There is one switch that controls the lights and fan in the bathroom. Users turn the light/fan on when they enter, and off when they leave.
I'd like for the bathroom fan to run for a time after they leave, after turning off the lights.
Is there a device, some sort of delay relay perhaps, that would help me do this without altering user behavior?
You want a timer switch. They are quite common. As Tester101 states, you have to make sure the switch is either:
a. rated for the load of the motor (most should be for a standard fan) or, if not...
b. you need to have the switch control a relay, which in turn will turn the fan off/on. I did this to install the lutron timers that I like on a ceiling heater unit (which was more of a load than the fan):
You are looking for a "delayed off switch"
This is the first one that I found on a Google search
I have not used this product before.
I see that this is an old post, but in case someone is still looking, here is a switch that will switch both the light and the fan on and switch the light off and delay the fan off which I believe is exactly what the poster is looking for
I find is strange it is not already fitted with one. Fan timers that run of the lighting circuits have been around for a long time and they are very standard in all homes and commercial property.
If your fan does not have one it is normally just a case of replacing the fan itself as the timer is normally built into it. You do get standalone timers that you can add to the fan but they are a lot less common. It might be more cost effective to just replace the fan unit as they are fairly cheap. I would hope also you have a triple pole isolator as well but since it does not have the timer control it makes me dubious that you would. They are meant to be fitted within a close distance of the fan itself.
