Cleaning blocked trickle vents in UPVC windows

bev97

Hi
I wondered if anyone has had any success cleaning blocked trickle vents which are attached to the UPVC windows. They only seem clogged on the outside of the house and I have tried brushing out the cobwebs, using a polti steam cleaner attachment to blast out the dirt (which was ineffective) and then today I tried the hoover attachment to remove the cobwebs (yes I know desperate now) but it is so congealed inside the vent.
I thought about getting them all replaced because they are about 13 years old according to the previous owners. I would like them to work especially as I have lived in a house before with really bad condensation and want to avoid that this winter if possible. I thought that cleaning them would be the cheaper solution or are they something that needs replacing regularly?
:undecided
Any advice appreciated!

joinaman

Have a look at the trickle vents
They are usually screwed on at either end and the screws covered with snap on plastic caps
Prise these off with a thin blade and undo the screws, wash/clean out the vent, and also the holes throught the actual window, then refit as per removal
If new ones required, find a window supplier local to you and call in and ask to buy them, price is somewhere around £4-5 a pair
Hope this helps

bev97

Hi thanks for that reply.

I will look into cleaning the vents - hoping they are not too difficult to remove without marking the PVC. Might look into new ones in the future as the vents have gone a bit yellowy and stand out against the white PVC.