Xpelair Extractor Fan DX100T - Not Working

PCA-66 · Friday at 4:53 PM

Hi, just moved into a new property and there is an issue with the extractor fan in the downstairs toilet/shower room, which doesn't work. I've taken off the cover and checked the wiring which all appears to be correct, according to the manual (viewed online). Weird thing is, when i was checking for power to the extractor fan (i was using a Unitest tester) it kicked in when i touched the Live & Live Feed ports. The extractor will then run for around 15 minutes before shutting off. When i use the light switch to turn it on again Nothing. The only way to get it going is to again bridge the Live & Live Feed.

Any ideas what might be causing the issue, the extractor obviously works it just not getting the message to start when the light is turned on.

Thanks All

DefyG · Friday at 6:15 PM

It does sound like it is not getting the trigger feed. Loose/incorrect connection somewhere, at switch, light, fan isolator (in fan itself)??

littlespark · Friday at 8:40 PM

Does the fan actually have a live and a switched live (and neutral) cable?

I’m wondering if it’s just been wired as a standard fan, which was faulty… and the seller has just replaced it quickly with the wrong fan just to get it on market.

PCA-66 · Friday at 10:48 PM

littlespark said:
Does the fan actually have a live and a switched live (and neutral) cable?

I’m wondering if it’s just been wired as a standard fan, which was faulty… and the seller has just replaced it quickly with the wrong fan just to get it on market.

Hi Littlespark,

Yes, i think so.

The connecter block has three ports for i guess live, neutral and live/switch.

I've attached a photo - Hope that helps

Thanks

brianmoooore · Friday at 11:55 PM

All looks OK there. You now need to find the other end of that cable. Is there an isolator switch?

PCA-66 · 2025-01-04T07:18:13+0000

brianmoooore said:
All looks OK there. You now need to find the other end of that cable. Is there an isolator switch?

Getting out of my depth here a bit. the fan is operated by a standard light switch situated outside the toilet/shower. I'm not aware there is an isolator switch. Problem is the light fitting appears to be glued to the ceiling making the wiring inaccessible, although that works fine.

littlespark · 2025-01-04T08:45:28+0000

A fan isolator looks like a standard light switch but with a wider rocker. Usually fitted outside the bathroom, high up on the wall…. But also could be inside.

Can we see the light fitting. “glued” doesn’t sound good.

PCA-66 · 2025-01-04T19:24:15+0000

littlespark said:
A fan isolator looks like a standard light switch but with a wider rocker. Usually fitted outside the bathroom, high up on the wall…. But also could be inside.

Can we see the light fitting. “glued” doesn’t sound good.

Unfortunately, there is no way the existing light fitting is coming off the ceiling unless I break it out, which isn't an option at the minute. So I cannot access the wiring between the light fitting and the extractor fan.

Could I install a standard fan that doesn't have a run on timer ? Would that work, as I think that only has two ports for live & neutral and no need for the live/switch cable. If so, would it be safe to just cap the live/switch cable if this is possible.

Thanks Again

brianmoooore · 2025-01-04T22:28:04+0000

You could change it for a fan with a pull cord on/off switch, with or without a timer.
It might even be possible to retrofit a pull cord into your existing fan. The cases are often made to suit several models of a fan, and there may well be fixing pins for a switch and a slot for the string already present.