Bought this to replace a budget fan that had finally given up the ghost after 8 years service.
I ended up having to mount the last fan on rubber grommets as the vibration through the ceiling joists (which the fan was screwed to) was making a very noticeable droning noise through the bathroom ceiling. Retro-fitting the rubber grommets largely cured this but the noise was still there.... Even when the fan was on during showering the bathroom still steamed up badly (resembled a steam room!) and the fan had to be left on for 15mins after the event to clear the fog!
Fast forward to the present and the Manrose fan arrived in a big box! I was amazed as to just how much larger it was compared to the fan it was replacing! Not a big deal for me as the fan was going into the loft and the area where it was to be fitted had plenty of free space. Folk that are mounting this in a very tight space I would advise to carefully check the fan's dimensions to avoid disappointment...
The fan was a doddle to fit! From looking out the ladders from my garage to switching the fan on took 35mins tops, and that was me taking my time. The fan cover hiding the electrical connections is held on with 4 Philips screws and after that all you really need is a small flat blade driver for the electrical terminals on the fan block connector. Oh and you have to pierce the rubber "grommet" to thread the mains cable through to the terminal block connector and there is a cable clamp to tighten once the wiring is completed. No earth wiring is needed as the unit is double-insulated. As this is the non-timer version of the fan, only two wires need connected at the fan. Simplicity itself!
The fan has two speed settings that can be used, and you select the speed by deciding which terminal you connect the neutral wire to - again very straightforward (supplied instructions quite clear). I selected the slower speed as I only have a small bathroom.
I decided to re-use the rubber grommets as I had them to hand and lightly screwed the fan down onto the joist (you need your own screws for this) taking care not to over-compress the grommets.
The flexible hosing was quickly connected to the fan and I used duct tape to ensure the hosing would not come loose and also to ensure an air-tight seal. You can also use cable ties (or I expect a very large metal hose clip) to do the same thing.
So job done, then! What's it like in use? To be honest it's a revelation in comparison to what went before! The bathroom hardly steams up at all now, and less than 5 mins later what little steam was there is gone! The bathroom mirror is quite close to the shower (it's a bath shower with a curtain, not a shower cubicle so steam can escape beyond the shower area) but the mirror is only JUST starting to fog-up after a 10 min shower, and that disappears quickly. Noise-wise the motor itself is completely silent, with not even the faintest vibration coming through the ceiling! The noise you do hear is of the air being sucked through the vent - which you never heard with the old fan - probably because it didn't shift nearly as much air. The suction noise is pretty noticeable, but I don't find it annoying - if anything its good to know the extraction is so effective!
All in all I rate this fan really highly. It seems very well made, is mechanically near-silent, shifts a heck of a lot of air (even on low setting) and is easy to install. Servicing the motor (e.g. to remove lint/dust) only involves removing two screws and the fan part of the assembly detaches from the rest of the fan body, leaving the hoses undisturbed. Excellent! Can't comment on reliability, but the fan runs on good bearings and the chassis seems solid, so I expect it'll last.
| Manufacturer | Manrose |
|---|---|
| Part Number | MF100S |
| Product Dimensions | 19.81 x 24.89 x 30.73 cm; 1.83 kg |
| Item model number | MF100S |
| Size | 100 |
| Colour | Black |
| Style | Industrial |
| Material | Plastic |
| Item Package Quantity | 1 |
| Flow rate | 68 Litres Per Minute |
| Air Flow Capacity | 68 Cubic Feet Per Minute |
| Sound level | 24 dB |
| Blade length | 100 Millimetres |
| Plug profile | Floor Mount |
| Certification | approved |
| Special Features | High Velocity, Waterproof |
| Included Components | MF100S |
| Batteries included? | No |
| Batteries Required? | No |
| Item Weight | 1.83 kg |
