Xpelair C4TS 4"/100mm Simply Silent Contour Extractor Fan Timer Delay

My old bathroom fan wasn't working when I moved in, so decided to buy a new one and wanted something that didn't just look like the normal circle with vents in it. This is that - it definitely looks more appealing and higher quality than a standard fan. It also feels higher quality. The installation was painless (although as the old fan was bodged in, I had to fill holes in first!) and the fan is effective in a bathroom with no window. It is a bit noisy though I run it on the higher speed setting, and I suspect that's not helped by my flat being rather small. If I close the bathroom and bedroom doors, I can't hear it (though then I imagine it struggling to pull air in the bathroom!). The noise isn't too annoying though. I've definitely had far worse! The timer - though not very well labelled for running time - is very easy to set with a small screwdriver, a stopwatch and a bit of experimentation. Edit on 22 May 2017: I've been so pleased with these that when my parents needed an extractor fan replacing in their house, I immediately purchased one of these and put it in. Still recommended! (Though setting the timers run time is still a guessing game)

Let's start saying that this is not the first air extractor I buy. I returned a Manrose Quite because it was actually "not quiet" at all, apart from developing a rattling few weeks after installation. This is actually really QUIET. 1) Noise At 2mt distance I record 45 db pick, but I have no carpet on the floor to absorb vibrations. To compare, with a normal air extractor that I bought at the same time, I record 55db (with carpet). In the bathroom you can obviously hear it. When I close the door the sound goes does to 28 db. I can ensure you that at night, with the door of the bathroom close (and the door of the bedroom open) I can barely hear it. 2) Installation Extremely easy to install. It uses a couple of clamps to stay in place on the roof, which I found extremely more useful and confortable to having to drill again and again, also considering the fact the my roof is plaster that brits easily. Cable connection is straight forward. Three cables with and easy nomenclature and job done. 3) I love the fact that the timer does not start immediately but it is delayed 5 seconds. In this way if you turn on the light for just a moment or by mistake the turbine would not be activated. 4) Suction power. I consider this pretty standard and in line with the Manrose. When I shower the mirror still gets foggy but it last much less than without the extractor. Also I don't have anymore condensation inside the glass window. Important to consider that this model has a shutter on top of the turbine that it closes itself when it is not in use avoiding annoying raft of air coming from the loft during cold winter. 5) Design. Honestly this is a much modern design that the Manrose. The turbine is hided behind a nice panel. TO IMPROVE 1) Timer switch. To adjust the time you have to unscrew the top. I believe that they could have placed the dial in a better place but it is also true that once installed it is something you want to constantly change. 2) The colour of the plastic. This results to be a brilliant white (with a point of blue). It is quite noticeable compared with the white that is normally used for wall which has a warm point. To sum up. I am extremely happy with this air extractor and I believe I made the right choice returning the Manrose.

First challenge, to remove the outer cover. Just twist anti clockwise… had to use extreme force, moulding tolerances so tight, done. Modified the 3 click together parts with a scalpel for a better fit. A wonder nothing broke. Then, to remove the cover from the baseplate push in a latching tab. Er, another design masterpiece, it requires immense force to do this. Will be fun if I need to do this again, with the unit mounted on the ceiling. The instructions are very poor, printed in tiny type. Lack clarity, and probably written by a trainee technical guy. The opposite of user friendly. I don’t think the marketing guys, if any, had much input on this. Well, I am a very experienced DIYer, so problems solved. Now the good news—the fan is whisper quiet, and looks good. I have bought another one for our second bathroom, but anticipate more hassle. Ho hum, we get there in the end,

good easy installation

Sturdy and powerful, it delivers excellent performance with a sleek, modern design. A particularly thoughtful feature is the internal lid, which prevents condensation from dripping back onto the circuits to avoid system malfunctions and ensures long-term reliability.

Great fit.

