Panasonic FV-0511VF1 WhisperFit DC Fan 50-80-110 CFM Retrofit Bathroom Exhaust Fan - Quiet Energy Star Certified Energy Saving Bathroom Ceiling Fan

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.

Love this exhaust fan! Purchased it based on recommendations from social media influencers and it is worth the money. It is super quiet and powerful. Has an adjustment for room size and was easy to install. Would highly recommend and will be purchasing another for our other bathroom!

The best made exhaust fan that I have seen. The fan uses a very quiet DC motor housed in a nicely designed injection molded fan housing. The assembly is shock mounted to the frame to decouple vibration from the ceiling. The fan speed is controlled by a built in controller that allows the maximum operating speed to suit the size of the room. It also uses the speed control to increase the speed slowly to the maximum speed. It goes from completely silent to through barely audible to its impressively low noise maximum speed. It is not silent but the term whisper quiet is not too far from fact. It is not inexpensive but given the high quality it does represent good value for money. It should last a long time without any of the vibration and rattling of cheap metal alternatives. Highly recommended.

Panasonic Bath Exhaust Fan – Quiet, Powerful, and Amazingly Easy to Install I've installed over a dozen Panasonic bath exhaust fans, and every single time, the reaction from my customers is the same: pure amazement. These fans are incredibly quiet and impressively effective — a true upgrade from the typical noisy, underperforming units. Panasonic has clearly put a lot of thought into making these ideal for replacement installs. Even for the average DIYer or handyman, the process is straightforward. Yes, you’ll likely need to adjust the electrical setup and cut a slightly larger opening in the drywall, but Panasonic makes it easy. They include a cutting template, all the necessary screws, and clear instructions. Each install has taken me about an hour — and just this month, I’ve done three! Now, let’s talk about the noise — or rather, the lack of it. On the lowest setting, you might not even realize it’s running. Medium speed gives off a soft, pleasant hum. And even on high, it’s just a gentle white noise in the background. No rattling, no whining — just smooth, quiet airflow. These fans clear out moisture and odors in no time. I honestly can’t emphasize enough how effective they are. If you're looking for a reliable, whisper-quiet, and easy-to-install bath fan, Panasonic is the way to go.

As a contractor that replaces lots of cheap builder-grade bathroom exhaust fans, this is the only fan I will purchase and install for my customers. The metal bracket that comes with these makes installing it in a retrofit very easy. If I had one thing to criticize about these fans - it's that the metal knockouts for the electrical connection are difficult to remove; it takes an lot of prying and bending to get them out. No big deal but after doing dozens of these, it's a minor annoyance. It is worth noting on these that it takes 30 seconds or so for the fan to fully ramp up to your desired speed. I run them at 80cfm or lower whenever it makes sense so they're silent These will get louder of time as dust builds up on the fan wheel. To clean it, I take the fan housing down and remove the philips screws holding the motor/fan assembly on the plastic housing, then remove the 12mm nut holding the blower wheel on the fan motor. Then you just have the plastic blower wheel that you can rinse off in the sink.