Simple, cheap ventilation options?

JP_

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OK, so we live by a busy road, so sleep with windows shut. This means that the room does tend to get a bit stuffy, and always being in a rush, don't always have time to open the windows in the morning etc.

I was thinking that would could have some sort of small vitalisation installed - could be a very small pipe (say, 25mm) that runs through the loft (there is no roof felt, so no risk of moisture building up), and pumps the air out using a quiet fan at the exit end, so no sound in the bedroom. Could be on a timer so only running at night.

Any suggestions? If it makes the rooms nicer, I could put in all rooms, as the kids room gets pretty hot too ...
 
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A slow-running large-diameter fan is MUCH quieter than a small-diameter fan. Don’t go anywhere near as small as 25mm.

There are plenty of “whole house ventillation” systems that use ceiling vents and fans in the loft. Some extract, some blow in fresh air. Some include heat recovery.
 
If you have chimneys sealed put big vents in , will provide natural free ventilation .
 
We had a similar problem in that we are both light sleepers (even one random car at night can wake us up) and in the recent glorious weather, found it was stuffy upstairs and around 26 degrees at bedtime.

Solution is to keep the blinds and windows completely shut during the day (to keep the hot air and sunlight out) and about 3 hours before bed, swing the windows wide open and pull back the blinds. This introduces cool / fresh air and dramatically reduces the temperature in the room. Windows and blinds then shut at bedtime. We have slept much more comfortable since.
 
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We pretty much do that - curtains closed all day as well as windows closed, then I open when I get home from work, and close again at bedtime.

Reason for thinking of a 25mm pipe is really to create more a trickle vent - maybe have a larger fan that extracts from a 100mm pipe that than splits to 4 smaller pipes to each bedroom, for example? No idea how this would be done (maybe lots of duct tape!). But a standard bathroom fan for one room would be overkill I think.
 
Why change a habit of a lifetime when I can use technology to solve my problems?
 
Only way to cool yourself in bed is a ceiling fan, wall fan or A/C unit .
Any ventilation will have negligible affect of you body temp.
 
Not for cooling, just for ventilation to replace air.
 
We pretty much do that - curtains closed all day as well as windows closed, then I open when I get home from work, and close again at bedtime.
If you can have the curtains closed and the windows open during the day you'll do better, more fresh air to start with, especially if you can open a window elsewhere for a cross current. You mention the kids rooms getting hot too, so heat is obviously one of the issues. Hot air rises, so a simple hole in the ceiling would, in theory, draw air up at night, assuming that air can get in under the door (leave a window open elsewhere in the house).
 
I think ventilation would be better. I'll see what I can muddle together.
 
open the loft hatch.

the warmest air will rise by natural convection and escape; and, unless your house is airtight, cooler air to replace it will enter through the numerous holes and gaps.
 

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