jodil Posted March 5, 2008 Report Share Posted March 5, 2008 Inspected a 1987 house today and both bath exhaust fans have a couple minute delay before they come on. Ever heard of this? And whats the purpose? Thanks Jodi Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Richard Moore Posted March 5, 2008 Report Share Posted March 5, 2008 The only ones I've ever had that didn't come on immediately were older units that seemed to struggle against years of built-up grime to get going, and then weakly. I can't say for sure that there aren't units with a built-in delay but it really doesn't make much sense for the application. If you were using it to clear odors, you might be out of the bathroom before it came on and then, it would still be on after you left. Were they controlled by timers or regular switches? If they are the original, 19 year old units, I'd first suspect they need replacement. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jodil Posted March 5, 2008 Author Report Share Posted March 5, 2008 I believe them to be original with the home. They were not on a timer. The seller told the buyer that they both had a two minute delay and sure enough they did. I hit the switch and a couple of minutes later they came on. I cant come up with a reason why a manufacturer would do this on purpose, but I thought maybe someone out there knew something about this that I didnt. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chad Fabry Posted March 5, 2008 Report Share Posted March 5, 2008 The seller told the buyer that they both had a two minute delay and sure enough they did. I'd bet lunch that Richard is right: it takes about two minutes for the grease to get hot enough to allow the motor to spin. Locked rotors produce a lot of heat. I've seen delays on shut downs. It makes sense to ventilate for a minute or two after an, uh, event and Elvis has left the building. that way the next person gets a nice fresh air situation and the fan still gets turned off. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hausdok Posted March 5, 2008 Report Share Posted March 5, 2008 I agree, Old fans with worn bearings and congealed grease in an area where the fan can get cold. They are "on" but they aren't spinning. They create a certain amount of heat as they sit there trying to turn and eventually that heat warms the grease enough to allow the armature to spin. Replace 'em. Most of them cost less than $50 anyway and they're generally expected to last only about 10 years. If they're 18 years old, they're lucky they got that much time out of them. OT - OF!!! M. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Richard Moore Posted March 5, 2008 Report Share Posted March 5, 2008 Obviously no math wizards here! I came up with 19 years for a 1987, 21 year old home. [:-dunce] Fortunately, Mike outdid me by another year. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hausdok Posted March 5, 2008 Report Share Posted March 5, 2008 Well, I've told the brethren many times that my brain can't do math - even elementary math. I'm a math moron, a math idiot, a math dope, a math incompetent, a math....., ah, you get the picture. However, in this case, I never returned to the first post, I went with what I thought I'd remembered was said above. Oh well, memory isn't much good anymore either, I guess. ONE TEAM - ONE FIGHT!!! Mike Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
closerlook Posted March 6, 2008 Report Share Posted March 6, 2008 Any chance they may be miss wired? With the delay at the start instead of after. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bain Posted March 6, 2008 Report Share Posted March 6, 2008 Gunk on the rotors likely wouldn't cause identical (I assume approximate) delays on two separate fans would it? That seems a little too coincidental. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hausdok Posted March 6, 2008 Report Share Posted March 6, 2008 Hi, Sure, if they're identical and old enough and were both installed around the same time, why couldn't they both have the same symptoms related to old age? OT - OF!!! M. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bain Posted March 6, 2008 Report Share Posted March 6, 2008 Clearly, they could. And I can't imagine a twenty-year-old fan containing a timer. I was only saying . . . the chances of identical deterioration in two separate mechanisms seems unlikely. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jim Katen Posted March 6, 2008 Report Share Posted March 6, 2008 I've seen lots of exhaust fans that took two minutes to ramp up to speed because of gunky bearings. Every one was at least 40 years old. I have a hard time imagining that two 1987 fans would be in this condition unless they had a deep fryer in each bathroom. If you turn these fans off for five minutes and turn them on again, what happens? If it's gunk, they'll start right up with no delay because the bearings are still warm. If they wait two minutes again, I'd say you found some kind of fancy-dandy 1987 fans with built-in delays. Sure it's a stupid idea. The late 1980's saw a record number of stupid building products introduced. - Jim Katen, Oregon Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kurt Posted March 6, 2008 Report Share Posted March 6, 2008 Originally posted by Jim Katen The late 1980's saw a record number of stupid building products introduced. - Jim Katen, Oregon And we've been ramping up production ever since...... