Options for a quiet bathroom exhaust fan - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / general

author: Halcyon
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: November 20, 2016, 03:15:02 am
content: At the moment I have three bathrooms with Airflow branded exhaust fans. Nothing fancy, just a bog-standard ceiling mounted fan, no ducting or anything.However they are a bit noisy for my liking, especially in the "powder room" where it tends to be louder because of the smaller space and the lower ceiling height. I measured it to be around the 50dB mark.Can anyone suggest replacements which are quieter? Air volume isn't too important as the bathrooms have windows and are very well ventilated anyway however they would need to be suitable for large amounts of moisture as I like my showers quite hot. The current fans are about 300mm in diameter so any replacement would need to be at least that size.

author: DTJ
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: November 20, 2016, 04:39:22 am
content: Don't buy IXL Ventair fans, they work REALLY well but can be heard from the other end of the house. I think they were 450 CFM or thereabouts.After spending a couple of weeks completely scraping flaked paint from two bathroom ceilings noise is a secondary consideration!If I wanted quiet I'd see if it was possible to put one of those ducted fans in so the motor/fan was remote from the roof grill.

author: amirm
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: November 20, 2016, 05:14:46 am
content: Panasonic fans are "the" standard in quiet bathroom fans. We have them in our new house and they are almost inaudible relative to standard builder special stuff in homes.

author: Halcyon
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: November 20, 2016, 05:34:31 am
content: Quote from: amirm on November 20, 2016, 05:14:46 amI had a quick look at the Panasonic website -- It seems in Australia they only sell two models which are DC fans designed to run 24/7. They don't appear to sell the WhisperGreen/WhisperCeiling products here at all.

author: Tomorokoshi
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: November 20, 2016, 05:59:02 am
content: Quote from: Halcyon on November 20, 2016, 05:34:31 amI agree with amirm. I've installed perhaps 4 of the Panasonic fan / light units. None have failed. The only maintenance I've had to do is clean the squirrel cage maybe every 5 years. They run almost continuously during the summer.Perhaps there's a way to get it shipped there somehow? I ordered washer / dryer parts from England once!

author: _Andrew_
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: November 20, 2016, 07:18:02 am
content: Don't know if you can get the vent-axia fans there usual quiet for a good part of there life.Eventually with all the fans the bearings will get noisy.Because of the way the roofing timbers are done in my house I ended up using 8 bungy strapps to suspend a duct fan in the loft between the ceiling and roof joists in an effort to limit the noise being conducted through to the neighbors.

author: Red Squirrel
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: November 23, 2016, 04:31:10 am
content: Look into an inline fan, it is an fan where the pipe just connects to both ends, the unit can be remote. you then have a standard round vent in the bathroom. I did this for my bathroom and the fan is pretty much whisper quiet, all I hear is the sound of air going through the vent.I got lucky though as there is a chimney chase where the bathroom closet is, so I was able to feed the pipe through there and have the fan unit be in the basement, and it exhausts through the wall like a dryer. That way the unit can be serviced if needed. It's typical to have it in the attic but then it's very hard to get to.

author: Unknown
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: November 23, 2016, 10:32:55 am
content: I've installed many bathroom fans in rental units and the Panasonic brand has been the quietest. Before I discovered the Panasonic fans, I experimented with a good brand (not cheap, but I don't recall the brand) of inline fans. Panasonic is definitely quieter.

author: Red Squirrel
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: November 23, 2016, 08:35:16 pm
content: Quote from: AcHmed99 on November 23, 2016, 12:26:00 pmBelieve it or not it goes horizontal than straight down 8 feet then horizontal again. Bunch of turns along the way too, almost 25ft of 4" line. I was a bit skeptical but figured I'd try it anyway and it turned out to work nicely. I used ABS for the vertical drop as I wanted something that can handle water if condensation starts to accumulate, but it has not been a problem. I put a small cleanout so I can inspect inside and it's fine.

author: Unknown
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: November 23, 2016, 09:11:02 pm
content: Quote from: AcHmed99 on November 23, 2016, 12:26:00 pmI don't believe there is rise/run requirement on bathroom exhaust fans. This more applies to heating ducts. In California, side vents are as common as roof vents for bathroom fans. I've passed inspections with horizontal-only runs exiting out the side of the building. Beware ducts which pass through cold or unconditioned spaces as this will result in condensation in and on the duct. Here you would use insulated ducting. I think Canadian and US mechanical codes are similar. Just call your local building department for local rules.

author: P90
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: November 23, 2016, 09:23:09 pm
content: I've installed Panasonic inline fans and they are very quiet.

author: Red Squirrel
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: November 24, 2016, 07:32:22 am
content: Quote from: steverino on November 23, 2016, 09:11:02 pmYeah for sure you want it very well insulated. A lot of fans are vented through the soffit as well, that prevents having to have a straight shoot through the roof which means a length of poorly insulated duct. For mine I used insulated duct + buried it with several batts, then eventually I got blown insulation added in the whole attic.

author: VK3DRB
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: November 25, 2016, 11:41:55 pm
content: I had Airflow fans. They don't last very long (a few years or so) and I got rid of them and replaced them with more expensive HPM fans from Bunnings which had so far have been running without issue for about 5 years. The airflow movement is a little noisy but not so noisy as to cause annoyance. Besides, some noise is good, because you know when the fan is left on. No-one gets up in the morning and says "Wow I have an interesting electronics project today - replacing a ceiling fan".Unfortunately all fans are Chinese made. Stay away from unknown brands and check for compliance labelling if there is any. A friend of mine had $20,000 damage to his home after crappy builder-installed ceiling fan caught fire whilst he was at home. If he were not at home his $1.2 million building could have been burnt to the ground.In the end you get what you pay for with ceiling fans. Spend a bit more and get peace of mind.

author: Halcyon
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: November 27, 2016, 07:15:57 am
content: Good advice VK3DRB