IS VENTILATION COVERED BY THE BUILDING REGULATIONS?
YES, The latest edition of the Building Regulations, Approved Document F. April 2006: Means of ventilation stipulates the provision of 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 health for occupants and possible damage to the fabric of the building can be largely eliminated.
Attachment:BUILDING REGS FRONT COVER.pdf
WHAT TYPE OF FAN SHOULD I USE?
Having considered the application of the ventilation required, it is important to select the correct type of fan to ensure that the requirement is truly met.
However, you should first consider which type of fan will best suit you to provide quiet efficient vetilation. This will be based on one of the following two variants.
AIRFLOW MIXED FLOW/CENTRIFUGAL iCON30 and iCON60 FANS are quiet, powerful and suitable for wall and ceiling applications. They also work very efficiently against system resistance making them the perfect choice for longer lengths of ducted installations.
They also meet the latest Good Practice Guidance in Appendix E of the Building Regulations which recommends installed performance which means a fan will deliver effective ventilation in installed conditions.
AIRFLOW AXIAL FAN iCON15 Providing high performance with a slim profile, they are suitable for use through the wall or on short lengths of ducting.
WHAT DO THE REGULATIONS SAY?
The latest Building Regulations, ADF 2006, provide detailed guidance about four approved methods of ventilation. For background ventilators and intermittant extract fans the following basic parameters should be met.
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. Consult the approved document F (available from HMSO) and guidance on open flue combustion appliances for complementary guidelines to mechanical ventilation and detailed information of alternative approaches.
WHERE SHOULD IT BE INSTALLED
Fans should always be positioned to give an optimum flow of air through the whole room preferably less than 40mm below the ceiling, 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.
CAN I INSTALL THE iCON60 KITCHEN FAN OVER A HOB?
NO. It is not possible to install an iCON60 directly over a hob in an exhaust flue. Heat and unfiltered airborne pollutants such as grease will reduce the life of a fan in this position.
However, it is possible to locate a fan adjacent to the hob (outside the vertical vapour plume). In this application a 30 litre fan is permissible. The iCON30 being perfect for localized extraction. Elsewhere in the kitchen a 60 litre fan, the iCON60, should be installed in the absence of a ducted cooker hood.
WHEN SHOULD I USE A 12 VOLT FAN?
IEE Wiring Regulations, (16th Edition Amendment No.3), specify the installation of fans within bathrooms and showers by identifying a series of zones. A fan or controller which is not a SELV product must be positioned out of reach (1.5 metres) of anyone using a bath or shower. Within the splash zones AIRFLOWS range of iCON15S and iCON30S 12 volt d.c. Safety Extra Low Voltage fans provide a superb answer. IEE regulations must be adhered to for all electrical installations.
Attachment:iCON SELV- Operating Instructions.pdf
CAN I REPLACE AN EXISTING FAN WITH AN iCON?
YES, the iCON15 and iCON30 toilet, bathroom and utility room fans fit a 100mm (4") dia. hole. The iCON60 kitchen fan fits a 150mm (6") dia. hole. Generally speaking these are standard sizes for most domestic fans.
CAN I RECESS THE FAN INTO THE WALL?
YES, iCON15 recesses into the wall as standard. The iCON30 and iCON60 can either be surface mounted on the wall with the stylish narrow contour skirt provided, or recessed into the wall by cutting a slightly larger hole.
CAN iCON FANS BE WINDOW MOUNTED?
NO. In these days of energy savings it is not a good idea to be cutting holes in glass. In any event, double glazed windows are usually sealed units and are notoriously difficult to cut two aligned holes. Better not to even try!
IF I DONT HAVE A GRAVITY FLAP ON THE OUTSIDE WALL WHAT PREVENTS RAIN FROM BLOWING IN?
iCONs unique iris shutter on the inside eliminates draughts, limits heat loss from the room when the fan is not operating and helps reduce external noise from coming in.
It also means that you do not have to have a gravity flap on the outside wall. These grilles are notoriously noisy when the wind blows, causing rattling when you least want to hear it – at night.
With iCON you can use our circular and square wall grilles which deflect rainwater down the front of the grille. It is also good practice, when installing an extract fan, to incline the cavity wall pipe downwards at a slight angle towards the outside grille. In the unlikely event of water passing the external grille during a storm then it will not run back towards the fan.
I WANT TO INSTALL A FAN IN THE CEILING AND EXTRACT STRAIGHT UP THROUGH THE ROOF
No problem iCON fans are designed for wall and ceiling mounting. However, if the extract duct is going vertically up through the roof it is good practise to install a condensation trap in the extract pipe. Because the warm moist air will pass through the cold loft space condensation can form inside the pipe. To avoid moisture running back down inside the pipe and into the fan fit a PVC condensation trap to run the water away.
The condensation trap (100mm or 150mm dia) is a modestly priced accessory (click accessories) which will help prolong fan life in these situations. Also contact Airflow on 0845 330 1047 for details on lead flashing plates and mushroom cowls to complete the installation.
