Customer Reviews

Broan Model 505 8-Inch Vertical Discharge Utility Fan, 180 CFM, 6.5 Sones

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(8)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

We installed this fan in our bathroom remodel in 1996. Awesome choice. The room is only 10'x8' and it *totally* protected the finish on our custom cabinets and the painted walls. After 12 years, not One area of steam damage or mold. The motor finally gave out and I can't wait for the new one to arrive tomorrow so I can have another 12 years of a steam-free bathroom :O)

Broan 10" Vertical Discharge fan.

Since this unit discharges upward, you'll need an unfinished attic, or similar space, directly above the fan. I installed a Broan 472 Backdraft Damper/Reducer on top of the fan, which reduces the fan's top 10" opening to 8"; used 8" galvanized duct work, and routed it through an 8" roof vent [also] with a damper. The fan itself contains NO back-draft damper.

Pros:

- It works acceptably.

- Painted sheet-metal steel body and mounting brackets, are strong.

- Grille looks good.

- The fan assembly has an integral external electric box to receive 14/2 cable from your wall switch. The fan motor has a 4" cord which plugs into a dedicated "receptacle" inside the housing, enabling the fan motor to be replaced by simply unplugging it and removing two mounting screws.

Cons:

- The rushing air through the fan is anything but quiet. This is because the fan blade is attached directly to the motor shaft, turning the fan blade at high speed. Fans using lower-speed belt-driven blowers are much quieter.

- The fan motor doesn't work with a multi-speed or variable-speed switch. I.e., connected to a 3-speed wall switch, the fan only comes on when the switch is set to high.

Other:

- I made a plywood and 2x4 frame to support the fan assembly, using the built-in brackets to support it. I cut a 10-3/8" round hole in 3/4" plywood, set the fan housing just below the finished ceiling, and used joint compound to feather the rim to the ceiling level (and seal the gap around the fan housing). A square or rectangular fan would have been easier to install than this round unit.

- You'll need a 10 INCH GREASE FILTER, if the fan is to be installed in a kitchen.

Summary.

If I had it to do over again, I would have bought a quieter fan such as the Panasonic WhisperCeiling 290 CFM Ceiling Mounted Fan - FV-30VQ3, and made my own grease filter. The Panasonic costs nearly twice as much, but is only 2 Sones, while this Broan is a whopping 6.5 Sones; a huge difference in sound level.

The Broan/Nautilus 505 180 CFM Vertical Discharge Fan is an excellent product. It is very hard to find vertical discharge fans for older homes that already have the ducting. This item really fits the bill. Thanks for having this product.

I put this fan in a small bathroom, about 10x10. It installed easily and certainly removes the humidity well. My bathroom mirror never has moisture on it even after the hottest shower. The only draw back is the noise. It is really loud. So, I just shut it off directly after showering.

Excellent fan. I am replacing the same model, which was installed 15 years ago. It is a little loud. Bothers my wife, but not me...so I like it.

The description says it is 180 CFM (How much air it moves). This number is correct. The description also says it is 5.5 sones (This is how much noise it makes. The lower the number, the more quietly it operates). This number is WRONG. When you receive the product, you will see that the box and spec sheet are clearly marked that it is 6.5 sones. If that is a deal breaker for you, be aware, otherwise, happy fanning.

Told my wife that I would install it on the weekend. I will actually get to it by Tuesday.

This fan is actually cheaper than the previous Nutone ceiling fan that I installed 25 years ago in the kitchen above the stove. Installation is simple if you have easy access to the attic and possess some basic knowledge of electrical connections. I expected it to be significantly quiter than the old Nutone "airplane propeller." It is, but only slightly.

Still, I recommend it. The fan does the job, and the price is right.

This is nice quite fan and was easy to install. I bought it to replace a similar fan that was already installed.

I purchased this from Lowes and installed it in an interior bathroom with no windows. It replaced a smaller, less powerful, and quieter bathroom fan. Reason for the upgrade was that people (my son) would take very long showers (my 50G hot water tank would empty). As a result my bathroom ceiling would get a lot of mold on it. After repeated scrubbing and painting efforts I got a more powerful fan - the Braun 505B.

It is an 8 inch vertical updraft fan and is loud. Some people like a loud fan because it provides audible privacy when taking care of business and this fan did the job. It replaced a fan with a 4 inch side discharge vent. This required a 8" to 4" funnel to allow the metal exhaust vent hose in the attic to properly attach to the fan. I have used the fan with and without the funnel/vent hose attached to the 8" fan vent. There is a noticeable increase in ability to vent the moisture out of the bathroom when it is vented only into the attic, much less so when vented to the outside via funnel/vent hose. I would have to use an 8" tube all the way to a new exhaust vent on the roof of the house to solve this problem. Not worth it. Moisture in the attic when living in a desert did not seem like a problem to me but I'm sure some building code was being violated. My evaporative cooler also vents into the attic. Go figure.

Because the fan is powerful, you could feel the air flowing under the bathroom door. If the fan was on while taking a shower the bathroom mirrors would not steam up. As a result people (my son) would only turn on the fan AFTER getting out of the shower. He would then walk away from the bathroom with the fan on - thus wasting electricity and heated air in the winter time. I fixed problem by replacing the fan's electrical wall switch with a wind-up timer switch that when fully turned would keep the fan on for no more than 15 minutes. Not that you need it that long to dry out a 5 ft by 10 ft room; 5 minutes is long enough.

I have found two problems with the Broan 505.

First the small problem. The fan has a damper which only allows air to flow up. Air can not flow down back into the bathroom. Good idea. With the fan off both damper flaps each rest on a rubber stop just above the fan blade. Here is the problem, after several years in the attic the rubber stoppers dry rotted and fell out. This resulted in the flaps resting on the fan blades, which caused a rattling noise when the fan was turned off and blades were winding down to a stop. Annoying. I solved it by replacing the rubber stoppers with metal screws. Not as good as rubber but better than nothing.

The bigger problem I ran into was that after approximately 4-6 years of every day use the bearing or something in the fan motor starting making a screeching noise. This got progressively worse. The motor can be replaced at approximately two-thirds the cost of the whole fan unit. I just replaced the whole unit. I hope it lasts longer this time.

I purchased this fan to circulate the air from the second story into the basement. The fan is not too loud, but since it will be in the mechanical room, I dont anticipate the noise being a problem. The fan appears to be well built, but time will tell. I just wish they included a variable speed switch so I wouldnt have to waste time going to the store.

Excellent product. We liked the first one we bought so much we bought a second oneBroan Model 505 8-Inch Vertical Discharge Utility Fan, 180 CFM, 6.5 Sones