We love it when we here at DRN can review products from companies that are renowned for being industry leaders.
Aussie owned Schweigen with their German engineered products is definitely in that category.
In an earlier review we let you follow the Schweigen Silent Rangehood installation in our home.
This episode will take you on a tour of their latest product in their Silent Bathroom Fan range, the BRW652.
THE PROBLEM
I don’t know many people who enjoy noisy appliances.
Kitchen exhaust fans should be silent as the modern kitchen is a hub of social activity.
You don’t want to shout to carry on a conversation.
The bathroom is generally a place of solitude and quiet, particularly when you want to enjoy a relaxing bath.
So, both places would greatly benefit from silent exhaust fans.
Schweigen figured out that the noise from the extraction motor should be outside – either on the roof or mounted on a wall.
This has two distinct advantages: less noise and also no dust like on the fan blades of a conventional exhaust unit.
Look at the picture below:
This is a commonly used 3-in-1 bathroom unit with an extraction fan, light and a couple of heat lamps.
We regularly cleaned that unit but moisture and dust make for a very sticky residue on the inside.
In addition, this exhaust fan was very ineffective in our relatively small bathroom.
We also have a spa bath which generates a lot of moisture in the air.
THE SOLUTION
Schweigen was happy to send us the very latest BRW652 which was guaranteed to do away with the noise and dust problems.
In fact, this unit might look like overkill for our bathroom with its 650m3/hr Ecodrive motor.
But, whilst the motor is extremely powerful, it is also very economical at just running at about 30% of the energy consumption of similar conventional exhaust fans.
This particular model is actually a bundle of the BRW650 unit with all the gear to handle two adjacent rooms.
In the main box you’ll find the Ecodrive motor, which incorporates a backdraft shutter, a steel pipe with 4m long flexi-ducting and a white, square recessed diffuser (vent).
An additional box contains a Y shaped ABS plastic joint, 2x 200mm diameter flexi-ducting (3m each), plus another white square recessed diffuser.
The quality of all the components of the Schweigen BRW652 is superb.
Whilst the previous generation of Isodrive motors were constructed with ABS plastic and connected to a 150mm PVC pipe, the new model Ecodrive is built using full metal externals, including stainless steel mesh to meet strict BAL40 (Bushfire attack) requirements.
Sporting a 200mm metal pipe and ducting also gives this motor better airflow.
Of course it is also weather resistant with IPX4-rated anti-water intrusion and weather protection.
INSTALLATION
We had a rather non-typical installation as our roof space above the bathroom was very shallow: only 17cm.
Fortunately, we engaged an installer with creativity who managed to raise a small section of the Colourbond roof to facilitate the first couple of metres of the 20cm wide ducting.
As expected, the kit came complete with great install diagrams and descriptions for various scenarios.
We used the 4m section of the flexi-ducting and an additional length of 3m to get the Ecodrive installed near the ridge line of our roof.
The square diffuser went into the irregular shaped hole of the previous unit without too much cutting or patching.
We could have opted for just a on/off switch but went for a 2-gang plate with a ceiling fan dimmer.
We thought having options to switch the fan from high to medium or low might be needed, given the great suction power of the 652, but the reality is we’ll probably just have it on high most of the time.
At the high setting only the faintest of fan noise could be heard. Not in the bathroom, but in the hallway, directly under the motor unit.
A great result!
RECOMMENDATIONS
Not everyone would have the budget for a premium appliance like the Schweigen BRW652.
In many cases, a smaller model from their Silent Exhaust Fan range would suffice.
But if you have 2 rooms, adjacent or close to each other, like a bathroom and a toilet for instance, you can ventilate them both from the one switch
.
We could also have used this type of setup in our laundry which has a toilet/shower area next to it.
These scenarios would make this unit even more economical, given the AUD1599 price.
With the sublime built quality, backed up by a 5 year warranty on the motor, you’ll get a silent and very effective bathroom fan.
And there are additional benefits, like its energy efficiency and all the ducting included.
For us, the Schweigen delivered everything we expected from a premium product: silence, great extraction power, sleek and unobtrusive profile, durability, no cleaning and improved air quality.
And Aussie.
Highly recommended!
Have a look at the Schweigen product page here.
DRN thanks Schweigen Australia for the opportunity to review the BRW652 unit.
