Proper air ventilation can make a world of difference. Whether a home or commercial property, every space needs adequate ventilation to maintain good air quality. Poor air quality has a detrimental effect on your health, and it also deteriorates building structures. 

Installing extractor vents is the best way to maintain a quality indoor environment. These devices extract moisture, vapour, and more to give you clean, breathable air. Here’s everything to know about extractor vents. 

What Are The Best Extractor Vents?

With so many options, it can take time to narrow down the right extractor vent for you. If you’re looking for high-quality extractor vents, visit Meteor Electrical. 

Meteor carries a wide range of extractor products that keep your home humidity-free without taking up too much electricity. These vents can easily integrate into their surroundings for a seamless finish. Here are some of the best extractor vents Meteor has to offer. 

1.      Xpelair Simply Silent Contour Extractor vent

The Xpelair Contour extractor vent is an excellent option for those looking for an integrated system. This vent has a smooth base plate that hides all the mechanisms and components for a clean look. 

The minimalist design makes it ideal for any kind of installation. You can also fit it in multiple ways. Whether you want a wall mount or ceiling fit, there is so much you can do with this Xpelair system. 

Apart from the sleek design, this vent also boasts a powerful extraction ability allowing you to choose between two-speed options. 

1.      Airflow iCon 30 Extractor vent Auto Iris Shutter

The Airflow iCon 30 is a powerful extractor vent with a rate of 32 litres per second. This is a great choice for domestic properties, including bathrooms, kitchens and utility rooms. 

You can also install it in larger spaces due to its powerful functionality. Despite its robust mechanics, the airflow vent is quieter to run compared to other larger vents. 

1.      Xpelair Simply Silent Shower Extractor vent

If you’re looking for an integrated shower extractor, this Xpelair model is a great option. This shower extractor can easily fit into your ceiling without taking up too much space in the bathroom. 

Alongside this vent, you will find flexible ducting and a white external grille to make installation easier. You can operate this vent with a remote switch or sensor for better functionality. 

Designed with Ghost Air Movement technology, you can keep this vent running without worrying about any noise pollution. Use the integral timer feature to clean your shower air, moisture, and humidity. 

1.      Xpelair Simply Silent Extractor vent

One of the best options at Meteor includes the Xpelair Simply Silent Extractor vent. This powerful extractor device features an over-run timer for better operation and is also compatible with a sensor device. 

You can toggle the timer between seconds to 30 minutes. The Xpelair vent is highly efficient and uses Ghost Air Movement technology for silent running. 

This is an excellent option for almost any bathroom as it works at an exchange rate of 15L/s or 21L/s. This device allows you to enjoy powerful air circulation with excess energy charges.  

What Are The Benefits of Installing Extractor Vents?

Extractor vents are useful for many reasons, as they improve the functionality of your space and create a hospitable environment. These vents can be installed in any space that has problems with smoke, humidity and gasses. Here are some great benefits of extractor vents. 

1.      Keep Humidity Under Control

One of the most common areas where extractor vents are installed includes the bathroom and laundry room. These spaces often struggle with mould and mildew caused by excessive humidity and steam. 

While many products can eliminate this problem, they only present a temporary fix. The best way to keep your humidity under control is by investing in extractor vents. These devices take care of the root cause and provide clean air. 

1.      Breathe Easy Without Gas And Smoke

Any space accumulating too much air pollution can benefit highly from extractor vents. Kitchens are a great area to install extractor vents to filter out cooking smoke and steam. This will make it easier to perform tasks for a long time. 

You can also install vents in the basement with old gas equipment and garage workshops with a lot of fine dust. Keeping the air clean will reduce potential electrical hazards in the future. 

1.      Keep Away Steam And Odours

Apart from removing smoke, extractor kitchen vents remove steam and odours resulting from cooking. These vents limit damage to ceilings and walls, especially if you mount them directly above the stovetop. 

In addition, these vents will also get rid of grease, eliminating the need to wash the walls around the cooking area too much.

1.      Create A Temperate Environment

In hotter regions, extractor vents can also act as heat removal devices. Typically, heat rises and remains upwards towards the ceiling, so a vent can extract this heat into the roof and create a continuous loop of cool air indoors. 

1.      Maintain The Aesthetic Of Walls And Fabrics

This is an important factor in areas where people smoke often. The tar in cigarette smoke slowly builds up and deposits as a thin layer on windows, walls and furniture. When your extractor smokes through a vent, it keeps your walls and furniture clean for much longer. 

Extractor vents in bathrooms get rid of any mildew and dampness that could seep into the structure and ruin it. For these reasons, you can see why extractor vents are important.  

How Do Extractor Vents Work?

To find the best extractor vents, you must understand what they are and how they work. An extractor vent is a variation of an electric vent, and these extractor vents are mainly used in bathrooms, kitchens, or laundry rooms. 

