Maxxfan installed

[Adrianlle]

Greetings from the U.K. For some time I have wanted to install a fan in the Cook for hot days and nights but also for airflow on damp humid days. I was in inspired by Jurgen’s installation of a Fantastic Fan but that would not be possible on the Cook with Yellow furniture. So the fan would need to be installed in the bathroom and either the bathroom door kept open a crack or a vent in the door or panel above. My research showed that the maxxfan can be used in the damp/rain, has 10 quiet speeds and a low power draw. It also can have a shade for blackout and still have ventilation. It was cheaper than the Fantastic Fan It’s only disadvantage was that because if it design it slightly overhangs the end of the roof. For me the many advantages outweighed that disadvantage. After all there is so much clutter on the back of my Cook when on a trip- bikes, air awning etc that it really didn’t matter.
So a few days ago I installed the fan and the blackout shade with leds. I managed with a tall stepladder butScaffolding is better. Also even with a tall stepladder I couldn’t reach everywhere on the roof. I found that a stool on the bathroom floor ( on a panel to spread the load) enabled me to get head and arms through the hole in the roof( with contortions!).

This is what I did:

1. In the bathroom pull down the shade for the mini Heki. It just pulls away. Then you will see a flange with 12 screw heads. Take them out and pull down the trim underneath.

2 Then on the stepladder take a blunt round ended knife and on the roof work round between the Heki flange and the roof. The glue should be a messy non setting Sikaflex or similar. I used the same for the new fan roof frame -Sika 710 white.

3. Back in the bathroom, with the Sika seal broken, push up and the Heki should come away from the roof.

4. Back up the stepladder. Remove the Heki. Now remove all the messy Sika(yuk!). I used a little white spirit and a plastic scraper.

5. Now you have a hole with clean surround and with a wooden frame lining the hole. So now take the mounting frame for the Fan and place it in the hole so that it is a snug fit. See the photo below of the hole from below with the mounting frame about to be dropped in.

6. I used double sided tape to adjust everything until I was sure of positions. Then marked with pencil and removed it.

7. When positioning the frame it will be slightly smaller than the hole. If you are also going to fit the shade then every millimetre counts to ensure the flap in the bathroom for the space over the kitchen does not foul the shade surround. So I positioned the frame hard against the rear end of the hole. That millimetre or so that you gain by not positioning it centrally makes v little difference to the look of the overhang. But it makes all the difference to the flap not fouling the shade surround.

8. With the frame in place then drop in the fan itself which will later be secured to the surround by 4 pre drilled bolt holes. See below the picture from below of the surround and fan in place. See also from the earlier pict that I drilled a hole in the wooden surround to get the wiring back into the space behind the bathroom light.

9. When you come to finally fix the frame surround you will drill and screw 16 screws through the surround bedded on new Sika ,through the fibreglass roof skin below and into the wooden surround. I was ok getting the screws into the wood from above but had to do some of additional additional wood underneath- see later. But satisfy yourself at this stage that the screws from on top will find the wood.

10 With the Surround and fan in place you now offer up the garnish trim that hides the wood etc. For the led light shade you will need to drill a small hole in the garnish to get the wires away. Tip- when you are feeding the.cable from the fan through the hole you have drilled in the wood back to behind the lamp, at the same time run a positive and negative wire for the leds. That way the wiring is in place.

11. See below for photo of garnish trim now in place.

12. The shade clips on to its own frame surround. That surround and the garnish rim above it have to be screwed through the ceiling into the wooden frame above. There are 4 screws. 3 of mine found wood but for the 4th I had to bond an extra piece of wood from the workshop onto the existing frame. You may be lucky and have a perfectly aligned wooden surround.!

14. But remember that the cupboard flap has to clear the shade. To achieve that uou will need to mount the shade frame slightly off centre on the garnish flange to create a millimetre or so more space. This took a lot of fiddling with the 2 sided tape before I found the right spot. Being off centre is not really noticed once shade itself is on.

