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Where to buy Good Bath Vent Fans?

16 years ago

Hello,

I've read some threads about bath vent fans on here and am considering the Broan Ultra Quiet/Humidity Sensing model ( 0.9 Sones; 110 CFM) and the Panasonic WhisperLiteÃ¢ÂÂ¢ 110 CFM Ceiling Mounted Fan/Light Combination (1 sone). However, I've looked at Sears, HD and Lowes online and can't find them. Do I have to go to a special retailer? Or do I have to order it online? Any recommendations/suggestions are greatly appreciated!

Thanks,

MDB

Comments (8)

2sweetpea
16 years ago
I bought 2 Panasonic Whisper lite fans from Steam & Sauna Connection online. (www.steamsaun.com) Great service both times, no tax, no shipping. (80CFM, .3 sone for $139.00 last year.)
Pam
rjoh878646
16 years ago
purchased mine online and I believe at Wave plumbing.

Lots of places online-see link

Here is a link that might be useful: panasonic fan dealers
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Thanks audio mixer. The HVAC in the house underwent at least a couple of major revisions, floor furnace, baseboard electric, 3 ph water-chilled cooling and finally gas furnace with integral split system cooling when we bought it. Now, we have mini splits. The electric baseboard is coming out, but since gas got cheap, we might keep the furnace functional for a while. The bath was carved out of other space at some point and has a wall-mounted electric heater that is probably original to that room so a heater in the ceiling would be a liability. The former owner was an electrician and there is a lot of salvaged stuff around. In this case, it might not have been a salvaged appliance, but got at a low price as an overstock or return. I suspect so since the similar light/fan/heater? in the lav probably only ever had the light working and might have been bought under similar circumstances. They are nice-looking and robust units in good shape after many decades. I live near the LA Gulf coast so it is hot and HUMID here. I am planning on sealing the attic and insulating the roof deck so venting to the outside eventually will be mandatory even though everything goes to the attic now with no apparent problems. Thanks for the links. I bet that unit pictured in the book is the one in the lav! The one I've taken apart is laid out a little differently. I might do some head-scratching to see if I can mentally reconstruct how it worked. Note that the diagram unit has two blowers while the description of function in the book notes only one motor.
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mrs_dunebuggy
Original Author
16 years ago
Thanks. I was hoping to find one in a brick/mortar, but online will be fine. I'm actually leaning toward the Broan, which is quieter and has a humidity sensor. We've got a lot of moisture upstairs and I like that it will do the job without me thinking about it.
mminkous
16 years ago
Panasonic is the best. Almost all bath showrooms I've been to only sell and promote Panasonics. Do check your duct size and follow the installation instructions. This is the only way to guarantee you're getting close to the advertised 0.9 sones.
amsunshine
16 years ago
Call couple local plumbing supply/wholesale shops in your area. I got lucky in that even though panasonic told me there were no local retailers near me, I found a plumbing wholesaler in my neighborhood that carried the whisperlites. But waveplumbing.com also gets good reviews. I would have ordered from them if I had not found what I wanted locally.
monicakm_gw
16 years ago
I bought mine (in May) from Wave Plumbing too (at the suggestion of this forum). I bought the Panasonic Whisper Warm. I just spoke with them yesterday as a matter of fact and was reminded how super friendly and helpful they are.
Monica
elljays
16 years ago
The bath/tile shop owner that helped us recommended the Fantech fans over others. He didn't sell any fans (so no incentive to promote one over another), but just thought they were the best. We've been very happy with ours, and the contractor who installed it was so impressed that he ordered one for himself.
ashlander
16 years ago
Another vote for Panasonic fan. We ordered from Westsidewholesale.com and had it installed with a timer switch. I don't want the fan on while showering or taking a bath ... (don't want any warm air sucked out of the room), so as soon as I'm done, I set the timer for 30 minutes.

Our main/guest bathroom has the fan with the humidity sensor...don't like it. I do want the fan on for a minimum of 30 minutes.

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