I could have said that , as a Mega Star , I often have 2 or more fans in my bathroom , but no-one would believe me haha .

I'd suspect 1 externally vented fan is fine -- it sounds like someone got a good deal on a fan/heater/light and fitted that too .

A fan in the bathroom is mainly to get rid of steam and keep the air fresh . You need to replace the air , so 2 fans or 6 means you are trying to suck all that volume under the bathroom door or wherever it is sourced from . And if one is sucking in air , one blowing it out , as well as volume constraints , you'll also have a breeze going -- get it wrong and you are defeating each other .

okay, so if i keep the clipsal round ceiling fan, I can get a replacement heat light/light without a fan?

(just not sure if i need 2 fan switches in the new bathroom)

This is what they want to put in the new one:

(Both of these)

My parents have similar to the second one in their bathrooms , and they have 3 switches in one . Basically , you can have the light , or the heat , or the fan , or 2 or 3 . I doubt you'd want all 3 on at once , so it does get a bit confusing . I'm pretty sure the fan is wired to stay on for a couple of minutes after you turn it off too .

If you had an additional seperate fan , you could have 4 small switches in one cube arrangement -- make sure they have the 2 fan ones on the same line if that's what you want .

I saw this one which could be the two heat settings, centre fan and centre light, but then I'd need another switch for the second fan lol

I'm assuming you could wire the 2 fans together -- you'd presumably have both off or both on ?

You can two fans together? If so that would be perfect. I actually have no idea I'm not an electrician :) one is vented to outside the other is just part of the 3-in-1. Can anyone confirm?

The bathroom is small, I would just have one fan. Do you really need the heat lamp? You know your climate, so decide on which fan. Standard or with heat lamps and light included.

We are in Melbourne so pretty cold in winter. We have a ducted heating vent in the ensuite but that's it. its a walk In shower (single glass panel) so that's why we are thinking stick with heat lights.

I’m on the coast down the road from Melb. I have a heating vent in the floor and a 3in1 XL tastic in the ceiling of our small bathroom. It is plenty warm enough and the fan works well BUT on all but I do have the window open a lot. If you’re window is small or you prefer it closed the second fan may come in handy. At above, ask for the two fans to be wired to the same switch.

Both our bathrooms have the same setup you have shown. Our electrician said the Bunnings heat/light/fan combos are pretty useless and he sourced a more powerful version for us. We kept the round fans as we weren't doing full renos and didn't want to spend more on plastering. Yes, the look is messy but having both is an effective way to manage the steam. Our electrician said to turn the heat and fan on at the start of the shower and keep it running for a few minutes after. We live in a similar climate to you and this works well - although not in the 40 degree summer haha!!

Check the extraction rates. If the ixl is similar then it’s probably fine by itself. Then look at noise.

@Kate the one he plans to put in is:

Powerful Extraction: 283m3/h Airflow

Long Lasting Instant Heat: 4 x 275W Infra-Red Heat Lamps

Energy Saving Centre Light: 6W R63 LED

@rocksfam which model did they install in yours thats 'more powerful''?

Katrina H I've had a look at ours and they have no distinguishing brand labels or other information but I believe they are Tastics. They are both very quiet however I can't give you extraction rates etc

I've also realised the bathroom fans are vented up into the roof space. i assumed the renovator would vent them through to the outside to prevent mould etc but he says he doesn't. should I insist or is venting into the ceiling okay?

I have used the Martec brand . One is more expensive but looks neater . Good light , heat and exhaust .They do vent outside .

90 % of bathrooms we renovate ( Sydney ) have underfloor heating, installed on top of the tile bed, warms the air and dries towels,............And an exhaust fan ducted to the exterior is the preferred option, Calculate airflow required ask your electrician to obtain desired fan ( Electrical Suppliers have options, not cheap) OR A 3/4 in one type ............In NSW Electricians will not wire in an exhaust fan above a shower with a handheld shower rose,

If it’s a tiled roof ceiling vent ok, but not for a colourbond roof