Panasonic FV-0511VFL1 WhisperFit Bath Fan + Light, 50-80-110 CFM

I recently upgraded my bathroom ventilation system with the Panasonic FV-0511VFL1 WhisperFit DC Retrofit Ventilation Fan, and I couldn't be more impressed. This fan not only meets but exceeds all my expectations in terms of performance, silence, and lighting. First and foremost, let's talk about the whisper-quiet operation. The name "WhisperFit" is no exaggeration; this fan operates so silently that I sometimes have to double-check to ensure it's actually running! Gone are the days of annoyingly loud bathroom fans disrupting the peace and quiet. With the Panasonic WhisperFit, I can enjoy a tranquil bathroom experience without sacrificing ventilation efficiency. Speaking of efficiency, this fan does an exceptional job of keeping the air in my bathroom fresh and clean. With airflow options ranging from 50 to 110 CFM (cubic feet per minute), I can adjust the ventilation power according to the needs of the space. Whether it's a quick shower or a steamy soak in the tub, the WhisperFit effortlessly clears out excess moisture and odors, leaving the air feeling crisp and comfortable. But what truly sets this ventilation fan apart is its lighting features. The dimmable LED light provides just the right amount of illumination, creating a warm and inviting ambiance in the bathroom. Whether I'm getting ready for work in the morning or winding down with a relaxing bath at night, the adjustable brightness ensures optimal lighting for any task. Plus, the built-in nightlight adds a touch of convenience and safety, perfect for late-night bathroom trips without disturbing anyone's sleep. Overall, I couldn't be happier with my Panasonic WhisperFit DC Retrofit Ventilation Fan. It combines whisper-quiet operation, exceptional ventilation performance, and brilliant lighting features into one sleek and energy-efficient package. If you're in the market for a new bathroom ventilation fan that's both silent and effective, look no further than the Panasonic WhisperFit. Highly recommended!

The Panasonic FV-0511VFL1 WhisperFit DC Retrofit Ventilation Fan with Light stands as a beacon of excellence in the realm of home ventilation solutions. Our extensive experience with installing these units—too numerous to count—solidifies our opinion that this product is unparalleled in its class. Panasonic's WhisperFit series has become the gold standard for us, offering superior performance that eclipses other well-established brands in the market. Labeling a product as a "game changer" is often done lightly, but in the case of the WhisperFit, it's a title richly deserved. The fan's operation is exceptionally quiet, a feature that is as impressive as it is appreciated. Moreover, the simplicity and ingenuity of its retrofit installation process are unmatched. We've honed the installation down to a mere 35 minutes, a testament to the fan's design, although first-time installers may require a bit a lot longer. The fan's bracket system is a stroke of genius, designed for easy handling and installation by a single individual without the struggle of supporting its weight during attachment. This design thoughtfully allows for the separate installation of the vent and electrical components, minimizing the physical strain and simplifying the process. Beyond its installation convenience, the WhisperFit offers three selectable ventilation speeds, easily adjustable to meet diverse needs. Pairing this fan with an optional humidistat—Panasonic offers compatible models—addresses the common challenge of mold and mildew in residential bathrooms especially. This combination proves particularly effective in environments where user behavior or inadequate existing fans contribute to excessive moisture, automatically activating the fan when humidity levels rise. The combination is perfection. Our endorsement of the Panasonic WhisperFit extends beyond a mere five-star rating. Its consistent performance, ease of installation, and quiet operation have made it a staple in our business, with frequent reorders facilitated by the swift delivery services of Amazon. This synergy between Panasonic's innovation, Amazon's logistics, and our implementation expertise creates an efficient and effective solution for ventilation Please keep in mind that footprint changes for ventilation fans will likely require minor drywall repairs or touch-up painting, highlighting the typical considerations when replacing or upgrading fans. Additionally, our video showcases the fan's discreet ramp-up feature, illustrating how it quietly progresses to its full capacity—a subtle yet significant detail that underscores the fan's sophisticated design. In conclusion, our allegiance to the Panasonic WhisperFit DC Retrofit Ventilation Fan is unwavering. Its impact on improving indoor air quality, coupled with the ease of retrofit installation and operational silence, makes it an indispensable asset for any property. Panasonic's commitment to quality and innovation continues to impress, ensuring our continued patronage for years to come.

Great product, easy install, super quiet, light is nice and bright, fan works well

