Christchurch is dry by New Zealand standards, with about 618 mm of rain a year at the airport, yet plenty of homes still fight mould on the bathroom ceiling and fogged windows every winter. The moisture comes from inside: showers, cooking and washing hung to dry. On a frosty night that warm, wet air meets cold glass, walls and ceilings and turns to water. A fan that removes it at the source is one of the best value electrical jobs in 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 install is ducted to the outside, never into the ceiling space, and landlords get the written fan 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 runs, and a proper route out. Ceiling fans are the usual choice, ducted through the ceiling space to a soffit or roof outlet. Where there is no ceiling space above, such as an apartment in the central city or a skillion roof on a newer townhouse, a wall fan or an inline fan with a short duct to an outside wall often suits better.
We also fit fans that start with the light, run on after you leave, or switch on automatically when humidity rises. Humidity sensing fans are a good choice for rentals and busy family bathrooms, because they work without anyone remembering to turn them on.
- Ceiling, wall and inline fans
- Fan and light combination units
- Humidity sensing and run-on timer fans
- Replacing noisy or seized old fans
- New ducting to soffits, walls and roofs
Cold ceilings and insulated ducts
Christchurch averages about 80 ground frost days a year, and the space above your ceiling gets close to outside temperature on those nights. Warm, moist air pushed through a bare duct in a cold ceiling can condense inside the duct and drip back towards the fan or onto the insulation. BRANZ's Level guide says ducts running through a cold roof space should be insulated to reduce condensation, and that ductwork adds to the load on the fan.
We keep duct runs short and straight, use the right diameter the whole way, support flexible duct so it does not sag, and use insulated duct through cold ceiling spaces. A powerful fan on a long, crushed duct may move far less air than its rating, so the duct matters as much as the fan.
How It Works
Kitchen rangehoods
Many rangehoods recirculate: they filter grease and then blow the moist air straight back into the kitchen. A ducted hood removes the moisture as well, which is what matters for condensation and mould. When you replace a rangehood, it is worth checking whether a ducted model can go in the same spot.
We supply the power, fit an isolating switch where needed and connect the hood, and we can run the duct through the ceiling or an outside wall. If you are also changing the cooktop or oven, we can do both in one visit.
Healthy Homes rules for rentals
Under the Healthy Homes ventilation standard, every kitchen and bathroom in a rental needs an extractor fan that vents outside. Tenancy Services sets minimum sizes for fans installed after 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, and 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 fan must be replaced with one that meets the current rules. Tenancy Services suggests landlords ask installers to put the fan diameter, ducting and flow rate in writing. We include those details on every rental invoice, whether the property is in Riccarton, Linwood or Rolleston.
Never into the ceiling space
Venting a fan into the ceiling space only moves the problem. The Level guide says extraction systems must not discharge into a ceiling or roof space, because the moisture condenses on timber and insulation there, and Tenancy Services is clear that rental fans must vent outside. We still find older fans that simply blow into the ceiling, especially in houses that have had several rounds of renovation or repair.
If the existing fan was installed that way, we fit a proper duct to the outside as part of the job, or quote it as an option if the route is complicated.
Replacing an old fan, paperwork and price
Old fans fail by getting noisy, slowing down or seizing. A fan that runs but barely lifts a tissue is usually worn out or on a blocked duct. We remove the old unit, check and if needed replace the duct, fit the new fan and test the airflow. If you want a separate switch or a humidity sensor instead of running the fan off the light, we change that at the same time. Landlords can also have us check smoke alarm positions on the same visit.
New fan circuits or new fixed wiring come with a Certificate of Compliance; a like-for-like swap on existing wiring is maintenance. The price depends on the fan type, the duct route and length, ceiling access and any new wiring. Send a photo of the ceiling or existing fan and a note about access and we will give you a fixed price.
Why Choose Cheeky's Electrical for Extractor Fans
Always ducted outside
Every fan we install vents to the outside, with insulated duct through cold ceiling spaces.
Landlord-ready paperwork
Fan diameter, ducting and flow rate in writing for your Healthy Homes records.
Duct done properly
Short, straight, supported runs at the right size, so the fan delivers what it is rated for.
Fixed price from a photo
A photo of the room and a note on ceiling access is usually enough for a firm price.
Extractor Fans FAQs
What size fan does a rental bathroom need?
Tenancy Services says bathroom fans installed after 1 July 2019 need a diameter of at least 120 mm including ducting, or at least 25 litres per second, vented to the outside.
What about a rental kitchen?
At least 150 mm diameter including ducting, or at least 50 litres per second, vented outside, for fans or rangehoods installed after 1 July 2019.
Why does my fan drip water in winter?
Usually warm, moist air is condensing in an uninsulated duct running through a cold ceiling space. An insulated duct and a shorter, straighter run normally fix it.
Can a fan vent into the ceiling space?
No. Healthy Homes rules require rental fans to vent outside, and venting into the ceiling moves moisture onto your timber and insulation.
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.
Is a humidity sensing fan worth it?
For many homes, yes. It switches on when the room gets steamy, so it works even when people forget.
Extractor Fans Across Christchurch
We cover every region: Central Christchurch, North Christchurch, East and Coastal Christchurch, South Christchurch and Port Hills, West Christchurch, Selwyn and Waimakariri.
Related Electrical Services
Extractor Fans Guides
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