Ventair Sahara SAH31WH Bathroom Fan Questions & Answers
VerifiedMPN: SAH31WH
Is the Manrose Ivy the same product as the Ventair Sahara SAH31WH Bathroom Fan just under new name? Can the LED light be dimmed?
Hi, the minimum cavity clearance is 200mm, does anyone know if that is overall height or the unit depth plus 200mm? Thanks
Wondering if this unit can be 2 way switched
Is it easy to remove the grille for the Sahara, seems pretty firm, how do you get it off without breaking
I have a new Sahara. Two heat switches. Heat one turns on fan and heat Heat - seems to do nothing. Heat comes out of only one half of one of the grill openings Appreciate help
To use the heater turn on the fan then heat 1, or both heat 1 and 2. It only comes out one side as the other is for the exhaust/extractor.
Heat only comes out of half the side of the non exhaust side - is that right.
To operate the max heating do you need both 1 & 2 heat switches on together.
Yes
Yes. You need to turn on Fan + Heat I + Heat II.
Hi all, I'm wondering whether anyone has had issues with the light in their Sahara? We have just had one installed in our ensuite and the light didn't work. The fascia & light portion was replaced with a new one by the supplier, but we have just installed the new one and the light still doesn't work. All other features are fine. Any tips?
Unfortunately they’re a very cheap made product and full of problems. We had 3 stuff up for various reasons and now they refused to come out because I used the property for an air bnb on the odd weekend.
Oh that's so frustrating :( They definitely give the impression of a quality product, but we are not finding it straightforward!
The light is fine in mine but the heater doesn’t seem as warm as when it was first installed! Next time the electrician is here I’ll get him to have a look. Good luck with your light!
Does anyone who had this unit installed over 1 or 2 years had problems with corrosion of the aluminium frame around the unit? I was told that that frame starts to pit and the powder coat peels... Has anyone experienced this problem in the long run (most of the reviews here are of satisfied customers a few months after installation..)?
Hi Kika. No corrosion problems here but just an fyi, I have had problems with 3 units already. Once, the heat setting stopped working, 2nd one was the fan setting and last time, heat setting stopped working again. I have 3 installed in my homes. Only 1 hasn’t given me issues. Good luck
Many thanks for the prompt reply, Nuno. It makes it a big dilemma as to whether to go for it and risk these problems, hoping that they do not happen... It appears that this Ventair system is the only one in the market with the fan-assisted heater, and this is what seems to make all the difference in efficiency. To have just radiant-heat lamps on the bathroom ceiling is totally hopeless.
Can anyone tell me if you can replace the lights? It is an expensive piece of equipment especially when you factor in electrical installation. I have had LED lights in the past, told that they should last 5 years, lasted only 2 or 3 with normal use! Would hate to pay all this money only to have to replace this in a couple of years and from what I am reading the cut out is significant so either you will have to replace it with the same or pay a lot of money to fix up the cut out?
Thank You
Quick recap - I'm in Tasmania and want to heat the whole bathroom. It has a high ceiling so heat lamps don't work well, even if you stand underneath them you can barely feel the heat and they aren't designed to heat the whole room. So, after reading all the comments here from people who've had problems with the Sahara, I called the local electrical wholesaler who recommended an electrician who's EXPERIENCED in installing them and hasn't had any complaints. Electrician said they are tricky to install but it would work well in my bathroom, it would cover the hole left by the Tastic, and it was easily vented outside - so I got a quote. But it just occurred to me - it will be great with just the heater on, warming the room when I have a bath but what happens if you have the heater and exhaust fan turned on together? If you have a shower and turn on the exhaust fan and also the heater, doesn't the exhaust fan just suck the heated air out of the room?
The 1000w/2000w Ceramic Fan heater works well if you stand directly below it but if you want to warm the bathroom, you would have to turn it on for at least 10 minutes. There doesn't seem to be an issue with both the exhaust fan and heater fan on at the same time, the exhaust fan sucks from the centre of the Sahara and the heater fan blows from one end.
Ahhh, I see! Thanks Ken.
I’ll check the specs but did anyone get the Sahara to replace an ixl tastic and use the same hole in the ceiling, just adjusted to size? I just moved into a house with an older tastic not fully working and asked the electrician for advice and a quote for a new bathroom heater with exhaust fan. I have a long bath every day and want to warm the bathroom, so a radiant heater isn’t suitable. So what does the electrician do? Install a new ixl tastic without my approval! I don’t want it, and I also don’t want a big hole in the ceiling that I’m going to have to patch either. I’m waiting for his boss to call back to sort it out. Sorry for the long story but I’m just flabbergasted this could happen! Thanks.
I had a Bathroom Buddy that is similar to IXL Tastic, was square in shape with 4 heat lamps. I used the same cutout and just used the Sahara template and cut to enlarge the square hole to the rectangular shape to fit the Sahara.
Your issue will be is the IXL probably had 4 wires to switch on the FAN, LIGHT and Heat1 and Heat2 whereas the Sahara needs live/active/switch 5 wires for the EXHAUST, FAN, LIGHT, HEAT1 and HEAT2.
Using the old IXL cutout hole depends on where it was located
Thanks. I’m looking for a new electrician, so the placement and wiring can be his concern! I’ve just checked and the Sahara cut out is much larger, but then it depends what’s in the roof space above it as to where it can be installed. It’s a 1955 house with horsehair plaster, but that’s another story.
