Xpelair GXC6EC 6 Inch/ 150mm Extractor Fan, 220-240V 50/60HZ With EC motor, For Fitting in Kitchen Single & Double Glazed Windows With Pullcord, White

Like the fact that the shutter can stay open when there is no mains power to unit. The extractor is being run off a light circuit in bathroom and we like to have ventilation when fan is not running during the day. Other bands don't have this nice feature. We sourced this from the UK to New Zealand for this very feature.

After installing this fan the install was tricky but was all done correctly. Having known how it went together from the previous unit it was replacing was straightfoward enough but, after putting the final outer casing on to complete, the fan does not work.Without its outer cover everything operates correctly; when the cover is installed it appears that there is an inherent design fault with the pull cord mechanism (as verified by other users) which stops the grill from opening and operating the fan. By manually flicking open the vanes on the outer cover the fan will turn and operate then can be switched off with the cord which also closes the vanes.This was a replacement for a previous version of the same model (without the pull switch) which operated perfectly for over 15 years until the plastic blades perished and snapped off damaging the unit.This newer model is not fit for purpose and does not operate as advertised. I will, therefore. be looking to return this item for a full refund.Addendum: subsequent to submitting this review I was able to replace the support frame from the original, older unit (mains switched), into the new (pull cord) unit thus bypassing the pull switch. The unit now works exactly as the original (15 year old) unit this new version was replacing. It is not something which I should have needed to do but at least I now have a complete, operational extractor unit. In its updated, pull-cord switch version, I should emphasise that it is not fit for purpose and does not operate as advertised.

After reading other reviews from both diyers and installers i also found the plastic louvre to not slide correctly however upon further analysis of the issue i found the plastic on the side is where it rubs against the side due to the quality of plastic used by xpelair. the solution is a very simple fix when fitting the main base to the outside grille through the glass and connecting uup the wiring on the front cover look at the location where the micro switch is situated on the body and the level system is on the cover this lever against the side of the plastic needs some wd40 lubrication to allow the spring level slider to move freely against the plastic edge of the body. once wd40 is sprayed along the right edge sliding lever part the louvre will slide not problem and will operate each time. maybe this is something that xpelair needs to do when constructing the units add some grease or wd40 in the factory the so the plastic lever and the plastic casing edge inside the cover will slide along each other without issue.

Fitted in as a replacement and works perfectly.

The fan works when the inner grill is not fitted. Once the grill is fitted the louvres will not open and the fan will not start.Contacted the manufacturer who was no help. Returned fan to supplier ( no problem) Ordered replacement fan and this had the same problem! Returned second fan and was again refunded no problem.Save yourself time and energy do not buy this product.

This fan was a direct replacement for an Xpelair fan that had been working beautifully for over 30 years. The difference in quality between old and new was marked, the new one being quite flimsy compared to the original. This made fitting the new fan more difficult than it should have been, to the point that the spring operating the shutters when pulling the string to switch the fan on/off had to be stretched otherwise the shutters wouldn’t open properly. Once this was done the fan worked very well and has done since.

Our neighbour has the same model. She has had it for some time and is very well pleased with it, so on her recommendation we bought the GXC6 and also are more than pleased to give it a 5 star rating based on it's performance so far.

This item is poorly designed. We asked an electrician to install. The first problem was connecting the power cable, the screws were difficult to tighten enough to hold the power cable in the block. Now to fit the ladder strips. First one fitted easily, second one another story as the hole was wrong and out of line needed a file to line the hole and catch up. Once fitted into the window, which was the easy part of the instillation, and the power supply was reconnected the pull cord worked correctly. After fitting the outer cover the pull cord ceased to operate, this took many fitting and removing of the cover which isn't the easiest to do. After a lot of thinking and head scratching it is working, for how long we are not sure. It does have a trickle setting but this is not needed as the unit is definitely not draught proof, cold air comes through even when closed. This item is poorly designed and not really fit for purpose. We purchased this to replace an existing Xpelair fan which had lasted thirty years, obviously this company has not made steps forward in this time. I would definitely not recommend this product. Reading some other reviews it seems there is a problem with this item as the same difficulties are mentioned.