Extractor vents are most commonly used in such locations because they extract odours, smoke, and moisture from the areas. These devices come in various styles and varieties to suit every space. 

The great thing about extractor vents is that they use little energy ranging around 5-36W. Even the most powerful options make good use of electricity to provide comfort and convenience. 

Still, remember that an extractor vent's electricity consumption depends on the product's brand and model. However, the highest wattage is typically under 40 watts, so you won’t have to worry about high energy bills.  

If you’re thinking of large-scale installations, you can find commercial extractor vents. These have a higher air exchange capacity, making them perfect for commercial and industrial kitchens. 

Some standard features of extractor vents include their size, voltage, noise level, and the vent’s ability to regulate temperature or humidity changes. Consider these factors when looking for the most suitable extractor vent.

Purchasing Extractor Vents According To Size

If you want to minimise energy use, small extractor vents with low-voltage motors are specially designed to reduce excess energy use. Despite their compact size, these extractor vents provide excellent air extraction qualities. 

Most households use larger extractor vents because they work best for bigger rooms with excessive moisture. Larger extractor vents also work best if smoke is a significant concern for the consumer. 

However, one important thing to remember is that the larger the extractor vent, the noisier the vent will be. Consider noise levels before purchasing and installing a large extractor vent.  

What Are The Different Ways To Install Extractor Vents?

Not all extractor vents are built the same, as many come with their benefits and drawbacks. You’ll have to browse through several models to find your ideal system. 

Here’s a look at some of the most common types of extractor vents. 

Ceiling Extractor vents

As the name suggests, ceiling extractor vents are mounted onto the ceiling above the shower area or in the middle of the bathroom. These devices extract air upwards through the ceiling and expel it into the duct or roof cavity to be released outside. 

Ceiling mounted vents are one of the most common space ventilating methods. If you go with ceiling extractor vents, consider the airflow required. This is usually based on the bathroom’s size and how frequently it is used. 

Next, you should also look at the hole size for easier installation. Checking the size is extremely crucial if you’re replacing an existing vent. Lastly, the vent needs to connect to a duct, so ensure this equipment has space. 

Here are some more factors to consider when choosing a ceiling bathroom extractor vent:

• Are you replacing an old vent or installing a new unit? If you want to replace an older model, match the new vent to the existing hole size. The hole size is not a significant issue for a new installation, as you will cut one specific to the new extractor vent. 
• Leave space for ductwork to ensure your ceiling vent works. Modern ceiling extractor vents require ducting that leads outside. You can vent this into this cavity with extra roof space. Keep ducting short and direct for this extractor vent.

Wall Extractor Vents

Wall extractor vents are a much more practical option in areas with limited ceiling space. Consumers also have more variety in features, size and quality regarding wall-mounted extractor vents. You can choose low-voltage options for smaller bathrooms or larger systems for a higher extraction rate. 

Usually, a wall extractor vent comprises a motor component on the inside with ducting leading to an external vent. As with ceiling vents, you must measure the hole and depth size before replacing your extractor vents. For new installation, you only need to consider the depth of the wall. 

Inline Extractor vents

An inline extractor vent is placed directly in the ceiling and mounted between duct lengths. 

Inline extractor vents are popular in areas that don’t have enough space or clearance for ceiling exhaust vents. These vents are also known for having reduced noise levels. 

There are three standard motors on inline extractor vents:

• Centrifugal Motor: Suitable for longer ducting and areas where there might be bending. This motor has a higher airflow working alongside high pressure. The long ducting is necessary for carrying the high air volume. 
• Axial Motor: they have a single propeller, ideal for installations with short ducting with minimal bends. This motor is great at moving large amounts of air at low pressure. 
• Mixflow Motors: as the name suggests, this motor is a mix of axial and centrifugal components. For larger motors, you will see more centrifugal features; axials are more prominent for smaller versions. This motor works well with longer ducting that bends. 

Size Consideration For Extractor Vents

When it comes to extractor vents, there are several sizes to choose from.  The vent size will be the same if you install a new extractor vent into an existing space. But if you’re renovating and designing a new space, you need to find the right extractor vent according to the size of your space. 

To start, you need to measure the size of your shower area or bathroom. With the tape measure, note your bathroom's height, width and length. This measurement will give you an idea of how powerful the extractor vent needs to be. 

4-inch vents are ideal for smaller rooms in a house, such as showers rooms and en-suite bathrooms. 

You would use 6-inch vents vent in medium-sized rooms requiring higher moisture extraction. 9 and 12-inch vents are much larger vents suitable for commercial spaces. A 6-inch vent is also ideal if multiple people share one bathroom, meaning the extractor vent will be used frequently.

With these options, you can see that the ideal size range for a shower extractor vent lies between the 4 to 6-inch range. This measurement gives you a better idea of what to look for when choosing a shower vent.