Wellington winters are wet, and much of the region gets 1,000 to 1,200 mm of rain a year according to NIWA, with more in the Hutt Valley and around Wainuiomata. When the windows stay shut for weeks, a bathroom without a working fan ends up with black mould on the ceiling, peeling paint and a mirror that never clears, and a kitchen without one spreads cooking moisture through the house.
We install and replace bathroom extractor fans, wire kitchen rangehoods, and fit fan and light combinations and humidity sensing fans. Every fan we fit is ducted to the outside, never into the ceiling space, and landlords get the written details they need for Healthy Homes records.
Pricing: a free quote and a fixed price agreed before we start. You get a written, itemised quote, and small jobs can be quoted from photos.
Bathroom extractor fans
A bathroom fan needs enough flow to clear steam while the shower is running, and a clear path to get it outside. Ceiling fans are the usual choice, ducted through the ceiling space to a soffit or roof outlet. Where there is no ceiling space above, which is common in central city apartments in Te Aro and Thorndon and in rooms under skillion roofs, a wall fan or an inline fan with a short duct to an outside wall often works better.
We also fit fans that switch on with the light, keep running after you leave, or start automatically when humidity rises. Humidity sensing fans suit rentals and busy households, because they work without anyone remembering to switch them on.
- Ceiling, wall and inline fans
- Fan and light combination units
- Humidity sensing and run-on timer fans
- Replacing noisy or seized fans
- New ducting to soffits, walls and roofs
Outlets that work in a Wellington wind
Wellington Airport records gusts above 63 km/h on about 166 days a year, according to NIWA. Wind blowing straight at an outlet can push air back down a duct, rattle a loose flap and drive rain into the roof space. We choose outlets with a backdraught flap where they suit, place them on the more sheltered side of the house where the duct route allows, and seal them properly to the cladding or roof.
On the coast, outlets and grilles also face salt spray. BRANZ classes land within about 500 m of the sea, including the harbour, as a high corrosion zone, so we use outlets made from materials that will not rust out in a few years.
How It Works
Healthy Homes rules for rentals
Under the Healthy Homes ventilation standard, every kitchen and bathroom in a rental must have an extractor fan that vents outside. Tenancy Services sets minimum sizes for fans installed from 1 July 2019. A kitchen fan or rangehood needs a diameter of at least 150 mm including ducting, or an exhaust capacity of at least 50 litres per second. A bathroom fan needs at least 120 mm, or 25 litres per second.
Fans installed before 1 July 2019 can stay if they vent outside and work properly, but a failed one must be replaced with a fan that meets the current rules. Tenancy Services suggests landlords ask installers to put the fan diameter, ducting and flow rate in writing, and we include those details on every rental invoice.
The duct matters as much as the fan
A strong fan on a long, crushed or sagging flexible duct can move far less air than its rating. BRANZ's Level guide notes that ductwork adds to the load on the fan, and that ducts running through a cold ceiling space should be insulated to reduce condensation. We keep runs short and straight, use the right diameter the whole way, and support flexible duct so it does not dip and collect water.
Venting into the ceiling space is not a solution. The Level guide says extraction systems must not discharge into a ceiling or roof space, because the moisture condenses on timber and insulation there. Tenancy Services is equally clear that rental fans must vent outside.
Kitchen rangehoods
Many rangehoods recirculate, filtering grease and then blowing moist air back into the kitchen. A ducted hood removes the moisture as well, which is what matters for damp and mould. If you are replacing a rangehood, check whether a ducted model can go in the same place.
We supply power, fit an isolating switch where needed and connect the hood, and we can run the duct through the ceiling or an external wall. If you are also changing the cooktop or oven, both can be done in one visit.
Replacing an old fan, paperwork and price
Old fans fail by getting louder, slowing down or seizing. One that runs but barely moves a tissue is usually worn out or on a blocked duct. We remove the old unit, check or replace the duct, fit the new fan and test the airflow. Landlords working through compliance can have us check smoke alarm positions on the same trip.
A new fan circuit or new fixed wiring comes with a Certificate of Compliance, while a like-for-like swap on existing wiring is maintenance. The price depends on the fan type, duct route, ceiling access and whether new wiring or a switch is needed. Send a photo and a note about access and we will give you a fixed price.
Why Choose Cheeky's Electrical for Extractor Fans
Always vented outside
We never discharge into the ceiling space. The moisture leaves the house.
Wind-ready outlets
Backdraught flaps, sheltered placement and proper sealing, so the outlet does not let weather back in.
Landlord paperwork
Fan diameter, ducting and flow rate in writing for your Healthy Homes records.
Fixed price from a photo
Most fan jobs can be priced from a photo and a note about ceiling access.
Extractor Fans FAQs
What size fan does a rental bathroom need?
Tenancy Services says bathroom fans installed from 1 July 2019 need a diameter of at least 120 mm including ducting, or at least 25 litres per second, vented outside.
What about a rental kitchen?
At least 150 mm including ducting, or at least 50 litres per second, vented outside, for fans or rangehoods installed from 1 July 2019.
Wind blows back down my fan duct. Can that be fixed?
Usually. A backdraught flap, a better outlet, a resealed penetration or moving the outlet to a more sheltered wall all help. We check it on site.
Can a fan vent into the ceiling space?
We do not do it. Healthy Homes rules for rentals require venting outside, and venting into the ceiling moves the moisture into the roof.
Can you fit a fan in an apartment with no ceiling space?
Often, using a wall fan or an inline fan with a short duct to an outside wall. In an apartment building, check with the body corporate before any new hole goes through an outside wall.
My old fan still works. Do I need to replace it for Healthy Homes?
Not if it was installed before 1 July 2019, vents outside and works properly. If it fails, the replacement must meet the current rules.
Extractor Fans Across Wellington
We cover every region: Central Wellington, Eastern and Southern Suburbs, Western and Northern Suburbs, the Hutt Valley, Porirua, the Kāpiti Coast.
Related Electrical Services
See the electrician prices guide or every service we offer.