Can I safely cover an air vent ?

Schu32

Hi,

I live in a house with gas central heating. I have 2 living rooms ( one front one back) The front room has a radiator but no gas fire, yet there is a vent on the chimney breast. I want to buy a wall mounted electric fire but need to know if this can safely be mounted covering this vent? Or do I need the vent for the radiator ?

(Just so you can get an idea of the layout, the back room has a separate chimney breast and a gas fire with a boiler behind it.)

ariba10

The vent is probably there to ventilate the chimney.

The slow flow of air up the flue stops damp patches.

(Unless the top of the flue is capped.)

macman

An electric fire requires no ventilation to the open air, so it will make no difference.
However as above it may result in damp in the chimney breast.

notbritishgas

Schu32 wrote: »

Hi,

I live in a house with gas central heating. I have 2 living rooms ( one front one back) The front room has a radiator but no gas fire, yet there is a vent on the chimney breast. I want to buy a wall mounted electric fire but need to know if this can safely be mounted covering this vent? Or do I need the vent for the radiator ?

(Just so you can get an idea of the layout, the back room has a separate chimney breast and a gas fire with a boiler behind it.)

I hope you also have an air vent in the back room.

Schu32

notbritishgas wrote: »

I hope you also have an air vent in the back room.

Yes, the back room actually has 2 vents along the outer wall.

Thank you all for your advice

Hasbeen

As other posters have said vent in chimney is to provide flow of air to prevent any damp patches appearing on walls, so can be covered with electric fire, be good though to ensure air can still enter. But have seen homes where this is covered and no apparrent problems. Your choice!

But never cover vents in external walls to outside as this provides safe ventilation for you if gas fires etc installed.

good_advice

If I lived in your house - I would get rid of the lot and open the fire
Wish I had a back boiler on my coal fire.

With the cost of electric going up, def open the fire and get the hot water boiler working.

Electric fires cost so much to run.Be careful with usage or your bill will go a lot higher.