Why buy an Exhaust Fan with Heat Lamps?

Why buy a 3 in 1 Exhaust Fan?

Exhaust fans with built in heat lamps are relatively common and popular in Australia, especially in locations where it can get cold during the winter months in states such as Tasmania, Victoria, South Australia and New South Wales. They are a welcome addition to a bathroom and are commonly referred to as 3 in 1 units. This is because they have an extraction motor, heat lamps and also a light. They are ceiling mounted models only, this is because for a heat lamp to work you need to be directly underneath it.

You probably already know why you need an exhaust fan in your bathroom but why would you need one with built in heat lamps? And what are the benefits of a 3 in 1 unit?

Heat lamps are designed to provide instant warmth to anybody standing directly underneath them. This means that when you jump out of a warm shower in winter you can instantly step into the heat generated by a 3 in 1 unit. This is a much more comfortable experience than going from a warm shower to a cold bathroom. A traditional heat lamp works in the same way as a standard globe, however they are designed to produce much more radiant heat which allows for it to be used as a source of warmth. The lamps will provide a small and concentrated source of heat, so positioning is important Most 3 in 1 exhaust units will require an electrician to wire them for you. Typically they will come with a wall switch which allows you to control the relevant components (eg on/off switch for the fan, on/off switch for the light on/off switch for the heat lamps). This is necessary and makes sense because during the summer you most probably will not want to use the heat lamps. These are commonly known as 3 gang and 4 gang switches. Traditionally 3 in 1 units come with either 2 heat lamps or 4 heat lamps. A common question is which model do I need? The answer is really down to personal preference. 4 heat lamps will provide you with typically double the heat compared to exactly the same 2 lamp model. For example with the model below each heat lamp is 275w. Therefore the 2 lamp model provides 550w of heat from the lamps, whereas the 4 lamp model gives 1100w. The overall wattage of the heat lamps is a good indication of the power of the heat element. 

 

There are also new models on the market that do away with the traditional lamp and feature things such as infrared heat strips. This results in a very slimline, low profile finish.

3 in 1 Exhaust Fan Advantages

• Relatively cheap to buy and run
• They provide instant heat – turn it on when you need it and turn it off when you are finished
• A great choice for a bathroom or shower
• No need for a supplementary exhaust fan or light – this unit will do everything

To view all of our 3 in 1 exhaust fans please click here. This article was written on 9th May 2016 by our in house specialist Andy.