes or whatever the maximum is.

Not ideal if you're in there for longer during the day, I guess.

You either have it tied it with the light, or you have it on a separate switch altogether with a time delay once it's off (which is required now, I think)
 
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stockhausen said:
However, I do not want to tie the extractor fan in with the lights which I tend not to turn on during the day.
Click to expand...

I had the same issue. Nothing worse than getting up to use the bathroom in the middle of the night and having a fan running away for 20 minutes because you flicked it on and off. We got them to install the fan on a seperate switch. So we have a two gang switch outside the bathroom, one does the lights and the other does the fan. Our fan is completely separate from the lights. Never really liked the ones with the lights integrated into them, seems unnecessarily complicated. Because the switch is outside the bathroom and everything is controlled from there, there is no need for a pull cord.
 
Danm54 said:
@stockhausen Look for a momentary pull cord switch, will do exactly as you want if you use a fan with a timer.
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Thanks for that, sounds like the answer :)
Sadly, I can't find any source for a "Momentary pull cord switch" :(

@fezster - the extractor fan includes a timer and does claim to be a Humidistat fan but it doesn't actually seem to sense a moist atmosphere - maybe I should throw a bucket of water at it? ;)
 
In ours we use a humidistat, it monitors humidity... so doesnt care that your in the bathroom, or that the lights on, only how damp the air is. Turns on/off automatically when needed.
150mm RVK fan from memory, using mostly hard plastic piping except the ~200mm either side of the fan (to isolate it mechanically)

Wouldnt change it for the world, works really well!

From memory it was the Manrose 1361. Not cheap (around £50) but as I say, gives a fully automatic solution.
 
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stockhausen said:
Many thanks for that, it seems ideal.

Two things worry me:
  1. What have you got against a red cord? It is a perfect "Socialist" colour ;)
  2. I am somewhat confused by the comment "Pull to make or pull to break".
Whatever, I will give it a go - thanks again.
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Ha, my apologies. It's not my place to suggest you should replace the cord, with a white one no less, what was I thinking! :D
I may have to enrol myself on an awareness course and learn to be more accepting of cord colours.
Hey, maybe ask the cord if it wants to be changed? :p

The make or break is like a normal switch, you'll have common, on, and off connections.
These are probably used as alarms in (disabled?) toilets etc so depends how the alarm is wired to which way they'd use the switch.
 
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