Fart fans!
Going to lay down a bit of knowledge here given my experience with exhaust fans. This model uses a propeller which is not as efficient or moves as much air as turbine fan . I have never been impressed with the volume of air that a propeller model moves compared to a turbine - it is day and night. If you really want to move air and get rid of moisture and odors, don’t get this fan. You can do much better. Sorry Woot.
The product video shows the turbine fan which may be the higher CFM model and the model worth considering. I believe that the lower CFM model offered here uses a propeller. I am basing this assumption on the product feature “Automatically powers off when impeller is locked abnormally.”
Woot - maybe you can confirm what type of fan this particular model uses - propeller or turbine. Should be listed in the specs. Video could be very misleading. Then again, I don’t want to mislead either.
Little more info re: fan types…
Axial extractor fan (propeller) has blades that move the air in a way that resembles an airplane propeller.
Centrifugal fan (turbine) has a rotating cylinder with straight blades, a little like a hamster wheel. This type of fan is quieter and more effective than the propeller fan. It effectively draws in air which is exhausted through the ductwork.
BTW - Is this item a tool item or garden item? I just can’t decide. It doesn’t have enough power to convert it to a leaf blower, and I can’t think of how it can be used as a tool.
Update : I viewed the video over on the comments for a previous sale of this fan on woot, and the video referred to a 50 CFM and 80 CFM model and showed a fan that looked like it was NOT a propeller type. This fan should be a turbine type if the video is accurate, so… never mind. Maybe I’ll buy one. 
Guess that’s why lichme has 1404 quality posts.
Judging by the picture in the two manuals (see links on product page), I would have to say that both units use the turbine type fan, not a propeller. If I ordered one and found it had the propeller, I think that would be a basis for a return.
Yes, I think you are correct. I based my post on the only information I could find on woot regarding the product which referred to an impeller which can be of type propeller or turbine, but just sounds more like propeller. Usually, the product description will include the strong points for sure and maybe leave out some of the weaker ones. I would expect turbine type fan to be included as a big selling point. Your further research has probably nailed it as far as the type. Nice job. Buy with confidence.
and here’s a little tid-bit about how to calculate the total CFM you need…
turns out you need to calculate CFBathroom … to know your CFMinute requirements…
Motors use the most power starting. The energy costs running 24/7 is not much use, what is typical power use?
[QUOTE=John1000, post:5, topic:399762]
Going to lay down a bit of knowledge here given my experience with exhaust fans. This model uses a propeller which is not as efficient or moves as much air as turbine fan . I have never been impressed with the volume of air that a propeller model moves compared to a turbine - it is day and night. If you really want to move air and get rid of moisture and odors, don’t get this fan. You can do much better. Sorry Woot.
Woot - maybe you can confirm what type of fan this particular model uses - propeller or turbine. Should be listed in the specs. Video could be very misleading. Then again, I don’t want to mislead either.
I think if you look at the instruction manual Woot provides here, you’ll see that the fan looks like the turbine version.
The last time these were offered I bought the lower priced 80 CFM unit because I don’t need the light. This fan has the hamster wheel type fan, I think what you are referring to as turbine fan.
This thing does a very good job of exhausting the bathroom and is very quiet. While in the shower, with the fan within 2 feet of the shower, I have to see the LED lamp to know it is on because I cannot hear the fan running.
This is a good fan that I would buy again.
Sorry Martha… I couldn’t help myself.
It was an impulse buy!
Took some work in the attic to replace pre-existing fan. Mounting holes were on the opposite side and vent location was a couple of inches off. But in the end we couldn’t be happier as this moves air out much better than original fan and is much quieter.
So can these be somewhat easily retrofitted in an 8 year old home? It does not sound very straightforward based on previous discussion and reviews.
I replaced the fan in my 27 year old home. You shouldn’t have any problems other than perhaps enlarging the ceiling hole or the direction that the exhaust port blows.
But in a 7 year old home it is probably a direct fit.
.8 sones?! Holy cow! SBDs are louder than these fans.
And that can be a problem. If you have a powder room near a living/entertaining area, you might want some white noise to drown out the brown noise.
Is this fan ok to install in a wet location? For example- my current fan that I want to replace is inside my shower stall, so it will be sucking in mass amounts of steam.
I bought one of these last time around and the installation manual states it is UL approved for use directly over a shower stall when used with a GFCI circuit. They warn that the wall switch cannot be within reach while you’re in the shower though.
Awesome- thanks so much for the info!