Moisture after instalation of upvc window. Trickle Vent ?

[GTMS]

Few weeks ago. I replace the old wooden bathroom window of my flat for upvc double glazing. There is no Trickle Vent in this window or any other in my flat. I the time the company that s** me the window told me. I f the old one don’t have trickle event you probably don’t need one in your new window.
The problem is that after a hot shower there is a lot of moisture in bathroom and I can see mould in some parts of the wall. My question is: Is it possible to buy and install a trickle vent in upvc window. How is the installation? Is it recommendable to install trickle vents in upvc? All windows of my flat were replaced recently with upvc but none of them has trickle vents. I live in ex council flat and my neighbohs that lives in the same flat as mine has trickle vents in all his upvc window. The company that sold mine at the time told me: If want we can put trickle vent but if you do that, what is the reason to have double glazing? Wondering what is the bet option and if possible in my case...

[freddymercurystwin]

Oh dear! You've been well and truly stiffed by your window suppliers, what a bunch of amateurs! Not to mention you've not got any approval (Fensa or Building Control) which you may need if you come to sell. You should have vents in every window, you can add vents easily enough though unless you can't get access to the outside! Click here for a guide: http://www.diydoctor.org.uk/projects/condensation.htm You don't mention whether the bathroom window opens or not, you should open it whenever you produce steam in there at the very least if not fit an extractor.

[glassgod3]

I do not agree, yes they say it is good practice to fit windows with tricklevents but i assume they replaced one window and the house is not a new biuld or extension so they do not have to fit vents and what a waste of time they are, you pay all the money for upvc k glass and then have a great hole ripped into the window with a flimsy bit of plastic over it.
Just as well put the window on the night vent.I do not think a tricklevent will solve your damp problems imo

[philipdayton]

freddymercurystwin wrote:

Oh dear! You've been well and truly stiffed by your window suppliers, what a bunch of amateurs! Not to mention you've not got any approval (Fensa or Building Control) which you may need if you come to sell. You should have vents in every window, you can add vents easily enough though unless you can't get access to the outside! Click here for a guide: http://www.diydoctor.org.uk/projects/condensation.htm You don't mention whether the bathroom window opens or not, you should open it whenever you produce steam in there at the very least if not fit an extractor.

I disagree completely, there is no legislation at all to say that trickle vents 'must' be fitted.
If the previous window didn't have them there is no reason why the new one should.
There are much better solutions for ventilation than routing bloody great holes through the top of perfectly good insulating windows.

[Richard C]

There is absolutely no requirement to fit tickle vents on replacement windows or escape windows for that matter but most DG companies will try & sell you them & many LABC’s encourage it; both can be a good idea in certain situations though. The only requirement is the situation is no worse than it was before. You should have either a FENSA certificate or a certificate of compliance from you LABC though.

You don’t say if you have an extractor fan fitted; current regulations require a fan in renovated/refurbished bathrooms, utility rooms or kitchens & a W/C without an external window fitted. If you don’t have a fan & don’t open the window, you will have problems with condensation!

[freddymercurystwin]

philipdayton wrote:

I disagree completely, there is no legislation at all to say that trickle vents 'must' be fitted.

Where did I say it was a legal requirment? Its good practice unless the rooms are vented by another means.

[GTMS]

There is no extractor fan in the bathroom but there is a vent in the wall with a plastic cover that can be open and closed. Actually every room in the house has got one of these apart from the living room, the kitchen has 2 of these on the ceiling and inside the kitchen storage unit there are another 2.
I am wondering if I do need all these holes with vents in all the room of the house as this is not energy efficient at all. When I close them, they never shut perfectly and the house can always loose heat. No windows itself had vents. Apart from one in the living room. The old one had some sort of round plastic fan in the glass, but that, I think it was installed because I had a old baxi bermuda, back boiler(open vent, the old type) that was seating in the living room( I think these type of boiler needed ventilation in the room).
Anyways boiler was replaced before I replace the windows, new one is in the kitchen and it is a condensing boiler that has no needs of vents.

[JohnD]

GTMS wrote:

The problem is that after a hot shower there is a lot of moisture in bathroom

well of course there is! You just been filling the room with hot water and steam! the shower cabinet is wet, and so are the towels. No extractor fan? What do you expect to happen?

http://www.diynot.com/wiki/building:condensation_in_houses

[Richard C]

GTMS wrote:

There is no extractor fan in the bathroom but there is a vent in the wall with a plastic cover that can be open and closed.

You should at least open this when you have a bath/shower. Why don’t you get an extractor fan fitted in its place; you can get fans with automatic shutters to prevent draughts when not in use; with a bit of luck it may even fit straight into the existing hole.

GTMS wrote:

Actually every room in the house has got one of these apart from the living room, the kitchen has 2 of these on the ceiling and inside the kitchen storage unit there are another 2. I am wondering if I do need all these holes with vents in all the room of the house as this is not energy efficient at all. When I close them, they never shut perfectly and the house can always loose heat. No windows itself had vents.

Modern sealed DG units are very efficient at sealing a room, if you close off every bit of natural ventilation you will get condensation & stand a good risk of black mould growing everywhere; you need ventilation, particularly in the kitchen when cooking.

GTMS wrote:

Apart from one in the living room. The old one had some sort of round plastic fan in the glass, but that, I think it was installed because I had a old baxi bermuda, back boiler(open vent, the old type) that was seating in the living room( I think these type of boiler needed ventilation in the room). Anyways boiler was replaced before I replace the windows, new one is in the kitchen and it is a condensing boiler that has no needs of vents.

All types of boilers need ventilation accept maybe electric. Building Regulations certainly require a permanently open vent in the room which houses a gas, oil or solid fuel boiler or fire. This is to ensure there is always enough oxygen for the burner to operate efficiently; it could be dangerous without it.

[JohnD]

Richard C wrote:

... Building Regulations certainly require a permanently open vent in the room which houses a gas, oil or solid fuel boiler or fire.

Except that for the last 50 years or so, most parts of the country have had room-sealed (balanced flue) boilers and heaters which do not draw air from within the room.

This innovation may not have reached Norfolk yet

[Richard C]

JohnD wrote:

Richard C wrote: ... Building Regulations certainly require a permanently open vent in the room which houses a gas, oil or solid fuel boiler or fire. Except that for the last 50 years or so, most parts of the country have had room-sealed (balanced flue) boilers and heaters which do not draw air from within the room. This innovation may not have reached Norfolk yet

Point taken, forgot about balanced flues. Yes we are a bit backward here in Sugar Beet county; we had a balanced flue in out previous property but still have a conventional flue here.