15. Below you can see the garnish ring with the shade mounting frame attached and the shade itself with wiring about to be offered up.

16 Then below you will see the shade in place and leds on. They are not too bright - just about right. I wired them to the feed behind the bathroom lamp( once unscrewed). Later I will remove the mirror and run a dedicated feed from the wardrobe.

17. Below is then the photo of the remote in place ( secured by 3m so no holes) With the door open a fraction no need to remove it from holster.

18. Then below are shots of the top of roof ( still with Sika needing to be cleaned up(yuk!). That shows also that I have room FH my 2 x 100w solar panels between fan and big Heki.

19. Then a shot of the overhang,which is not an issue for me, and finally with the fan working with the hood raised!

All in all about 6 hours to fit fan and a few more fiddling around with shade etc. Inside a v nice appearance, and fan v quiet and low draw. So roll on the end if Lockdown so that I can now use it. Photos below and in following post due to size
Adrian

[Adrianlle]

I have the remaining photos to send but not sure how as keep getting message saying error- file to big?

[Adrianlle]

There are a lot of typos etc in my long post above. I edited it and included some greater clarification in draft before sending but for some reason the unedited version was posted. So happy to answer any questions and to send the remaining photos if someone can tell me how to do that in a way that is not one photo at a time! Adrian

[Adrianlle]

Remaining photos- reduced in size in order to send.

[komposti]

Hallo Adrian,
vielen Dank für die ausführliche Einbaubeschreibung - sehr gut gemacht
Die Fotos sind auch sehr schön, danke auch dafür.

Jetzt muss nur noch dieser elende Lockdown ein Ende haben,
damit man wieder auf die Reise gehen kann um die Vorzüge des Maxx Fan auszuprobieren.

Bleib negativ und gesund, alles Gute, Thomas

[Adrianlle]

Thank you Thomas.

[OldWest]

Thanks for the write-up.

After you use for awhile, please keep us updated. Ventilation flow. Etc. (One negative of the Fantastic Vent is the hassle of cleaning the fan blades; newer Fantastic Vent versions have a removable fan blade from the interior for easier cleaning).

Use as a clothes dryer (the NAFTA version has a clothesline retractable lines--with fan blowing, posters say can dry stuff).

[jc_family]

English:
Thank you for the detailed documentation. Since I have installed a solar system that I have positioned exactly in front of the frame of the original window, I would be interested to know whether the frame of the Maxxfan requires more space at the front than the original window (especially when the window is open or closed)?
The frame of the original window is made of metal, isn't it? Do I understand correctly that it will be removed completely (i.e. the frame that faces the front in the picture below)?

Many greetings
Florian

Deutsch:
Vielen Dank für die detaillierte Dokumentation. Da ich eine Solaranlage verbaut habe, die ich genau vor dem Rahmen des Original-Fensters positioniert habe, würde mich interessieren, ob der Rahmen des Maxxfan vorne mehr Platz benötigt, als das Original-Fenster (insbesondere auch, wenn das Fenster dann geöffnet oder geschlossen ist)?
Beim Original-Fenster ist der Rahmen doch aus Metall, oder? Verstehe ich das richtig, das der komplett mit ausgebaut wird (also der Rahmen, der im unteren Bild nach vorne zeigt)?

[Adrianlle]

I too had a solar panel immediately in front of the bathroom Heki with no room to spare between the edge of the Heki and the panel edge. So I had the same concern about the Maxxfan. It turned out not to be an issue. So I would not expect it to be a problem for you ) I have 2x100w panel’s between the bathroom Heki and the main heki.
I have been v pleased with the versatility of the maxxfan and also it’s v low noise and low power consumption. Adrian

[jc_family]

Thank you Adrian! I also installed two panels between the two hekis. Great to hear that you are still pleased with the Maxxfan. I'm excited to use it

Florian

[jc_family]

How did you connect the wires after the hole in the wood to the MaxxFan? Did you drill a hole in the inner plastic frame of the MaxxFan, as the frame seems to connect tight to the MaxxFan?