Attachment:condensation-trap.jpg
CAN I USE A STRONG ADHESIVE LIKE NO NAILS TO FIX THE FAN TO THE WALL OR CEILING?
We do not recommend fixing the fan body with adhesive to the wall or ceiling unless the surface is perfectly flat. Using adhesive can result in a distortion of the fan body on the wall leading to difficulties in twisting on/off the fan cover. Also if you ever want to remove the fan, be prepared to fit a new section of plaster board!
The traditional method of a plugged screw is best. iCON is also designed with cantelever fixing lugs that take into account uneven surfaces and prevent distortion of the fan when secured to the wall.
MY PIR SENSOR DOES NOT DETECT ANY MOVEMENT
Make sure that the opaque lens cap is fitted in place of the white oval plate
MY PULL CORD ON MY HUMIDITY CONTROLLER DOES NOT CLICK
The switch on the Humidity pull cord fan is a momentary switch. There is no click. By pulling the pull cord the fan will start and continue for the duration set in the timer mode.
WHERE DOES THE EARTH WIRE GO
The iCON fan is fitted with a double insulated motor and does not require an earth.
WHAT WAY DO I HAVE TO TURN THE COVER TO REMOVE IT
Twist in an anti clockwise direction until it clicks and then pull towards you.
HOW FAR CAN I DUCT MY FAN?
This depends upon the size and type of ducting used and the fan type selected. Never use ducting that is smaller than the fan (if it is a 100mm fan use ducting of at least the same area). If possible use smooth bore ducting such as plastic soil pipe or plastic square section ducting (see Airflow "Flatduct"), If using flexible ducting, keep it stretched to its full length with as few bends as possible.
If using flexible ducting the maximum duct run with an "Axial" fan should be 1.5 metres. With a "centrifugal" or "mixed flow" fan this can be increased to 6 metres. With smooth bore ducting the above lengths can be greatly increased, check with the fan manufacturer to confirm installed performance.
Airflow Developments produce a wide range of ducting and fittings for most domestic installations.
CAN I FIT AN EXTRACT FAN MYSELF?
In most cases a competent D.I.Y. person can install a replacement fan, but from 1st April 2006 all NEW and elelectrical installation work in bathrooms, kitchens and utility rooms should only be carried out by a registered electrician. This is covered by Part P of UK Building Regulations and is a legal requirement. NICEIC keep a register of approved electricians and can be contacted on www.niceic.org.uk
HOW MUCH DOES IT COST TO RUN MY FAN?
This would depend upon the power of the fan, but a typical bathroom fan would run for 30 hours on 1 unit of electricity. Current cost of electricity is about
9.8p/unit (depending upon supplier). This is less than a third of a penny per hour. The less powerful "Axial" fans will run for about 70 hours on one unit of electricity.
The Airflow iCON15S Low Energy DC fan will run for about 90 hours on one unit of electricity.
I HAVE A COOKER HOOD DO I ALSO REQUIRE AN EXTRACT FAN?
If the cooker hood has an extract rate of at least 30 litres/second and discharges to the outside then you do not require an extract fan to comply with UK Building Regulations (Approved Document F1). If the cooker hood is the recirculating type, an extract fan is required. The required extracting rate is
30 litres/second if the fan is mounted adjacent to the hob or 60 litres/second if elsewhere.
Airflow Developments produce a number of Kitchen fans including the stylish iCON60 and the Classic Maxivent MV150 and the powerful Supervent SV6
DO I REQUIRE A RUN-ON TIMER ON MY FAN?
To comply with current U.K. Building Regulations (Approved Document F1) a
15 minute run-on timer is only required if there are no opening windows in the room or it is an internal room. However, it is recommended that a run-on timer is always fitted to ensure the removal of stale and humid air when the windows are closed.
Airflow Developments have timed versions of all their popular range of domestic fans
WHY DO I NEED AN EXTRACT FAN?
In a domestic household relative humidity is probably the most important factor in ensuring a healthy and comfortable environment. At humidity levels above 70% mould can form in poorly ventilated corners of rooms. High humidity levels can give the feeling of oppressive heat on warm days and chill on cool days, it can also result in bronchitis, asthma and other allergies. Humidity in the home comes from a number of sources but is produced mainly in bathrooms, kitchens and utility rooms. It is therefore important to extract the warm damp air from these rooms before it can circulate through the rest of the property.
The Airflow product range covers all aspects of domestic ventilation from conventional extract fans to Whole House and Heat Recovery systems.
HOW DOES PART P AFFECT ME?
Approved Document P is part of the U.K Building Regulations which came into force on 1st January 2005. It states that from January 2005 electrical work in domestic dwellings must comply with the requirements of the regulations. This means that any new electrical installation needs to be carried out by people who are competent to do the work and certify the job under the Part P registration scheme or be notified to the local Authority Building Control officer who will arrange inspection and certification of the job.
With regard to extractor fans, our understanding is that replacement of an existing fan is permissible by a competent individual. However, installing a new power cable and an extractor fan would be deemed a new circuit and would, therefore, be required to be certified under Part P.
For further information contact your local Building Control department.
