yeah I thought that was going on - so radiant heat doesnt get sucked up by the fans? Because I always thought heat rises, so whats the point of having it next to an extraction fan, up on the ceiling. I wonder if they make infrared ceiling heaters? Anyway, Im getting some good technical advice on the whirlpool forum also, thank you :-)

NOTE i just googled infrared heating, apparently it's the same as radiant.... a new thing every day

Radiant heat, so whatever it faces it heats, not the air. In bathrooms there'd be splashing concerns with anything electrical at floor level, unless it is waterproof and designed for bathroom use.

Our combo is not very loud but not exactly quiet either. I think the quietest I have read about are the ones where the motor is separate to the ceiling unit, but I don't think that style is budget. Another thing that causes noise is the butterfly damper, it rattles a lot in windy weather. They are designed to prevent heat escaping in cold weather so I suppose you could just not install it if you are in a warm climate. The earlier models never came with one. The rising air when the fan is operating pushes it open. Unfortunately pressure fluctuations on windy days also make it open and shut, rather noisily.

Sorry, I remembered something to add and rushed and decided to delete and start again.

Hot air rises. Heat radiates in the direction it's pointing. I think that's the way to explain it?