Bathroom Fan - ingress of smells from upper flat - help please!!!

[moggie 939]

We live in a maisonette on ground floor with one separate entrance flat above. Our bathroom has no window and extraction is via a fan on the wall which has worked great so far.

We have just had a new tenant move in above and they smoke AND IMMEDIATELY WE CAN SMELL TOBACCO SMOKE IN OUR BATHROOM!.

A check with the landlord tells us that when it was built 20 yrs ago it has one exit on the roof and the duct from our flat goes up and is joined by the upper flat duct - hence the problem I presume?.

Our fan goes for about 5 min after we switch on the light and has always worked well. There are no 'flaps' on the fan- it is circular.

I am sure that we do not have to accept tobacco smoke in our flat from another flat. Is there anything we can do? Obviously when it was built it was made with the one exit for both fans on roof and can't be changed. The property is a Sheltered Accomm. belonging to our local Housing Trust and we are all elderly.

If I cover the fan the smell is lessened, but we can't use the fan! Would a different fan that has 'flaps' on the front which remain closed until we operate it - be any improvement?

Help urgently needed as we are pensioners. Thanks so much.

Moggie

[johnk]

A fan with flaps would help but make sure you are allowed to change the fan as sheltered accomdation can have some strange rules.

[bednobs]

don't really understand why being a pensioner makes it more urgent!
Anyway, it might just be one of those things you have to put up with when living in a flat/maisonette i suppose.
Have you approached the housing trust?

[moggie 939]

Thanks John K and Bednobs.
We already have respiratory probs. Yes - we will now contact the Housing Trust. Thanks for unfo re fan with flaps.
Moggie

[bushbaby_de]

I'd be interested to hear how you solve the problem. We have new neighbours who are Indian and the smell of curry is filtering into our flat through the extractor fan ducting - urgh

[bushbaby_de]

nothing to start with, grates a little when its everyday... makes me want to heave when its fish curry for breakfast!

[codswallop]

I'm surprised that you get smells if you have an extractor fan because your fan should be blowing any smells away on the outside,have you got the fan rotating in the correct direction???

[buildersmate]

Durr. This is occurring when the fan is off, not on.
Before typing, engage brain.

[codswallop]

Yes,but if the other flat is blowing out baccie smoke and there's a shared duct it's bound to find it's way there if the fan is off .So check it out !!!!

[bushbaby_de]

codswallop, i'm sorry but I don't understand what you're suggesting either, Both the OP and I are suffering problems caused by the extractor in the other flat. Whether our own fan is on or not is immaterial to the problem.