Update TLDR: It's still a great fan, but if you need to run the duct more than 10 feet you're almost better off getting a slightly more powerful fan that uses a 6" pipe. That is, if you want your installion to be IRC code compliant. For anyone looking for a bathroom ceiling ventilator, start and end with Panasonic. This is the 4th one of these I've installed, and all of them are super quiet, don't eat electricity, flow plenty of air, install easily, and last forever. Even without a ceiling or any insulation around it, the fan mounted between the joists in a bathroom remodel, this one makes hardly any noise even at full speed. Put some rockwool insulation above and around it, seal the flange with silicon caulk, insulate the 4" galvanized ducts and attach them with top quality HVAC tape, and it makes even less sound. Put in 5/8" Type C drywall ceiling, and you nearly have to look at the light to tell that it's running. OK, the light is in the cooler spectrum, a pale yellow hue, and is not color adjustable. Oh gosh, ITEOFTWAWKI. Yes you can wire it so that the light is dimmable. I didn't feel the need, as it's just the right amount of light for us. The next CFM sizes up, 130cfm and higher, require a 6" duct. This one uses 4" duct. The large part of the update: However, if you are doing work that might be inspected by the building permit folks, you should know that IRC table M1504.2 says that with a 4" duct and a 100CFM flow rate, you can only have 10 feet of duct, and that's "equivalent feet" where every elbow counts as 5 feet. Which isn't great news if your bathroom is not right up against an outside wall. OTOH, the IRC allows you to use the equivalent duct length specified by the manufacturer, but that length is not in the instructions or manual that I could find. The solution is to go with a larger diameter duct. It's a bit hard to find 5" vent caps, but easy to find 6" ones, and with a 6" duct and 110CFM flow, M1504.2 puts no limits on the length. You could go miles. To get there you'll need to buy a 4"-6" adapter, looks like a tin funnel. But honestly, why not just get a slightly more powerful fan which requires a 6" duct anyway? IRC says even at 200CFM you can run 53 equivalent feet of 6" duct. The less CFM you're using the longer your duct can be, as these numbers reflect static pressure that the fan motor can't overcome, and none of them are made with really potent blowers in them like in your clothes drier. Panasonic is a real leader in the bathroom ventilator industry. It would behoove them to test their fans and publish the numbers: 1) Model X can run Z feet of rigid duct (and also test data for flexible duct) of diameter K at these standards of static pressure ( 0.25"wg is the common pressure one), and 2) Model X with QZ feet of duct will overload the fan. Broan and the other companies should follow suit, for bathroom vent fans and kitchen range hood fans.

This is an excellent product at an excellent price. The LED light is brighter than expected, which is good. It is absolutely whisper quiet. My installer had no difficulty installing this.

Overall, I'm happy with the fan. It does exactly what I wanted. That said, it is not a slam dunk installation. Let's go through the good the bad and the ugly. GOOD: It is as quiet as they say it is. I have a small bathroom with a shower in it. 85 ft². The old New Tone fan was driving me crazy with the noise. In theory, I should set the new Panasonic fan to 85 CFM, the middle setting, but I decided to go for broke and set it for 110 CFM. I am able to hear it when it's on, but it is very quiet and not intrusive. It's comforting to know that if I get cranky I can slow it down and it should do a good job. It does come with instructions which will get you through the project. I would give them a "C" . It came with a 4-in to 3 in adapter which was nice since my rain hood that goes through the wall of the house is a 3-in. I ran 4-in aluminum flexible ducting and it is very quiet. The Fex-Z-Fast mounting bracket is a good addition. I initially thought I wouldn't bother with it, but it makes things much easier. They have a template for marking where to saw the drywall to make the mounting hole. That also is simple but very effective. THE BAD Not much in this category. It's a pricey bathroom ventilation fan. Amortized over 20 years, who cares? THE UGLY The instructions were written by somebody in a hurry. I was spoiled recently by buying a wheelbarrow online. It came with A+ instructions: the parts came on a blister card; each blister numbered with a step from the diagram. Each step in the diagram contained only one step. It was well illustrated. Expect the opposite here. There are screws in little packs or taped in various places with only minimal explanation about what they're for. I'm either very smart or very lucky, but it all went together eventually with nothing left over. It was a challenge! The first problem with the instructions is you are apparently supposed to mount the control unit and the main fan body by using self-drilling screws that go through the sliding rails of the bracket. I've never seen anything like this before. I finally gave up looking for mounting holes or attached nuts and decided to just go through the drywall and the rails of the mounting bracket. That seemed to be what you're supposed to do. It would help if they told you that. There are two sets of instructions. One is an overall set of instructions; the other is primarily for the Flex-Z-Fast mounting bracket, but it also includes abbreviated instructions for mounting the fan. It took me a while to figure out that these were more or less parallel instructions. They are not labeled as such, so you have to read through each several times in order to figure out what domain they cover. Of course, they could have written one set of instructions that included everything. Maybe the instructions were written by a committee? OVERALL The fan is great once installed. It is quiet, really! The kit is complete. All you need is tools, tape, and ducting to an outside wall. It is possible to install from below, but you would still have to deal with what you do with the other end of the duct! Still, it's nice to be able to work in a warm well-lit environment at the top of a step ladder, rather than balancing on rafters in the attic. The instructions are somewhat disorganized and slap dash. If you have experience with DIY projects, you'll probably get through it. I wish they would ask me to rewrite their directions. The writing skill required is to look at the project from the point of view of the consumer, preferably a medium-skill consumer. There's a whole field of engineering that studies how to make machines and projects easy to use. It's called Human Engineering. In essence, it involves giving a project to a newbie and watching where they stumble. Then revise, repeat, revise. When it's finished, it is quiet and effective, and a big improvement over economy fans. 4/4/24: revised review: the speed setting makes no difference. You would think that between 55 CFM and 110 CFM there would be a detectable difference in sound level. I realize it takes a minute, literally, to spin up to speed. Nonetheless, a meter shows no difference in dB. I don't have an air flow meter, but placing a damp hand near the intake doesn't suggest any difference in air flow. Panasonic customer support is zero, nada, indifferent, eliminated to generate more profits? I have tried four different phone numbers. They all either go to voicemail or are disconnected. I got a return text from one, which sent me to a different department, which didn't respond. Emails, four of them so far, have gone unanswered. Evidently, my question about malfunctioning of the speed switch is not important enough to bother with, or they have cannibalized the customer service department in order to keep stockholders happier. Capitalism at its finest!

Function is 5 stars, putting it together 3.5 stars. The directions that are given do not help really, watch a video on how to install and patience is key! Took longer than expected, but once you figure out how things go you got it. From someone who is not handy at all, he figured it out! The fan is very quiet which is great!!

Easy to install, great replacement for our old fan!

For residential proejcts, thisis one of the top qulaity product. Good qulaity and quiet. The product is pricy though!