Installing a bathroom fan extractor

Forums › Home Workshop DIY › Installing a bathroom fan extractor

itxtme

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#62507 8-Jun-2010 23:21

Hey guys, wondering if someone in the know is on board in regards to legalities in electrical work??

I have a single light controlled by a single light switch in the bathroom. There is no fan and I want to install an extractor fan and light combo to take care of getting some of the steam outside!! I plan to install it into the place of the current light simply replacing it.

Is it legal for me to do this or must I get a sparky to come and attach it. I am not concerned with the complexities as no extra wires need to be run etc. it would simply be a plug and play arrangement! Any advice greatly appreciated!

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Snowflake

#339619 8-Jun-2010 23:50

a "bothroom" fan extractor? is that a single extractor for two rooms? :P

joking aside, i believe you can do your own wiring (except for connecting to fuse board), but you *must* get a sparky to come and certify it and provide you with a certificate of compliance. if you dont get it certified, your insurance certainly wont cover you if you burn your house down.

from memory, there was a good DIY section on the consumerbuild website: http://www.consumerbuild.org.nz

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itxtme

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#339624 9-Jun-2010 00:25

Regs: a "bothroom" fan extractor? is that a single extractor for two rooms? :P

joking aside, i believe you can do your own wiring (except for connecting to fuse board), but you *must* get a sparky to come and certify it and provide you with a certificate of compliance. if you dont get it certified, your insurance certainly wont cover you if you burn your house down.

from memory, there was a good DIY section on the consumerbuild website: http://www.consumerbuild.org.nz

haha whoops, too late to edit!!

I had a look at the website you quoted and I am unsure on what the actual job will constitute - http://www.consumerbuild.org.nz/publish/diy/diylegal-electrical.php

It mentions code of compliance only for changing wires and this job would be a straight connection onto already existing wires.

It goes on to say its legal to

Fitting plugs, cord extension sockets or appliance connectors to a flexible cord.

and this is what makes me think it is OK, guess i'll have to check with an electrician!!

Regs

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Snowflake

#339625 9-Jun-2010 00:31

the wiring in your wall won't be flexible cord to start with..... flexible cord would be like a cord hanging off an appliance.

it does say the following which suggests it may be ok:

Replacing switches, socket outlets, lamp holders, ceiling roses, water heater switches, thermostats and elements.

i'd certainly recommend calling a friendly electrician, or even an 0900 advice line if one existed. There may be loading restrictions on the circuit you attach to, or some other requirement regarding ducting that an electrician would know about.

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#339630 9-Jun-2010 00:37

Cheers, will do that for the sake of insurance ;)

mentalinc

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#339753 9-Jun-2010 12:27

Suggest you look at a showerdome (http://www.showerdome.co.nz).
No need to get rid of the steam as there isn't any.

I have rigged up a DIY version to test it, basiclly put clear plastic over the shower to form the seal. To see what the "sauna" effect it creates was bearably.

Lots of talk on the trade me community about them.

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Snowflake

#339793 9-Jun-2010 14:01

mentalinc: Suggest you look at a showerdome (http://www.showerdome.co.nz).
No need to get rid of the steam as there isn't any.

concept is great but they tend to kill the aesthetics somewhat. also, if you have a lot of baths you might still need an extractor fan.

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chiefie

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#339797 9-Jun-2010 14:04

You will need electrician to avoid any possible damage that home insurance won't be covering due to undertaking the task by yourself.

Also, you may want to find the extractor that have tubing to extract the air to external, not to the attic/roof.

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Snowflake

#339800 9-Jun-2010 14:08

chiefie: Also, you may want to find the extractor that have tubing to extract the air to external, not to the attic/roof.

I *think* that venting into the roof cavity is actually against the building code... i think that there is also a rule about downlights with too much ventilation being against the rules for bathrooms given that too much steam would vent into the roof cavity.

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scuwp

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#339814 9-Jun-2010 14:51

You must get the work certified (about $45). Having just done similar myself I suggest you do the installation and just get the sparky to do the final connections and certify it while he is there.

Any extractor fans must be vented externally.

You run the risk of big insurance issues in the event everything subsequently goes pear-shaped and the correct certification wasn't done. It just ain't worth it.

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#339924 9-Jun-2010 20:03

scuwp: You must get the work certified (about $45). Having just done similar myself I suggest you do the installation and just get the sparky to do the final connections and certify it while he is there.

Any extractor fans must be vented externally.

You run the risk of big insurance issues in the event everything subsequently goes pear-shaped and the correct certification wasn't done. It just ain't worth it.

You got a link to the requirements that show that? For insurance yes that is most likley correct, but I did not think it was a legal requirement.

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Snowflake

#339928 9-Jun-2010 20:12

http://www.consumerbuild.org.nz/publish/maintenance/roof-space.php

"Make sure your kitchen, bathroom or laundry extractor fan doesn?t vent into the roof space. If it does, extend the venting to the exterior of your house. Under the Building Code, newly installed fans must vent to the outside of the house"

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#339994 9-Jun-2010 22:19

I was more referring to need to have it certed. Vent to outside, I would have thought was common sense.

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#340024 10-Jun-2010 00:12

If its a self contained one and you are not extending the TPS wiring its just a swap of fitting so no cert required.

If you have more wall switches for it etc then its new fixed wiring so needing a sign off.

All the rules changed on the start of april and there are still sparkys out there with no clue so be careful of that.

There is supposed to be supplier declarations of conformity on fittings etc, but asking for copys of the supplier declarations gets blank stares and grunts from the place I asked.

Richard rich.ms

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#340120 10-Jun-2010 11:17

Regs: I *think* that venting into the roof cavity is actually against the building code... i think that there is also a rule about downlights with too much ventilation being against the rules for bathrooms given that too much steam would vent into the roof cavity.

Imagine going to someone's house, they are in the shower, and steam is pouring out of the downlights in the lounge. I would actually ROFL.

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#340174 10-Jun-2010 13:15

mums old cieling fan in the bathroom was just vented to the cieling cavity since it was a tile roof it had plenty of breeze thru there.

Since then it has been reroofed in metal tiles with building paper. They should have suggested venting it properly.

Then she did something dumb and got an HRV installed. They put the thing about 3m along from the fan. So if someone has a shower now, shampoo smell is blown thru the whole house.

Richard rich.ms

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