What is this vent?

jr1985

Does anyone know what this vent is for and if so, can it be turned off? It's in the hallway of my rented home and there's a cool breeze under it. My hallway is freezing. There doesn't seem to be an electrical switch or anything near it in the actual hall, but I can hear what sounds like a fan.

http://imgur.com/F2oTNkr

TheCyclingProgrammer

Does it come on and off with the light? It looks like an extractor, the sort you'd usually have in a kitchen or bathroom. Its possible it was fitted to try and fix a condensation/humidity problem in the hallway but it does seem a bit odd to have an extractor in a hallway to me!

jr1985

No, it's just on constantly. I assumed it had something to do with preventing mould. But if I could turn it off without causing any problems that would be great.

victor2

It quite possibly is something to do with controlling damp. There could be an isolation switch for it somewhere if you really want to switch it off. Is the loft space above it? If so, take a look up there for some sort of ducting and fan unit attached to the vent. Then look where any wiring goes.
Not sure how these things work, but I suppose it could just be a vent connected to the outside, with no fan involved...

lstar337

I would also guess that it is for moisture control. If that is what it is for, turning it off would probably be a bad idea.

I spent a year in a place with poor moisture control and mould, I had more illness than I have had at any other time of my life, and I'm a young fit person!

System

tbh it's very difficult to tell what it is, it's just a terminal in the ceiling, could be anything behind it!

what kind of age is your house?
to me it looks like a fresh air vent, some new houses require to have a certain amount of trickle ventilation, some older houses need a bit of background ventilation to remove humid air - does it make a noise?
I would be wary of covering anything up unless I knew exactly the purpose and where the end goes!

jr1985

The house was built in 1930's I believe. There is no damp or mould (maybe it's preventing it?). It makes a loud humming noise.

martinthebandit

It could be for removing Radon gas depending on the area you live in although I would expect it to be sited much lower down

LEJC

Ask the LL?

Then you will get a definitive answer as to whether it can be turned off or adjusted.

If you have regular home inspections ask then...if not send a email to enquire....if you rent via an agent if they are not aware what it is for your query should be passed to the LL for an answer....
far better than asking a bunch of strangers on a forum as it seems most have differing views.

MisterBaxter

If there is a flow of air coming out of it then it could be a positive pressure ventilation system, designed to deal with condensation issues. If it is then there would be a unit in the roof space with ducts. They are designed to run all the time.

It could also be just a passive vent connected to the outside by a duct. In isolation it's hard to tell.

stator

That's where the Landlord's spy camera is located