Very new diy'er

[50plusabit]

I am a total novice, so please be gentle
I have just moved into a house that needs up dating, want to do the smaller bits myself. Spent 28 yrs holding ladders, passing screws, and generally being told women cant do diy............now my expert has gone to pastures new, I want to learn.
OK in one bedroom, there is a plastic grill that stands proud of the wall about 1/2 inch, it has "net" effect behind it. I persume it was a air vent. I have not opened it, as I was not sure what I was going to find.
Can anybody tell me what is the best thing to do with it?
Thanks

 

[breezer]

leave it

 

[50plusabit]

It look horrible, why do you say leave it?

 

[breezer]

air vents are put in for a reason, you can probaly change the style of it or paint it, but you cant get rid of it

 

[2scoops0406]

Well, you could try to find out why it's there first. You say you've not opened it, so it's not doing it's job anyhow at the moment. Do you for instance have any gas appliances in the room ?

 

[50plusabit]

2scoops
The property used to have gas wall heaters years ago. Now we have central heating, maybe that was the reason.
I have moved from a late 70's where everything was up together to this Ex local authroity property, that has had little money spent.

 

[2scoops0406]

Do all the rooms where the heaters were have vents? Where is the central heater boiler now? Basically the premise is that you mustn't starve any gas appliance of air, otherwise it could carbon monoxide poison you.

I guess it is very difficult to give advice without seeing the property. You would be best asking a heating engineer for advice. It would be irresponsible for anyone to guess here on a forum. Good luck !!

 

[50plusabit]

Central heating boiler is in a cupboard in the other bedroom, with a flue that has been checked. The bedroom the vent is in used to have the airing cupboard, the only other room there is one is the kitchen larder

 

[Burnerman]

These vents, usually above the door or on an outside wall were common in houses built early on in the century and they were there to provide oxygen for the open fires in the bedrooms. The net effect was to prevent insects getting in. They have no application now due to central heating, but in the room where your boiler is, it is vital that there is sufficient air supply to prevent the production of carbon monoxide. If your boiler has a balanced flue system which draws combustion air from outside then this won't be a problem, but any air starvation must be avoided at all costs. As said before, a heating engineer could assess the combustion issue by doing a flue gas analysis and this really has to be recommended.