Rivals await fate
The Xpelair fan on the left is a GX9 dating from the 1960's.Whilst the Vent Axia standard range fan on the left dates from around the 1990's{?} . Xpelair GX fans which were first produced in 1963 have four motor supports while later models from the late 1960's onward have three motor supports. GX series fans can be mounted either in a window or wall which can't be done with the window version of the Vent Axia standard range. Early GX and WX models are ivory coloured and the slats on the draught shutter are rounded like a half pipe . The Xpelair logo is moulded on to the plastic. From the 1970's the design changed to the front grille being made of metal {GX6 only} and the logo printed in black {All models until 1979 when it changed to red}. The engines were painted black/Brown and the propeller was orange coloured from the 1971 until 1987 when it changed to Green.
The Vent Axia standard range fan on the right was produced from 1959 until 2021 and is similar to the universal range except the universal range has automatic shutters and a wider impeller. It is a very robust and simple fan which can be dismantled using a 50p piece. Early models have a rounded front grille while later models like this one are more squared off. The side vents on the Vent Axia standard range allow the fan to be more efficient but has a tendency to deposit dirt extracted from the building all over the window which the Xpelair does not do.
Control switches allowed for the fans to extract air at different speeds or bring air into a building. The Vent Axia controller is a electromechanical unit with a turn switch and requires three core flex to connect the fan up. Xpelair fans use a robust switched unit called a fr22 which requires five core flex to connect the fan to the controller. The absurd thing about the Xpelair controllers particularly the early models is the earth wire from the fan had to share the same connection as the mains flex which makes it fiddly to wire up.
Xpelair started in the 1930's as a trade name by the Genalex company to market their range of fans. The brand became independent in the 1950s and the first fans were first made in Colchester, Essex UK and then moved to Birmingham until 1995. The company is now based in Peterborough.
Vent Axia was founded by Joe Akester in 1936 and its first fans were known as 'Fug Fighters'. The company is based in Crawley , West Sussex and produced the popular Universal , Standard Range fans from the 1950's until 2018. The T series fans were produced from the 1980's to present day.
Rivals await fate
The Xpelair fan on the left is a GX9 dating from the 1960's.Whilst the Vent Axia standard range fan on the left dates from around the 1990's{?} . Xpelair GX fans which were first produced in 1963 have four motor supports while later models from the late 1960's onward have three motor supports. GX series fans can be mounted either in a window or wall which can't be done with the window version of the Vent Axia standard range. Early GX and WX models are ivory coloured and the slats on the draught shutter are rounded like a half pipe . The Xpelair logo is moulded on to the plastic. From the 1970's the design changed to the front grille being made of metal {GX6 only} and the logo printed in black {All models until 1979 when it changed to red}. The engines were painted black/Brown and the propeller was orange coloured from the 1971 until 1987 when it changed to Green.
The Vent Axia standard range fan on the right was produced from 1959 until 2021 and is similar to the universal range except the universal range has automatic shutters and a wider impeller. It is a very robust and simple fan which can be dismantled using a 50p piece. Early models have a rounded front grille while later models like this one are more squared off. The side vents on the Vent Axia standard range allow the fan to be more efficient but has a tendency to deposit dirt extracted from the building all over the window which the Xpelair does not do.
Control switches allowed for the fans to extract air at different speeds or bring air into a building. The Vent Axia controller is a electromechanical unit with a turn switch and requires three core flex to connect the fan up. Xpelair fans use a robust switched unit called a fr22 which requires five core flex to connect the fan to the controller. The absurd thing about the Xpelair controllers particularly the early models is the earth wire from the fan had to share the same connection as the mains flex which makes it fiddly to wire up.
Xpelair started in the 1930's as a trade name by the Genalex company to market their range of fans. The brand became independent in the 1950s and the first fans were first made in Colchester, Essex UK and then moved to Birmingham until 1995. The company is now based in Peterborough.
Vent Axia was founded by Joe Akester in 1936 and its first fans were known as 'Fug Fighters'. The company is based in Crawley , West Sussex and produced the popular Universal , Standard Range fans from the 1950's until 2018. The T series fans were produced from the 1980's to present day.