When my extractor fan stopped working, it made a loud noise and gave off a burning smell. I switched it off, knowing it was time for a replacement. Not being an expert, I removed the cover, snapped a photo of the fan, and consulted ChatGPT. It identified the model and explained the wiring, giving me confidence to proceed.
Amazon had a replacement, but delivery wouldn’t arrive before Christmas. Adding to the challenge, finding an electrician to fix it during the holiday season would have been nearly impossible, despite the cost. I headed to Screwfix, where they suggested a similar alternative. Unsure if it would work, I checked with ChatGPT again and got the go-ahead. Reassured, I bought the fan.
Back home, I had the next day off work, which gave me the perfect opportunity to tackle this project. It was my first time doing anything electrical. While I had done other handy jobs around the house, this felt like a big step.
To be safe, I switched off all the appliances, including the fridge and desktop, before turning off the main switch from the switchboard. I unscrewed the three wires first: the live (brown), neutral (blue), and earth (green/yellow). Then, I unscrewed the three wall screws and removed the entire fan from the wall. It was shocking to see the amount of dust it had accumulated.
Now it was time to install the new extractor, only to find that the hole for the wires was too small. Looking back at the old fan, I realized a new hole had been manually made by the previous electrician, as the wires were positioned in the left-right corner.
I had to make a new hole, but I didn’t have the right tools. I tried using a screwdriver, but it was too slow. I use the drill with a spade drill bit, which made the job much easier. I then fed the wires through the hole and connected them to the new fan, and screwed it back into the wall.
I turned on the main switch and then the fan. It worked! I was relieved. I cleaned up the mess and put everything back in place. I couldn’t have done it without ChatGPT’s help. It was a great learning experience, and I felt more confident about doing other DIY projects in the future.