Sealing up a broken bathroom extractor fan

Cocooning2020

Hey All,

Quick question about sealing up a broken extractor fan.

I'll give a bit of background as it is relevant. Please bear with me.

I have recently moved into a flat in a 1970s red brick block of flats. I'm on the third out of four floors, in an 'end' flat. The extractor fan in the bathroom is not working, and there is no chance of it being fixed (the block of flats is going to be demolished in a couple of years - for regeneration, not because it is structurally unsound or anything - so they are not really doing any repair work at all).

The smell of cigarette smoke coming in through the fan is pretty overpowering. It spreads out from the bathroom into the rest of the flat. I cannot tell where it is coming from. It might be my upstairs / downstairs neighbour. The other side of the bathroom wall where the fan is is an external wall. There is no hole in that wall, level with the fan or otherwise, so the extractor fan must just give onto internal piping/ventilation, and the smell/air could be coming from anywhere, in fairness. When a neighbour flushes the toilet, it flows through the pipes in my bathroom, so the flats are all definitely pretty well connected, piping wise. There's a pretty funky smell in the bedroom and sitting room too.

So, here's the thing: I could live with the smell. It's not particularly pleasant, but I can always use air freshener / plug-ins / candles. But it's recently dawned on me that if I can smell someone else's cigarette smoke to that extent, and it's not coming from outside, then the air must be circulating to a significant amount in the building, and into my flat, through that hole.

The problem is, I am cocooning. I'm really vulnerable to this virus. I've not been out much at all since March 2020 (other than to move flat, which was a real nightmare), and I have only had one family member (who is in a bubble with me) visit since that was allowed. It's been pretty tough. And I'm now a bit afraid that all those efforts might be pointless, and that my home itself might not be safe because of the ventilation issues. There is no prospect of me being able to move again.

So, all that to say, I was wondering about blocking up the fan, which is not working anyway. I understand that it may lead to condensation / mould / mildew, but I'd sooner take my chances with that, rather than the virus. I can leave the bathroom door open always, so at least air will circulate from the rest of the flat.

It won't let me post a picture of the vent or a link to it online, as I'm a new user, but it's basically a white circular fan cover, with a smaller solid circle in the middle. It doesn't seem to easily come off for me to see inside.

I don't think just taping / taping plastic over the front of it would do the trick. A friend suggested filling it with builders' foam.

I'd be really grateful for any ideas.

I'll be living here until the place is ready to be regenerated, so there is no risk of ruining it for anyone else, or anything like that.

ted1

A hole in the wall is still a vent. Regardless if the fan is spinning.

Sealing it will cause damp issues like mould and is bad for your lungs. If there’s an existing fan. It’d cost about 120 to have it replaced. Report it to your landlord to fix.

cheif kaiser

If all the ventilation system throughout the flats is connected together, surely you blocking up yours would cause a blockage and prevent the smoke/steam from being ventilated away from all the flats proceeding yours?

If it were me, I would also replace it. They are not expensive and a decent handyman could easily connect it up for you. I actually have a spare bathroom vent in my shed if it's of any use to you, you are more than welcome to it.

ted1

cheif kaiser wrote: »

If all the ventilation system throughout the flats is connected together, surely you blocking up yours would cause a blockage and prevent the smoke/steam from being ventilated away from all the flats proceeding yours?

If it were me, I would also replace it. They are not expensive and a decent handyman could easily connect it up for you. I actually have a spare bathroom vent in my shed if it's of any use to you, you are more than welcome to it.

Is a handyman allowed replace a electrical fan? Then again if it’s in the bathroom it may be Lv

cheif kaiser

ted1 wrote: »

Is a handyman allowed replace a electrical fan? Then again if it’s in the bathroom it may be Lv

Minor electrical works are allowed such as replacing like for like switches, etc. I think a fan would be included in this?

Cocooning2020

Thanks a million for all the replies, guys. And thanks a million for the offer of the spare vent, Chief Kaiser. I'm v grateful, but I'm nowhere near unfortunately, as I'm stuck in London!

Thanks for the tips on fixing the fan. What I really want to do is seal it up, even if temporarily, until this plague passes. It's madness here, and all the circulating air from that other flat is really starting to freak me out. I have some Gorilla tape. I might give that a go.

policarp

Does the bathroom have a window?
If so, try to keep it open as often as you can.
If smell persists you will have to tape up the vent.

Sleeper12

cheif kaiser wrote:

Minor electrical works are allowed such as replacing like for like switches, etc. I think a fan would be included in this?

Nothing electrical in the bathroom is minor work. Legally only a registered electricial contractor can replace or remove the electric fan because its in a bathroom

whizbang

You wont die a horrible death because of anything caused by closing off a vent.
If anything, the cigarette smoke will get you first.

Bathrooms have vents, because of 'One for all rules' where common sense might be lacking. The other issue is the risk of long term damage to the structure, which obviously doesnt apply here either.

Common sense tells you to manually vent when needed, and maybe if you notice mould starting, open up a little hole.
Your smoker will probably have moved on before mould becomes an issue, if ever.

Roll out the tape.

Sleeper12

whizbang wrote:

You wont die a horrible death because of anything caused by closing off a vent. If anything, the cigarette smoke will get you first.

Em, carbon monoxide poisoning. Not in a bathroom but definitely elsewhere in the house. People have died from blocking vents in rooms where there are gas fires and back boiler

whizbang

Ooops: bit silly of me to no mention that bit, there might even be a gas boiler in the bathroom...

Dunfyy

Take cover off duct tape plastic over it
But you could install new one 3 wires then it will blow out smoke 15 euro
https://www.screwfix.ie/c/bathrooms-kitchens/bathroom-extractor-fans/cat840654#category=cat840654&sort_by=price

fritzelly

Dunfyy wrote: »

Take cover off duct tape plastic over it
But you could install new one 3 wires then it will blow out smoke 15 euro
https://www.screwfix.ie/c/bathrooms-kitchens/bathroom-extractor-fans/cat840654#category=cat840654&sort_by=price

If you go the route of replacing it (advisable) make sure you get like for like

The 15 euro one referred to above is a non timed one, you may have a timed one so the wiring is a tiny bit different (one extra wire)

Cocooning2020

Thanks for the responses guys. I went ahead and taped it up (tape, then a filter, then tape again). There is no gas boiler in the bathroom and the rest of the house is very well ventilated, so there are no safety issues, though I will keep the door open at all times and will keep an eye out for mould.

The main thing is though, it didn't solve the problem. The cigarette smell is still just as bad. It's like there's someone smoking in the bathroom.

On further investigation, it turns out there is a gap of about two inches all along the bottom of the bath, between the bath panel and the "skirting" board on the bottom of the bath. I took it off to look behind, and basically it seems like the smell - and a gale - are coming in through a hole in the wall where the main bath draining pipe goes into a wall (and various other holes in that wall). Presumably all the flats are connected through the panel / wall cavity behind it, and that is where the air / smell are coming from.

I'm guessing it wouldn't be the best idea to fill the holes with expanding foam, in case of a future leak. Anything else that I could use that might be air tight or relatively so, but would not impede access in the remote chance of a leak? Obviously, I'm ordering a new bath panel that will hopefully be as airtight as possible, if sealed around the edges. But I'd like to actually stop the air coming into the flat, and into the bath cavity, at all if possible.

Just to be clear. It's not the smell I'm concerned about. I could live with that - and have been living with it fine. It is the virus that has me really worried, given my vulnerabilities.

Thanks again.