Panasonic FV-0511VF1 WhisperFit DC Retrofit Ventilation Fan, 50, 80 or 110 CFM, Quiet Energy Star Certified Energy-Saving Ceiling

I have done seven ventilation fan replacements between my previous house and current house using the Panasonic fans. Builder-grade ventilation fans just did not cut it - they were loud and useless. Of the seven Panasonic fans used five are previous model FV-08-11VF5 (other than using AC motor and having just 80/110 CFM selections, it is identical to the FV-0511VF1 under review). Two are FV-0511VF1. They are all excellent ventilation fans, probably the best retrofit option for the home owners due to their easy and innovative installation method. Especially if the access to the space above ceiling is limited. FV-0511VF1 uses DC motor and it takes about a minute to reach its full speed, unlike the previous AC motor model which reaches full speed in less than 10 seconds. Once reaches the full speed I can feel the air flowing and it is pretty quiet (especially compared to the builder-grade fans I replaced). One thing to keep in mind, even though this fan comes with a 4"-to-3" duct adapter, I recommend using 4" duct whenever possible to get the best performance and the lowest noise level out of the fan. Of the seven replacements I have done, I was able to replace six original 3" ducts with 4" ducts through attic space. I was not able to replace the downstairs bathroom one as its duct goes through floor and ceiling space that I have no access to. And this one definitely has less performance and higher noise level than the other six.

I am replacing my 15-year old Broan bathroom fan with this Panasonic WhisperFit Retrofit FV-0511VFC1 as this seems to be the right size, the Panasonic brand name and, of course, good reviews. Needless to say that electrical breaker off to start with. While the old fan was installed from the attic, this new Panasonic is installed from below the bathroom ceiling. This is already a big plus for me, as this was my first time installing a fan, and me being nowhere close to being a handyman. The fan came with everything I needed, except tools and the only things I needed were, a screwdriver, ladder, lamp, safety goggles, duct tape and polyfiller . I rate the instructions as 2 out of 5, as they are written for electricians, not for a newbie. I supplemented with YouTube videos on installation of similar items. Not step by step, but nevertheless useful. The single most important first step, after removing the old fan is the installation of the metal extendable Flex-Fast bracket. If you have it correctly installed, the rest follows easily. Instruction on this part is lacking and, if present, then not clearly explained. I actually had to remove and reinstall the extendable metal bracket twice. It needs to be positioned both flush with the top surface of the ceiling drywall and flush against the side of the drywall near the duct opening. As long as the bracket looks to be in the centre of the opening, it is fine as gaps can be filled in by polyfiller and hidden by the cover. Electrical was simple, as there are 3 wires from the source to the fan. All connections made inside the electrical box in the metal side panel. I used marettes (not provided) to connect black to black, white to white and bare earth to bare earth. The next step is to slide the side metal panel (containing the electrical box) through the already attached extendable bracket. When the fan goes in, it clips to the top of that metal side panel From the attic, I used duct tape to make the connection for the air outflow. The speed setting on the fan is easy to access. At the lowest setting 50 CFM, it is indeed whisper quiet but I find at the highest setting 110 CFM, it is as noisy as my old 15-year old Broan fan, if not a tad more, which I find somewhat annoying. I set it at 80 CFM which is not whisper quiet, but a nice compromise. I am deducting a star for the lack of clearer instructions and would recommend as a new or retrofit bathroom fan.

I've ordered these to replace the original Braun fans installed with the house many decades ago. They were loud, noisy, and difficult to do maintenance on. These WhisperFit fans are awesome. They're quiet, I can select the correct airflow CFM for the room's size, and the installation method is quite impressive with the electrical box and exhaust connection in a separate unit that the fan unit slides into! The electrical box and the hose are NOT part of the fan unit, so if you need to replace it, I was shown that pulling out a standard plug from that separate unit and a couple of underside-screws, means I can replace the unit by sliding a new one into it's place, and it snaps into place while I put 2 more screws in to hold it. Honestly, I'm impressed with the engineering of it - it seems very friendly. Just make sure you've got enough space above it - you'll need the 5-6" to be completely clear above the box hole in order for it to fit.

This Panasonic bath fan has all the great features Panasonic fans are known for: ease of installation, clean look, quiet operation, reliability and effective ventilation. I installed this fan in a bathroom in a sloped ceiling which I had access to via the attic. I do not think it is rated by the manufacturer for an angled installation. I was concerned the bearings might not be happy with this orientation, and might give out early. But I needed a fan and I've had great success with a previous Panasonic bathroom ventilation fan. I made sure the fan's baffle was oriented properly (I had to point the outlet port facing up towards the peak of the ceiling to ensure it would operate properly). I initially set this fan at its highest CFM rating (110 CFM or so, I can't remember exactly). But it started to make a slight squeal after running for several minutes. I backed off the fan to 80 CFM and no more squeal. It has been in place more than 6 months with daily usage and has not squealed again. The ventilation is excellent. There is no moisture on the mirror after a long shower. For the record, this bathroom is about 9' x 10', and the sloped ceiling adds much more volume to the room. The ventilation duct is 4" galvanized steel (smooth) with a short 4" aluminum flex section to help ease the initial connection to the fan. This duct runs about 8 feet in total with two elbows at about 15 degrees, plus another 90 degree elbow, then vents through a Broan 4" vent hood in the roof. The ventilation is excellent even with all those elbows, and length, and the lower 80 CFM speed setting. I skipped the moisture sensing option, preferring the fan to run only when someone turns on the switch. I installed a Leviton DT130 countdown timer switch (5-10-15-30 minute) and its been great. You can have this switch stay on indefinitely if you want. It's a Decora style switch and easy to install.

Overall, excellent product. Very quiet. With 4” venting, it’s very effective at completely eliminating steam and moisture from our 85 sq’ bathroom (tested in our shower with two shower heads running during an intentionally long, hot water shower). Not a trace of fog on the mirror and not a drop of moisture on the walls - the complete opposite of how our old noisy 50 CFM vent performed. I am a very experienced DIYr and did not consider this an “easy” installation, even with complete attic access. My old vent was installed using a 3” vent pipe. I had to replace the entire length of solid and flex pipe to utilize the 4” exhaust vent on the new unit. To me, it made no sense to buy a high capacity unit with a 4” exhaust and then constrict it to 3” via the included reducer. This replacement alone is not possible without attic access. This unit is considerably larger than the one I was replacing. Due to immovable obstructions in the attic (HVAC) I had to install new unit further from the edge of the wall, leaving an old opening to sheetrock, tape, mud, sand and paint. Installation instructions lack clarity concerning two of the most critical steps in the replacement process: connecting the part housing the motor and the part containing the electrical box and vent adapter. I found this confusing but eventually figured it out. Screws: On a minor point, two of the four screw holes on the flange’s perimeter far exceed the head size of the self-taping screws provided. You’ll need to find just the right size washers to compensate for the screw head being too small for the oversized hole provided to secure the other half of the unit. In summary, excellent product, but instructions could be improved and I can’t imagine installing this unit without attic access.