Showerlight fan problem

[D Skelton]

I've been asked to sort out two showerlight fans, exactly the same as the one shown below:



The problem is that the lights in the middle of both fans work fine (which would also indicate that both trannys work fine) but the extraction doesn't. The customer isn't sure but they think that the two isolators fitted above both bathroom doors isolated the fans but not the lights however upon closer inspection, there is only the one cable entering the trannys and only one set of tails from the trannys to the lights.

When I checked, the isolators dont affect the lights. Also, the customer is pretty sure that both fans stopped working within a month of each other after working fine for four years.

Any ideas what the problem could be? My plan is to just replace both units.

 

[telectrix]

for what they cost, it's quickest option. you could test for volts at each fan, but is most likely they're kaput.

 

[D Skelton]

Yeah, my only concern was the way they stopped working so close to each other timewise. Is there a known problem with this sort of fan? Are they likely to pack up quicker than the normal style, mains powered fans?

 

[telectrix]

are the fans themselves 12v?

 

[D Skelton]

Yes, they are.

 

[Engineer54]

They just don't make fan motors like they used too. They once lasted forever and a day, now your real lucky to see 5 years out of them.

Even floor standing fans are pants now, must have gone through 6 or 7 of the things in Cyprus. Yet we brought a floor fan from UK that was my parents, they had it for years, and apart from a fan that i bought in Cyprus June 2010, that old fan is the only one that is still in service, and starts every time!! lol!!

 

[telectrix]

worn out commutators and/or carbon brushes. bearings shot, take your pick. things ain't made to last any more, like engineer says.

 

[D Skelton]

Yeah, probably all mass manufactured in some 3rd world country using the cheapest parts known to man.

 

[Engineer54]

Yep, it's definitely the components that are the pants these day's, ....it doesn't matter where the final products are put together. Come across more than a few German products in recent years, that were as bad as anything you would find from the 3rd world countries...