Nice quality. Front cover sits about 53mm above the mounting surface. Not simply silent as stated. With the fan switched off my professional sound level meter reads 19dB in the bathroom with the door and window closed on a quiet day. This is recording studio quiet levels. With the fan mounted in the brick wall and switched on on, at 1 metre distance I measured 41dB. That is equivalent to a typical fan heater at about 2.5metres. So quiet I suppose but by no means 'simply silent' (unless you are hard of hearing) . There are two hinged flaps in the outlet that have a clear plastic film piece clipped to them I presume they are supposed to act to close the flaps when the fan is off. (They open by air pressure). Both had fallen off in transit and didn't want to stay on. It seems as there was some kind of retainer retainer missing. So the flaps on mine don't close when the fan stops. Has anyone else seen this? Otherwise a big improvement on the last fan. Instructions and presentation and the flap closing mechanism need some consideration by the manufacturer.

The multi-model instructions are perfunctory and not that helpful. There's a wiring diagram - but no diagram of wiring into the terminal block - which is not essential but would be helpful for a less confident installer. There's no earthing point - which is a surprise to me for a bathroom/damp/wet area appliance but I guess suggests the designers expect it to be insulated by design. The principal clip-on assembly catch point is both very difficult to operate (requires a very hard press with screwdriver blade) and potentially ends up being awkwardly positioned after install for future maintenance. The rear-fitted butterfly valve design is flimsy in the extreme and could be easily damaged during unpack/install - especially if you were in the middle of 2nd fix with stuff all over the place. The "consumer access channels" for wiring routing are likely to snap beyond their intended limits if opened. Worst of all, despite the advantage of being a circular unit, there's no allowance for rotating the room-facing covers (square and circular provided) to account for the different needs of your install. So you could easily end up with the 'square' cover forced to sit off-square when clipped on. The circular cover isn't immune either having the brand name printed on it - which you may be forced to display at an angle. In operation (my purchase was timer but no humidistat), it works fine. I swapped the jumper on the wiring board (fiddly, badly described in instructions) so the fan operates in "fast" mode and the timer is set to maximum. Noise is a bit less than the unit it replaced - but not significantly. Timer runs short of the intended 30 minutes. After all of that, I didn't bother committing to permanent fixing by drilling the marble stone surrounds. This unit will be coming out and changed for something better. Could only recommend this if you're using it as a like-for-like replacement. Otherwise this could well be your next piece of small electrical recycling.

Semplice installazione, disegno elegante e rumorosità, al massimo della velocità nei limiti. Utilissima la possibilità di gestire manualmente la durata del timer. Attenzione alla profondità del foro in cui inserirlo perchè nel caso che ci sia un tubo con curva (destra, sinistra o in alto) non entra completamente e si deve inserire esternamente uno spessore forato per farlo aderire al muro. Per me è stato un ottimo acquisto.

Tres silencieux...a la vitesse 1, si besoin de la 2eme vitesse, l'appareil est bruyant! Mais s'installe facilement et fonctionne bien

La confezione comprende anche i tasselli per il fissaggio al muro, cosa gradevole da trovare con l'apparecchio; le istruzioni sono dettagliate, anche se non chiarissime in un punto; in ogni caso il montaggio ed il collegamento ha richiesto non più di una mezz'oretta. Il modello da me acquistato è quello col timer che prevede la disattivazione ritardata, e si può impostare da pochi secondi fino ad un massimo di 30 minuti. Il design è lineare, minimale, non eccezionale ma più che dignitoso. L'unica pecca è che speravo fosse un filino più silenzioso, mentre invece il rumore è sensibilmente percepibile.

Preso questo ventilatore da bagno per sostituirne uno vecchio rotto, questo Xpelair C4TS è discreto, bello esteticamente e poco rumoroso, la versione è quella con timer, solo che all'inizio sembrava non funzionare, ma non potendo usufruire del timer perchè non avevo il terzo cavo nella canalina, avrei dovuto passare un altro ed era difficoltoso, quindi ho dovuto fare un ponte con un cavo corto qualche cm sui due cavi principali, ora funziona tutto perfettamente.

Malgré des heures à comprendre comment ce truc pouvait se brancher... impossible de le faire fonctionner!!! A fuir. définitivement nul!