What type of Fan and where?

Building Regulations Approved Document F: Ventilation (2010 Edition), stipulates the provision of adequate mechanical ventilation rates in non-habitable rooms such as toilets, bathrooms, shower rooms, kitchens and utility rooms in domestic dwellings. Naturally AIRFLOW fans exceed the requirements helping to combat the harmful effects of dampness and condensation, and by extracting airborne pollutants such as odours, cooking smells, humid and stale air, the potential hazards to the health of occupants and possible damage to the fabric of the building can be largely eliminated.

What the regulations say

Toilet/sanitary accommodation 6 l/sec (22 m3/hr)
Bathroom/shower room 15 l/sec (54 m3/hr)
Kitchen adjacent to hob 30 l/sec (108 m3/hr)
Kitchen without cooker hood 60 l/sec (216 m3/hr)
Utility room 30 l/sec (108 m3/hr)

Further information can be found on our Standards page.

NOTE:
Building Regulations guidelines for England and Wales state if the above rooms do not contain opening windows to allow rapid ventilation i.e. internal rooms, the requirement for mechanical ventilation will be satisfied if the fan has a 15 minute timer overrun. Please consult the approved document for guidance on open flue combustion appliances for complementary guidelines to mechanical ventilation and detailed information of alternative approaches.

Extra Safe

The AIRFLOW range of SELV (safety extra low voltage) fans fully comply with the current IEE wiring regulations 17th edition) detailing special requirements for bathrooms. These well proven fans use a 12 volt electrical supply which means that the siting of extract fans is possible within permitted splash zones of those using washing facilities.

Note that it is now possible to install a 230 volt, IPX5 rated fan with a dedicated RCD in splash zones. Consult the IEE 17th edition wiring regulations for full details

What Type of Fan?

Having considered the application of the ventilation required, it is important to select the correct type of fan to ensure that the requirement is met.

It is not sufficient to fit just any fan. It is important that the fan performs efficiently by extracting the minimum flow rate at the grille outlet as required by the latest Building Regulations. This is known as installed performance.

The number of bends and the length of duct attached to the fan will create resistance to flow that must be overcome to ensure adequate extraction.

You should first consider which type of fan will be best suited to provide quiet, efficient ventilation. This will be based on one of the following two general variants.

Airflow Centrifugal fans and Mixed Flow fans are quiet, powerful and suitable for wall, ceiling and window applications. They also work very efficiently against system resistance making them the perfect choice for ducted installations.

iCON 30/60
Loovent
Roomvent
Supervent
Aventa
Airovent

Airflow Axial fans are ideal for through the wall and window applications. Providing high performance with a slim profile, they are suitable for use with ducting up to a maximum 2.5m ( 11m*) in length.

QuietAir* (only)
iCON15
Aura
Maxivent

Where to Install

Fans should also be positioned to give an optimum flow of air through the whole room and to avoid pockets of residual air. The location of planned or existing door and window openings must be considered as well as sources of odours, stale air or condensation. Grilles may need to be installed to allow air into the room, particularly with inner rooms which have no windows and tightly sealed doors. Fans should be mounted as high as possible, well away from primary heat sources such as gas water heaters and boilers.

IEE regulations specify the installation of fans within bathrooms and showers by identifying a series of zones. IEE regulations must be adhered to for all electrical installations.

iCON fans must be installed in accordance with the latest IEE Wiring Regulations
17th Edition (BS7671:2008). Part 7 (Special Locations).

For a complete description of the dimensions of the zones and other information pertaining to a bathroom installation please consult your Part P Assessed Electrician. These diagrams are meant for guidance only.

Zone 0 The Interior of the bath or a shower tray NO Fan can be fitted
Zone 1 The external edge of the bath or a shower tray, extending up to 1.2m from the centre point of the water outlet
Zone 2 Extends beyond Zone 1