1970's timber frame home - vents letting in cold air

[Mallbe]

Hi all looking for some advice.

My home is timber framed, there are some vents on the exterior of the house that look like this

Exterior vent

• Mallbe
• 6 Dec 2014
• 1

The only room with any vents on the exterior wall is the kitchen, which looks like this

Interior kitchen vent

• Mallbe
• 6 Dec 2014
• 1

If I remember right from when we moved in during the summer there is another either directly below this one (now hidden by the fridge/freezer) or its behind one of the kitchen units.

The problem is that the kitchen is bloody freezing, I suspect these vents are letting in cold air. It's pretty bad as this side of the home is the windward side of the home.

One of my neighbours has filled the exterior vents on his home with expanding foam, however I do not think this is maybe a good idea as the exterior vents must be there for a reason. Perhaps to let the timber breath?

In my other neighbours house, identical to mine there is built in cupbaord in front of this vent, which contains his boiler. I suspect when the former owners of my house had the boiler moved to the upstairs bedroom they took the cupboard out to have more space.

Three questions I have are

1- is it a bad idea to put expanding foam in the external vents?

2 - would the internal vents at one time have been air intake/outflow for a boiler?

3 - is it safe/wise to block off the internal vents in the kitchen.

Thanks in advance for your help.

 

[theprinceofdarkness]

" the boiler moved to the upstairs bedroom " This is illegal.
1. It can be OK PROVIDING you know what you are doing.
2. Yes
3. It would be better if you replaced the vent with a shuttered fan. This way you can get rid of steam and condensation when cooking then close it of when not required.
Have you a boiler in the kitchen with its required vents?
Frank

 

[big-all]

as an aside
the vents may be for a gas appliance in that or an adjoining room