Hunter 90064 Ellipse Bathroom Fan with Light and Nightlight, Brushed Nickel with Bent-Alabaster Glass

Comment: I am an electrical contractor and this fan is difficult to install. The sheet metal is too thin and the installation of sheet rock distorts it. I had to cut out sheet rock and bend the fan frame back into position to be able to mount the motor module. I have never had this problem with the dozens of Panasonic fans I've installed because the sheet metal is heavier and can stand up to sheet rockers less that perfect cuts.

The junction box is in the back of the fan frame so if you need to service it, it requires complete dissasembly of the unit while all other units I have installed have the junction box at the front of the inards of the fan.

The damper only opens half way. After application of WD-40 still doesn't open fully and doesn't close fully when the fan is turned off.

It takes 2 non-standard light bulbs. So an extra trip to the supply house.

I looks wonderful but, that is all I can say that is positive.

Lowe's makes a Hampton Bay that is a knock off of this fan for a lot less money.

Comment: Pros: Great modern design that looks good. Strong & quiet fan. Good price a few years back.
Cons: Unlike the 5 other reviews, I find it *virtually impossible* to remove the cover in order to change the bulbs.
Because of this difficulty, I would not recommend this particular model to anyone. However, I would recommend the Hunter brand - just stay away from this specific model though, and you should be good.

Comment: PROS: Very nice bathroom fan, sleek, stylish, super super quiet and very very efficient.

CONS: The light is very dim. We put in 2x 60 watts bulbs (max recommended) but it still looks more like a night light. If this fan will be your only source of light in the bathroom you might have to reconsider. The frosted glass on the unit dims the light. Also, measure carefully; the height (from the ceiling down) is a good 2.5 inches. If you have a low ceiling (ours is 9ft; but the unit looks low-hanging) this might not be the fan for you.

RECOMMEND: Yes, I would buy it again.

Comment: This light works good, I really like the looks, but the light output in very dim...could be due to frosted glass I am guess....Works good in my guest bath as it is small...The dim light is made up by my vanity mirror lights. Would not recommend as a primary light, works best as a night light, would work good for a soft light for maybe a tub soak or such as long as others light were around to brighten the room when needed, and for looks and the fan.

In Summary:

Pros:

Looks good
Good fan
Good soft light
Good night light

Cons:
Way to dim for primary lighting

Comment: This is a great looking light -far better than the plastic lights on the market and I like the rectangle design better than the circular ones.

The installation instructions were well written with 4 sets of instructions depending on your scenario (new construction/replacing an existing fan etc.) I was replacing an existing fan.

You will need Three-conductor NM cable running to a double switch to utilize the full functionality of this fan (contains both red and black "hot" wires) so that you can power on the nightlight (1) Then the fan/main light (2) via a double light switch. If you have a standard 3 wire cable (one black hot), you can just skip the nightlight and have your fan and light run on the single switch.

I have two switches wired, but had no use for the nightlight-a small std nightlight sized bulb required. I prefer to have the fan run separately from the main light, because I like to leave the fan on when I'm out of the room sometimes to keep air moving etc. So, You can just route the hot red to either the fan or the light, and the hot black to the other and leave the nightlight unwired, or just couple it with one or the other, but leave its bulb out. Both setups get routed to the same white (return). The directions assume you want the fan and main light on together and the color coding of the wires can make it tricky if you stray from that plan-especially working in a tight space reaching up to the ceiling. I installed alone, and it's a bit of a juggling act trying to keep the unit up while threading wire caps-so I recommend a buddy to help hold the case.

I was able to install two standard CFL bulbs (energy efficient curly ones). I recommend those instead of the smaller A15 incandescents. The cover is a thick opaque glass, and it doesn't allow a lot of light through. I have CFL's, so that doesn't help either, but I must agree it is a bit dim. I have another light in the room, so not an issue for me.

The glass cover has two metal rods attached in parallel and they fit into a harness that requires a push up, then over; then it locks down (with gravity into a groove). It can come loose, but it would take a forceful "up and over" push to accidentally knock it down, and it can be installed incorrectly increasing this risk. I would recommend not using this fixture if you have a lot of activity (horseplay/teenage boys?) or a low ceiling. My bathroom ceiling has a slope to it; I was fortunate to inadvertently install it in the direction where the slope benefits the locking mechanism, but if I had reversed the middle platform mounting, I would have a high risk of the cover slipping as described in another post.

Overall it's a nice attractive light; The fan is nice, powerful and quiet; light is a bit dim due to cover thickness and there is a chance of the cover coming off if installed incorrectly, on a slope or if pushed abruptly.