Trickle vents

[Tutts]

Hi
I have a total of 4 window trickle vents fitted, and with all the high winds we have been having I closed then down, but although they are fully closed their is still a cold draught getting in.
Does anyone on here know of any make of trickle vent that I can buy that would completely seal out droughts when closed.
Many thanks

 

[freddiemercurystwin]

A draughty house is a healthy house.

 

[spooky1]

It might be healthy for the house but not for the person when its a freezing cold drought blowing in.

 

[cwhaley]

As I've said before, trickle vents are a waste of time. Ventilation is very important (especially in modern houses) but they don't seal properly when you want them to and worse of all they get clogged up with webs, bugs and pollen/seeds throughout the summer. I took all of mine off and sealed the gap with a replacement UPVc strip.

We keep some windows ajar and locked in the winter mornings to exchange the air with fresh, cool air and have no mold or condensation. So long as you're not drying clothes in bedrooms and don't mind a bit of fresh air in the mornings, simply opening windows gives far better ventilation and much better control over the air coming into/out of your house (rather than a constant, cold tickle of air).

 

[JohnD]

As I've said before, trickle vents are a waste of time

In your opinion.

There are plenty of people moaning about condensation and mould, who refuse to ventilate.

 

[cwhaley]

In your opinion.

There are plenty of people moaning about condensation and mould, who refuse to ventilate.

Yes I always post my own opinion.

As I said in the post -- ventilation is very important. The best way to do it though (in my opinion of course) is not through trickle vents. A window opened ajar and locked allows for a much better and controlled exchange of air.

 

[JohnD]

although they are fully closed their is still a cold draught getting in.

I wonder where all this airflow is going? The house will not be inflating like a balloon.

Are the doors open?

Do you have fireplaces?

Do you have holes in your ceilings, for example for lighting?

Do you have uncarpeted floorboards?

 

[Tutts]

By the sound of it none of the trickle vents completely shut out droughts. Looks like I might have to live with it. Upstairs bedroom doors are always open, we do have other forms of ventilation, eg air vent in cupboard under stairs.

 

[cwhaley]

Air will be getting in around the edges of the plastic flaps because they don't seal properly when closed. Whip 'em out and use the windows instead.

 

[ronniecabers]

Trickle vents were originally introduced for ' back ground ventilation ' , not condensation issues. They were introduced due to an increase in the number of carbon monoxide poisonings at the time. Hence why in replacement windows the only places you have to put them are in rooms that have things such as boilers, open fires, rayburns, woodburners etc. Best ways to get rid of excessive moisture are , purge ventilation ( opening a window , extractor fans ) and cutting down on things that increase moisture levels
Trickle vents have never sealed very well due to this background ventilation issue , and also no window with a trickle vent is energy rated, physically impossible due to the big hole in the top lol!

 

[JohnD]

big hole

big?

 

[God]

Yes big as in 2 x 200 x 10mm holes per 2700 vent

 

[Notch7]

Trickle vents have never sealed very well due to this background ventilation issue , and also no window with a trickle vent is energy rated, physically impossible due to the big hole in the top lol!

Conveniently the building regs consider trickle vents to be energy neutral, a trickle vent has no impact on energy ratings......

 

[freddiemercurystwin]

Speak to any Building Control officer and they will tell you that there is a conflict betwtween adequate ventilation and adequate air tightness, both of which are striven to be achieved in modern building. It's not a perfect system and that is all.