Customer Reviews

Panasonic FV-05VF2 WhisperFit 50 CFM Low Profile Ceiling Mounted Fan

5 star:		(17)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

You may look at the price of this fan and say, "Hey! I can buy four fans at Home Depot for that amount!" And those four fans will be noisy, rattling affairs that won't move air and won't last a year. This baby is dead silent (really - I had to get on a step ladder next to it to make sure it was on) and yet it moves 50 CFM with an oversize squirrel-cage fan (the secret) and an excellent solid state Panasonic motor. If you want to do the job right (and only once) spend the money - buy this fan! (And no - I don't work for Panasonic or own their stock.)

Was taken aback by the price for this fan compared to others. We went to the local big box hardware store where they had a display demonstrating noise levels for fans of three different sound levels, and found that the sound level for this fan supposedly was significantly quieter than the typical fan. It was going in the bathroom next to our family room, so we decided to give it a try.

Our old fan was about the size of a shoe box for a kid's pair of shoes, was rated at 50 cfm, and was loud enough that we couldn't hear anything else in the bathroom when it was on. In fact, we could hear it running in other parts of the house, let alone the family room.

This new fan is much bigger, about the size of a shoe box for a pair of men's work boots, and also is rated at 50 cfm. But it's so quiet that we specifically have to listen for it to tell that it's on, even when in the bathroom itself. Yet it still draws at least as much air as our old fan.

Installation was straight forward. We had extra screws left over, e.g. for a 4"-to-3" outlet reducer we didn't need, but was a nice thought. We like the flap in the outlet that blocks backdrafts when the fan's off. And the springs used to hold the cover flush against the ceiling are clever.

If I'd have to find a complaint, it would be that they didn't include wire nuts. Certainly not a big deal. The instructions aren't the clearest, and a bit confusing at points. But, seriously, after reading through them a couple times, installation went smoothly and easily the first time.

We're considering it money well spent.

We bought this fan because it was recommended by Consumer's Report.
It is soooooo.... quiet. We love it and the installation wasn't too hard.

This fan was a huge upgrade from our old and loud bathroom fan (4 sones+). I installed it along with a Leviton timer, and it is a good thing, because it is difficult to hear it running. Incredibly quiet. The only problem was installation. The fan is designed to mount to 2x6s maximum with 18 inch enters max. My ceiling had 2x4s that were part of trusses at 24 inch centers. Instructions did not cover this case, and the included parts to not span 24 inches and the fan does not snug up against an existing 2x4 if the drywall is already installed. The proper solution seems to be a 2x6 subframe specifically for mounting the fan, which was a bit overkill. But my guess is that this fan will work great for most installations.

timer used: Leviton LTB60-1LZ Decora Preset 10/20/30/60 Minute Countdown Timer Switch, Neutral Required, White Assembled On Device, Ivory And Light Almond Included

I wish I'd gotten the 80 CFM model for my bathroom, which is small, but has a shower. This just doesn't do much for the moisture from a shower. I think for a small bathroom with no shower, it would be fine. It doesn't make much noise -- just enough to know it is on.

Have installed two fans which are working well. Instructions for retrofit installations are not very complete so takes some trial and error to get it right. Would give higher rating but the quality control of these fans is poor at this time. It took four fans to get two that worked quietly; there was some fan rubbing causing noise on two of the fans. Thought something got caught in the fans during installation but wasn't the case. Hopefully fans will hold up for the long run. Amazon was great about exchanging the problem fans.

Very quiet unit, easy to install. It replaced an old noisy, fan type unit. Old fan was smaller, but the new fan fit quite well.

Very quiet and easy to install. Not quite powerful enough for my quite small bathroom 8x5. Bought the 80 for the other bath and it works great.

I installed this fan myself and the installation was rather easy even though i had to widen the ceiling as I had a much smaller unit.
The fan is very quiet and does the job well.
It comes with a 3" adapter but I'd suggest you spend another $20 and buy a new 4" duct if you don't have it.
Overall - very happy with the purchase.

This fan is a MUST for someone that wants a "whisper" quiet fan and a bathroom free of humidity while showering. No matter how hot or long the shower...the mirror stay clear.
Worth the price for a quality product !!