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jodil Posted March 6, 2008 Author Report Share Posted March 6, 2008 Jim, After the fans are running for a few minutes, you shut them off and they fire right back up with out delay. Yes dirty and congealed oil would make sense since they fire right up after being "warmed" up awhile... you smart little inspectors! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ozofprev Posted March 6, 2008 Report Share Posted March 6, 2008 Originally posted by jodil you smart little inspectors! Have you seen Jim??? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hausdok Posted March 6, 2008 Report Share Posted March 6, 2008 Heh, heh, I was chuckling to myself when Nolan or someone said they'd weiged in today somewhere around 195. Hell, he's a lightweight compared to me, but I'll accept "little" ; it's the smart part that won't fit well, though. [:-dunce] OT - OF!!! M. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Richard Stanley Posted March 7, 2008 Report Share Posted March 7, 2008 "you smart little inspectors!" You are well on the path to qualifying to be one our next ex-wives! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jodil Posted March 8, 2008 Author Report Share Posted March 8, 2008 Ex wives? Huh? I dont get it...... Im starting to get used to your smart ass attitudes here, and ignoring the comments is becoming easier ;D Thought you might like to know that when my client took his parents over to see the house, the mother spent "A LLOOONNNGGG" time in the bathroom and the delayed fan started smoking!!!! Needless to say the homeowner is not sticking by his "It was made that way" bullshit anymore.... Jodi Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ozofprev Posted March 8, 2008 Report Share Posted March 8, 2008 That's funny. I'll call them "smart little inspectors" and then mock their reactions. Clever like a fox. [:-eyebrow Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Richard Stanley Posted March 8, 2008 Report Share Posted March 8, 2008 Just to set it straight.. Jodi, I personally enjoy your presence here. Participants that ask questions keep everyone else on their toes and also allow them to learn or re-learn "stuff". So, thanks, and keep posting. There is no extra charge (that I know of) for the extra curricular banter. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hausdok Posted March 8, 2008 Report Share Posted March 8, 2008 Originally posted by Richard Stanley Just to set it straight.. Jodi, I personally enjoy your presence here. Participants that ask questions keep everyone else on their toes and also allow them to learn or re-learn "stuff". So, thanks, and keep posting. There is no extra charge (that I know of) for the extra curricular banter. Wrong! Jodi, there is a banter surcharge and it's only $289 a year. You just got in too late for the banter-surcharge-free membership. Richard and all of these others - I gave them all free surcharge-free memberships years ago, in order to pump up TIJ's numbers. Coincidentally, I'd just begun collecting surcharges on February 4, the day before you signed up. I collect the banter surcharge 5 years in advance, so just send your $1445 to Mike O'Handley, P.O Box 12345, Kenmore, WA 98028 OT - OF!!! M. Banter surcharge! Brilliant! Don't know why I never thought of this before; I'm going to make a bucketload of bucks. Bwahahahahahaha! [:-eyebrow Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jodil Posted March 8, 2008 Author Report Share Posted March 8, 2008 I was fully aware of what I was getting myself into when I chose this career path. The only "broad" in a tech school of ex contractors, home depot employees, and basic grunt workers. Needless to say, I was not too intimidated. And I meant "smart little inspectors" in the most endearing way... call a women little and she feels thin and happy, call a man little and he feels likes a wuss. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hausdok Posted March 8, 2008 Report Share Posted March 8, 2008 Originally posted by jodil call a man little and he feels likes a wuss. Not me! I only feel like a wuss after I see a rat, scream - hitting a high note like Bette Midler - and run away faster than Carl Lewis can run the 100. I know it's illogical, because I don't feel the least bit of fear from snakes, scorpians, spiders and such, but there it is, and I usually feel pretty wussy afterward. Besides, when someone calls me "little" - particularly a woman - I can point that out to my wife and say, "See, I told you I don't need to lose any weight." OT - OF!!! M. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Richard Stanley Posted March 8, 2008 Report Share Posted March 8, 2008 I think your career path choice is brilliant. A ladys' place is in the home.......as soon as she gets out of work. another wuss. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ozofprev Posted March 8, 2008 Report Share Posted March 8, 2008 Originally posted by jodil And I meant "smart little inspectors" in the most endearing way... And Richard meant, "You are well on the path to qualifying to be one our next ex-wives!" in the most endearing way.[:-thumbu] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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