When a Bathroom Extractor Fan Starts Dripping Water – A Real Bradford Job

The bathroom had no window, just a ceiling-mounted extractor fan. The homeowner explained that the fan didn’t seem to be doing much, steam hung around after showers, and mould had started appearing around the fan. Then they added:

“I was sat on the toilet and cold water dripped on my head from the fan.”

A few days later, I got another call. Same estate. Next door neighbour. Same problem. Same setup. That’s when it becomes clear this isn’t a one-off fault – it’s a ventilation issue that’s been designed in.

1) What’s Actually Causing the Problem

In some modern homes built over the last 25 years, bathrooms and en-suites don’t have windows. Instead, they rely completely on a bathroom fan or en-suite fan to remove steam and damp air.

In these properties, the fan is fitted in the ceiling and connected to a roof tile vent using plastic pipework that runs through the loft. The issue is the way that pipe is installed.

The pipe usually goes straight up from the ceiling for a long distance before it exits the roof. That long vertical run gives warm, steamy air plenty of time to cool down in the cold loft space. When warm air cools, it turns into water inside the pipe.

If that pipework isn’t insulated – which is very common on newer estates – the water builds up and runs back down towards the fan. Over time, that water damages the fan and, in some cases, ends up dripping back into the bathroom.

2) The Signs Most Homeowners Notice

Most people never see what’s happening in the loft, so they only notice the effects inside the bathroom.

Common signs include:

• Steam that doesn’t clear properly after a shower
• Damp patches forming on the ceiling
• Black mould appearing around the extractor fan
• Fans becoming noisy or stopping altogether
• Cold water dripping from the fan
• Musty smells in the room
• paint peeling on the ceiling and walls

Being dripped on from above is obviously the point where people pick up the phone – but the problem usually starts long before that.

3) Why I See This So Often Around Bradford

I come across this problem all over Bradford and the surrounding areas, especially on modern housing estates. It usually comes down to a mix of poor design and the wrong equipment being fitted.

Very often, the original fan just isn’t powerful enough to move air through several metres of pipework in the loft. When it fails, it gets replaced with another similar fan, which doesn’t fix the real issue. The moisture still forms, and the cycle starts again.

It’s not that extractor fans don’t work – it’s that they need to be installed and sized correctly for the job.

4) How I Fix Bathroom and En-Suite Fan Issues Properly

In many terraced and semi-detached homes on newer estates, changing the roof vent isn’t practical. So the solution has to focus on what’s in the loft.

My usual approach is to:

• Remove the old pipework and replace it with insulated ducting
• Add a stand-alone condensate trap to safely collect any water that forms
• Install a properly sized centrifugal extractor fan, such as a Nuaire Cyfan, which is designed to push air through longer pipe runs
• Make sure the airflow is set up correctly so steam is actually removed from the bathroom

Even with insulation, some moisture can still form, which is why the condensate trap is so important. Over time, especially through the warmer months, the trap dries out and the problem stops.

This isn’t about swapping a fan and hoping for the best – it’s about fixing the cause.

5) Problems With Your Bathroom or En-Suite Fan?

If you live in a modern home or on a newer housing estate in Bradford or nearby areas, and your extractor fan isn’t clearing steam, keeps breaking, or has started dripping water, you’re not alone.

You can fill out the enquiry form on the website and I’ll give you honest advice and a clear quote to sort the problem properly.