It’s definitely much larger hole. We had issues installing one in our single level home with tin flat roof, but no problems of pitched roof. However just an fyi, I bought 3 of these less than 2 years ago and already had 3 replaced and have another one at the moment, crap itself again! I would never buy another again mate. Some people might tell you different, but you can’t coincidentally have 4 lemons!! Good luck
Thanks Nuno. I’ve read that other people have had the same quality issues requiring replacements, which is a real worry. I heard about the Sahara from an electrician friend interstate who installed 2 for customers, both were duds that had to be replaced. He then turned the 2 duds into 1 good working unit which he installed it in his own bathroom, and he’s very happy with it, especially the heating function.
Can anyone please tell me if this unit would be suitable in a 2.4m x 2m wetroom. Double shower and bath behind glass screen. Ceilings are only 2.1m I have concerns that the heat/fan blowing will feel cold once skin is wet from shower regardless of heat. Thank you
From the Instruction book: "• The unit must be located and installed in accordance with AS/NZS 3000 and local building codes relating to damp situations. • This may mean that no part of the Module may be located directly above any part of a bath or shower recess or enclosure.
• The unit should be installed in flat ceilings with a minimum height of 2 metres. At least 200mm height clearance in the ceiling cavity is required to ensure sufficient ventilation for moisture to disperse. The unit must also be installed at least 250mm away from walls."
I think a room of 2.4 x 2.0 metres should OK but installation position maybe an issue as you have to get it away from the shower and bath area.
Ours is installed in a 3m x 2.6m family bathroom with a 2.5m ceiling height. I can feel the heat/fan when I stand under it and if put on 10 mins before it will warm the bathroom.
Thank you for taking the time to reply KenMar and Michael. Both replies are really helpful
My Sahara just had the heater fuse after only 1.5 years. It is located about 1m from the shower, but I have a feeling the heater doesn't respond well to dampness. I'm not sure what to replace it with.
Can anyone please tell me, when you turn the fan switch on that you can hear something working? When I turn the fan switch on then the heat buttons on, nothing happens, it’s only when I put the exhaust switch on that the whole system works. I would have thought you could run the fan and heater without the exhaust too?
I can hear my fan when I switch it on. I can run the fan and the heater without the exhaust.
To R&T Your sparky has got the wiring wrong.
To R&T: Yes, the Sahara is wired incorrectly and IS DANGEROUS. From the instruction booklet: "Fan Please note: ‘Fan’ must be switched on before Heat function can operate. • Use ‘Fan’ only (without ‘Heat’) for cooling effect in warmer weather.
Heat Please note: ‘Heating Functions’ will only operate after ‘Fan’ has been switched on."
The ceramic heating elements MUST have the FAN airflow otherwise the heater will get very hot and may catch on fire.
An constant active wire must be connected to the FAN SWITCH and not to the HEAT1 and HEAT2 switches. HEAT1 and HEAT2 switches ONLY GET 240v active when the FAN switch is pressed ON.
Your Sahara has the constant ACTIVE wired to your EXHAUST switch and HEAT1 and HEAT2 are getting power from the EXHAUST and not the FAN switch.
How easy is it to remove the fascia? It seems to be attached very firmly!
From the instruction booklet:
"2. Prise up the edge of fascia then take off the fascia. Take the LED plug off the heater unit and remove cover"
The specs for the LED light indicate that it is 4000K but there is no indication of the CRI (colour rendering index). We have a ceiling fan with a 4000K LED light which provides a bluish colour light which is unappealing (probably has a CRI of 80 which lacks red colour in its output) . In comparison our high CRI 4000K LED downlights give excellent colour. Would you say that the light of the Ventair Sahara unit is bluish or does it provide a more natural light? Many thanks.
Ours is a white light. Very appealing have not cut myself shaving 2 years later.
Hi Philip, Thanks for your answer. Jesse
Hi, I have a question in response to Sam’s reply to Disappointed: Being in an apartment I don’t have access to a roof cavity for the fan (although I have a ducted extractor fan) will the fan side work or do I have to duct the fan as well?
From the instruction booklet:
"Connect the ducting to the unit if required."
Hi Can anybody else see straight through the grate? Or would there be a cover inside the grate to make it a bit more sleek in appearance?
Yes. This is a fundamental requirement to allow adequate airflow.
Does the heating fan work simultaneously with the exhaust? ie Blowing hot air while sucking the moisture out? Is this counter intuitive?
Yes it does. One side of the unit extracts and the other blows hot or cold air. The unit has two separately switched fans that operate independently.
Hi Tim, my experience has been exactly as you have suggested. The fan blows the water straight back down into the bathroom. It has coated my bathroom with moisture and the floor is extremely slippery. Not to mention having the fan blow down on you, when you first get out of the shower dripping wet makes you feel cold no matter which of the two heat functions you have on.
@disappointed, you need to have the extractor side flue vented outside. If this want done during your install this would be why this is occurring. If the extraction fan is flued out then what you are describing would not occur as the extractor side is sealed including all moisture it's pulling out until it goes outside, the fan side blows air in from your roof cavity, they come with the ducting grate in the box
Sorry Sam, but it was vented. So that was not the issue. Unit was eventually replaced under warranty and seems to be working better now, so maybe related to it arriving in pieces. But only early days so will see how it performs as the weather gets colder.
My heat fan keeps hitting the housing of the unit, and is very noisy when turned on, anyone got any suggestions?
Call Ventair and place a warranty claim. I had a similar issue and the electrician they sent around fixed it simply by tightening a holding screw or nut. It was a 30 second fix.
Thanks
Does this need an extra power circuit like the traditional fan lamp heaters?
My short answer is yes. You may already have a circuit in place but best to get an electrician to install.
Get an answer from our members and Ventair representatives
Extra Information
ProductReview.com.au has affiliate partnerships. These do not influence our content moderation policies in any way, though ProductReview.com.au may earn commissions for products/services purchased via affiliate links.