Customer Reviews

Panasonic FV-08VQ3 WhisperCeiling 80 CFM Ceiling Mounted Fan

5 star:		(13)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

During our first bathroom renovation I purchased what I thought was a good fan and it was way too loud. Pulled it out and purchased this one. Has turned out to be just perfect. Extremely quiet but it's 'just' loud enough to know it's on and I like that.

We're now redoing our second bathroom and will get another one of these. Don't forget to calculate your bathroom CFM (LxWxH ÷ 7.5) so you know what size to purchase.

My husband and I did a lot of research on "crapper fans" as my hubbie calls them. Most of the reviews pointed to this fan as the best, most effective, and most quiet of them. Despite the price - I admit I got the "oh geez" face when I understood we were paying more than $100 for a bathroom fan - we got one for each of our full baths. I can't say enough that they are great!!! Whisper quiet is an understatement; really, you can't tell that they are on. But most importantly, my husband can take his devilishly hot showers without fogging up the mirrors and causing any more steam damage to the paint. This is an excellent product. It's completely worth the few extra dollars.

This exhaust fan is very quiet and moves a lot of air, my bath mirror barely steams up any more. My problem is now I forget to turn it off because I barely can hear it.

This is my second Panasonic bathroom fan (second bathroom) and I very much recommend this brand. This one I installed to replace an existing fan, it runs super quiet, and installation was easy, but it may take some time to read through all the directions and figure out which install method is correct for you. I had to increase the ceiling hole in order to mount the fan, but they give you a cardboard template, so a little drywall saw and a little mess later you are done..

This design, while excellent in its intended purpose, providing quiet exhaust, it's design leaves a lot to be desired when installing. Panasonic gives you several methods, none of which are complete, there are gotcha's with all of them. Determined effort will eventually get it cobbled in place but it won't be without compromise. You will fight it ever step of the way. I tend to be a perfectionist so, if you aren't, don't bother reading the rest of this. For those of you who want it done right you may find the following helpful.

After giving all of Panasonic's methodologies full consideration I found them all deficient and wound up developing my own, one that would provide proper mechanical attachment once in and, two, ease future serviceability.

The first big caution is, make sure this fan will fit. Although this fan is recommended for 2 x 8 construction (dropped ceiling over bathrooms are often of 2 x 8 construction), if there is a floor or other solid surface above, you will wind up with the fan protruding at least a quarter inch into the room below. The fit is beyond tight. Do the math. You are trying to fit something 7 7/8" tall into a 7 3/4" space, if there is a floor above. Even if there are no protruding nails or screws, you can count on the finished installation protruding 1/4" into the room below. If you're doing retrofit, poke a hole and take a close look before committing. New construction, as in my case, is faced with either shimming the floor or shimming the ceiling by up to 1/4". I can shim the whole of either or or have a hump in one or a dip in the other. I did a little of each and it will probably not be noticeable but this part of the process was very irritating to have to do. I could have just let the fan stick down from the ceiling and caulk the gap. I If this is OK with you, fine. It was not OK with me.

Next challenge.

Long story short, I threw away the flimsy mounting hardware Panasonic provided. Instead, I laid in a layer of half inch plywood between the joists above the drywall such that screws installed around the adapter and fan body mounting flange actually have something to bite onto. Drywall by itself has no holding power. If the fan is mounted immediately adjacent to a joist you will have only the two screws on that side holding, the rest sucking air. Oh, you have the flimsy bracket, if you use it. Not good.

If you are doing new construction, you will have to be creative in cutting up your ceiling panel into separate pieces, if you want drywall behind the mounting flange where it belongs. There is no pretty way of doing this. Mine is new construction and this was not acceptable to me. My way, the adapter and fan body are installed separately, after the ceiling is all finished. The hole is the right size, in the right place, screws all hold. Other than the slight hump in the attic floor, it's very solid and future service is simple.

If you are doing a retrofit, cutting a hole in an existing ceiling, you will find the fan is impossible to install in one piece. You have to first install the adapter plate making connection to electric and vent tubing. It should be adequately secured in preparation for the next step, raising the fan body, engaging the tabs on the adapter. If you have not installed some backing above the drywall where the adapter mounts, good luck. You'll need a patient assistant who does not take offense at profanity. You're still stuck with how to hold up the fan body since most of the screws are useless. I'd suggest at least gluing in narrow plywood strips around the inside of the opening for the screws.

I spent way more time on this than I like. The results aren't perfect but I'm the only one who will know (besides you, that is).

So, why didn't I just return the unit and get another with better fit? I have tested this fan for quiet and compared it to others. I am impressed, hence the two stars. Otherwise, it's a zero.

I may eventually get to love it but I'll probably a long time before I forget just how awkward the installation was.

I'm making an exception for this review. If you'd like more detail, drop me a line.

This is an extremely quiet fan. I have a louder 80CFM fan on the main floor and it feels like it draws more air than this one but not by much. Very happy with this purchase.

This is a great bathroom vent fan. Very quiet and draws the moisture out very well. Shipping was on time and package arrived with no damage.

A true whisper ceiling fan, much better than the fan in HomeDepot.

we always forgot to turn it off.

Don't waste your time with other fans. I tried an Air King before returning it for this one, and there's no comparison in quality. It's effective and you can barely hear it. Buy a timer switch or you'll find you'll leave it on by mistake.

I have two of the 80CFM versions of this fan. See my review of Panasonic FV-08VQ3 Exhaust Fan Whisper Ceiling 80 CFM Ceiling Mounted Fan for a review of the fan. But you can get this for a lot less elsewhere online. I wouldn't do business with a seller who charges at least $30 more for this than you can get it elsewhere *including shipping* and makes you request a refund of shipping charges instead of just not charging them in the first place.