Replacing vent fan with fan/heater unit

9 years ago

This is our first winter in our new house. The Master Bathroom is very cold. Is it possible to replace the vent fan that is just outside the shower with a vent/heater unit?

I have an extra switch that was to be for LED lights in the toe kick, but I haven't gotten around to having them installed. Could that switch be used for the heater and the current vent switch still be used for the vent? i do not need a light with this unit.

If I can make this replacement, do you have any recommendations for vent/heater units?

TIA

Featured Answer

geoffrey_b

9 years ago

I purchased several fans from Bathroom Fan Experts

http://www.bathroomfanexperts.com/bathroom_fans.php?cfm_range=0%2C0&style=ceiling&duct_size=&lights=&heater=1&brand=&price_range=&sort_by=

Sort by:Oldest

Comments (10)

Mags438
9 years ago
I used the panasonic one which had always been rated highly. I used a regular light on-off switch for vent and because of DH, put heat on a timer switch. All works well.
bbstx thanked Mags438
Related Discussions
Favorite bathroom vent fan to replace WhisperFit-Lite?
Q
Comments (8)
Thanks--your timing is impeccable since we still haven't gotten around to this and I was just working on figuring out exactly which fan to get! We've decided to stick with Panasonic in spite of our bad experience because it is the easiest to fit into the space (same size) and everyone else seems to have good experiences with them, so hopefully ours was just a lemon. Do you have recommendations of specific Panasonics other than the Whisper Fit Lite, though? Our current dead fan is theoretically more than powerful enough for the space (twice what we need based on the linked site) and as far as we know the ducting is good to go (was put in when the fan was four years ago) but we never got very good venting from the first fan. Possibly whatever caused it to die was also he cause of the earlier issues, though.
...See More
vent portable AC unit into bathroom (with fan on)?
Q
Comments (10)
Portable air conditioners are strange beasts. I have been looking into getting one to use as a backup just in case my aging heat pump goes when I need it most. Read reviews on any portable a/c and you will find an overwhelming dissatisfaction. The problem is that since the condenser coil - the part of an A/C system that releases the room's heat to the outside - is actually inside your house, you need to blow the heat outside. In a "one hose" system (the most popular now), the fan that blows air across the condenser coil and pushes the warm air out through the hose creates a vacuum that pulls air in from other parts of the house and eventually warm from outside air comes in. In your scheme, you have the same net effect. The warm air from the bedroom will be moved to the bathroom. The exhaust fan will expel (some of?) that air plus create a vacuum that expels cooled air from other parts of the house. IMO, you will be happiest with a window a/c in your bedroom.
...See More
Bathroom exhaust fan with heater
Q
Comments (3)
Many of the fans with a heater have a small heating element with a second fan---the problem is that many of those models also require three electrical feeds to allow for independent use of all the features---light, exhaust fan, and heater. Most units with only fan and light have a 3 wire cable installed for operation. When installing the models with added heaters, an additional feed must also be installed.
...See More
Replacing fan with fan/light combo over new shower
Q
Comments (1)
If the vent/light combo is designed for use in a bathroom and you are not within the shower enclosure, it should be a straight changeout as long as you want the light and vent to come on at the same time. If you want them to be operated separately, then you will have to do some rewiring.
...See More
bbstx
Original Author
9 years ago
So, replacing the vent with a vent/heater is doable? Good idea mags to put the heater on a timer switch. Most of the vent/heater units I'm finding online also have a light. Do the two of you have lights in your units or are they simply vent and heater, no light?
Mags438
9 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
update: my research notes from spreadsheet. Panasonic whisper warm w/heater FV-11vh2. Can heat run separately/alone? - yes. bought from Amazon.com in 2013, under 200$. May need 20amp - maybe I questioned this from reading install/user guide.

No light.

Vent switch is toggle. Timed heater one on far left.

Photos don't want to cooperate and fall in the right place in post but you get the idea.
Mags438
9 years ago
The only part I don't know about is the wiring inside your wall. You may want to take a look at the install guides before purchasing a unit. I would think that vent/heater wiring would be connected somehow to unit and then the 2 separate wires that would attach to a switches. But I know absolutely nothing about electrical and wiring.
bbstx
Original Author
9 years ago
Thanks, mags, for looking up your recommendation. It is now $215 on Amazon. I suppose my next step is to get an electrician in here to see if what I want can be accomplished. Of course, by the time I do that, Spring will be here!
loves2read
9 years ago
We have second home in FL where the original ventilation was to open the window in the shower stall to vent--

we had vent fan installed when we bought house and didn't realize that it can be fairly chilly in bathroom in winter--and the heater doesn't really cover that chill.

We will remodel soon and change the current vented fan with one with heater--seems the easiest way to add temporary heating on as-needed basis.

That fan is one that caught my attention as well--

would appreciate if you reposted to update if you go forward with the installation.
bbstx
Original Author
9 years ago
l2r, we move glacially around here so don't expect an update before this time next year! :-) But if we do install this, I'll try to remember to come back here with info.
char_35
9 years ago
We just replaced a heater/fan/ light that we had for 30 years. We picked the Panasonic and are very happy with it. It heats great! We did have our remodeler install it for us. It is very quiet so installed a timer to turn it off automaticly. We bought it through Amazon and saved about $100.00 compared to the big box stores. Reviews from some of the other brands were not so good.
Nancy in Mich
9 years ago
I have had two Broan/Nutone heater/vent/light/nightlight units since 2005. The first one had the heater burn out, which hubby and the contractor who was here for something else replaced. Then the light on it went POP and flamed out, so we decided to replace the whole thing because DH, who was in the bathroom at the time, said that sparks flew. When the contractor was back for something else again, I gave him the new unit (same model because we had blown-in insulation and did not want him crawling around in the attic to change the larger vent pipe that we needed to downsize if we switched to Panasonic) and he installed the different parts into the old housing because it was easier and the big metal boxes were the same. The heater on this one has now quit working. Now I will admit that we sometimes forgot and left the heater running for hours. The heater burning out was likely our fault. So I second (third?) the call for putting the heater on a timer. We are planning a remodel of this room and so the old aluminum slider window is still not replaced. We can't use window film in the winter anymore because we need to open this window to get the attention of our elderly dog when he gets "lost" in the yard and is barking during late-night potty breaks. So it is darn cold in this bathroom sometimes! We need something for additional heat. I don't know if I will go for the radiant light bulbs (remember the red heater bulbs?) or electric cove heating or just electric -in-floor heating. I used electric cove heating in my father-in-law's room when he was an invalid, and it worked very well giving his room the extra few degrees he needed. Here is a link: Comfort Cove
We just had a thermostat in his room to run the cove heater, and it kept his room toasty. My DH reminded me the other day that when you get out of the shower wet, the heater fan blowing on you does make you feel cold. Its heat is not nearly as warm as you are after the shower. The cove heat is silent, another plus. I bet it will help dry and warm the towels hanging across from it, too.

I had forgotten about the Comfort Cove heater because we had to disconnect it back in 2010 when we remodeled the kitchen. We ran out of circuits and I had to steal the Comfort Cover circuit for the stove top's down draft fan! I need to get a new service panel.