Panasonic FV-08VQL4 WhisperLite 80 CFM Ceiling Mounted Fan/Light Combination

I purchased this ventilation fan because it was rated very quiet and also because it boasts a damper that will keep cold air from coming in.

Claim #1 was true--fan is almost imperceptible when on.
Claim #2 not so much. The damper still allowed a great deal of cold air to billow in.

My main problem, however, with this is that Panasonic has a unique light bulb base which makes it impossible to replace their bulb with any other brand (the base has little notches that aren't in the center of the base, they're off center, not like any other 4-pin base, so nothing else fits). Not only that, but Panasonic only offers ONE type of bulb for this--an 18 W 3500K bulb--which is very bright and very blue/cool. So if you wanted softer, warmer light in your bathroom, you're basically screwed. And if you need to replace the bulb, yep, that's right--you've got to go to Panasonic.

It took me 6 phone calls, 4 disconnects, 3 stupid customer service...Read more

I was sold on these by an electrician friend who swore by them. Yes, it is quiet but that's not my highest concern when ventilating a bathroom. Especially when the ballast goes bad and you find out Panasonic only sells the ballast as part of the complete lamp base - essentially everything you see when you remove the cover. To date the best price I have found for the ballast is $90 plus shipping-not available locally. Today, I can buy the same fan new on EBay for $115 shipping free.

I have two of these fan units and both have had bad ballasts. The first was replaced under warranty and the second I'm paying for after not quite two years in service.

The irony is that these units replaced two better ventilating, much cheaper, slightly nosier USA made models which never had any ballast issues.

This is Panasonic sticking it to the consumer.

Matsushita, Panasonic's parent, is one of the worst companies on Earth to deal with, so I should have known there would be a catch. The built-in nightlight only works if you install a second wall switch, although this is nowhere mentioned in the company's sales literature. I called tech support, in Manila, and said, "They don't say you need a second switch," to which the support rep responded, "They don't say you don't need a second switch, do they?" Panasonic will never learn.