Vortice Micro 100 Bathroom Extractor Won't Turn Off Ask questions and find answers to many subjects relating to electrics and electrical work

[andyjobson85]

I had a Vortice Micro 100 T HCS (Timer and Humidistat model) that was fitted by Barratt around 7 years ago and it started to have a bearing problem.

I replaced it with the exact same model of fan, to try to minimise problems when fitting it myself.

However, the new fan just comes on when I turn the isolation switch on (regardless of whether the light is on or not) and just runs continuously. The day I fitted it, it ran for over 12 hours and I just turned it off to have another look at the wiring.

I have bridged terminals L2 and 4 in the same way that Barratt did. According to the manual this puts the fan in high speed mode. Without this bridging wire, the fan doesn't work at all.

I can't see what I've done wrong. The new unit's wiring matches the old one exactly.

The timer pot is set to minimum (around 3 mins) and the humidistat is set to 60% RH, both just like the old unit.

Can anyone advise? Does it take humidistats an absolute age to acclimatise?

Old Wiring

New Wiring

[Mr White]

Yes, you have connected the new fan the same as the old fan.
I suggest you read the instructions for the new fan to confirm what you should connect where. If you compare the new fan connections with the old fan connections

You will see the red and grey wires have swapped places. If these have been swapped, what else has been swapped.

Failing that turn the humidistat off and if that doesn't work take the fan back.

[andyjobson85]

I did notice that the grey and red wires are swapped on the right-most terminals. However, the manual makes no mention of swapping those around, so I assumed that it must just be a difference in how the units were manufactured.

I'm trying to copy the old fan but I believe it is supposed to be the wiring diagram on the left of figure 23, page 46 in order to select the fan speed. I can't see anything else in the manual to suggest that you'd need to change anything else, but then maybe people in the know would just "know" somehow?

Those red/grey leads go from the motor hub to the large black capacitor. The manual doesn't state that the capacitor has a positive/negative. Do you think there is risk of damage if I was to try swapping them round to match the old fan?

[Mr White]

Those red/grey leads go from the motor hub to the large black capacitor. The manual doesn't state that the capacitor has a positive/negative. Do you think there is risk of damage if I was to try swapping them round to match the old fan?

I NEVER said you should swap them round. I did say

You will see the red and grey wires have swapped places. If these have been swapped, what else has been swapped.

Failing that turn the humidistat off and if that doesn't work take the fan back.

[andyjobson85]

I realise that, and I don't really want to try modifying what came from the factory.. Like I say, nothing in the manual says to do anything like that. Do you think the previous installer would have had reason to swap them?

I'm not able to disconnect the humidistat as it's soldered on.. I'm hoping it's not a faulty unit as I imagine that is extremely rare

Do you think there's anything else I can actually try in order to fix this?

[Mr White]

Do you think there's anything else I can actually try in order to fix this?

If you are sure it is connected correctly, then there is nothing else you can do other than to take the fan back.