Trickle vents - yes or no?

lstar337

leveller2911 wrote: »

For centuries people have "aired" their houses by opening windows.

They also pooped outside. Perhaps we should do that too.

leveller2911 wrote: »

It's really not rocket science and the vast majority of modern Windows have a night vent facility which can be used all day long and still be covered by house insurance obligations ...

Another operation that I don't need to do, because I have trickle vents.

leveller2911 wrote: »

There is no window system that will stop condensation 100% especially in bedrooms and bathroom purely down to the amount of moisture in the air.

That assumption is not backed up by my real world experience. With trickle vents closed I get condensation on the window, with them open I don't. Not all houses and situations are the same of course, but I don't believe I have to be any more scientific than that.

SuzieSue

leveller2911 wrote: »

Trickle vents are a bit like re inventing the wheel. For centuries people have "aired" their houses by opening windows. It's really not rocket science and the vast majority of modern Windows have a night vent facility which can be used all day long and still be covered by house insurance obligations ...

..

So are you saying that this is incorrect:

http://www.aluminiumtradesupply.co.uk/11113/trickle-vents-night-vent-position-explained/

There should be no conflicting advice regarding trickle vents and the night vent position.

Any sales representative that claims windows are as secure in the night vent position as in the fully closed position is simply misleading the customer to the point of telling lies. They are demonstrating old hat double glazing sales tactics of not wishing to give any negative perceptions about their product whatsoever rather than explaining the differences between trickle vents and the night vent position.

Windows on the ground floor should certainly not be left in the night vent position and the property unoccupied. The night vent facility is simply a feature enabling additional ventilation through the window without having it fully open. It is not intended to perform the role of the trickle ventilator.

JustAnotherSaver

SuzieSue wrote: »

Only a few people said that. Some said that you should get them. You read what you wanted to read.

In fact, the very first person to reply to this thread said that he wouldn't be without them.

The last comment is fairly irrelevant. It doesn't really matter who commented first does it.

However ... i'm not going to sit here & tally up the responses (cue the people to say - but you sit here & make numerous posts. blah blah blah) but it FEELS to me, rightly or wrongly, that if we had say 10 responses then before i removed them it'd be on a 7/3 split to saying no/yes and then after i removed them i'd say it then switches to a 1/9 split.
That is the way the responses FEEL. Like i said, i'm not going to sit & tally it up. I'm sure someone else will do that, especially if it proves my feeling wrong.

lstar337 wrote: »

They also pooped outside. Perhaps we should do that too.

Or instead perhaps we should stop being silly?




So since i said no, all the "you should have them" people are coming out & talking about the condensation thing etc, which i understand (read my earlier post about my patio doors). So let me ask you....
My patio doors have no such night latch feature, so they benefit from trickle vents.
The windows however do have a night latch feature - so what's wrong with using this in place of trickle vents?

SuzieSue

JustAnotherSaver wrote: »

The last comment is fairly irrelevant. It doesn't really matter who commented first does it.

However ... i'm not going to sit here & tally up the responses (cue the people to say - but you sit here & make numerous posts. blah blah blah) but it FEELS to me, rightly or wrongly, that if we had say 10 responses then before i removed them it'd be on a 7/3 split to saying no/yes and then after i removed them i'd say it then switches to a 1/9 split.
That is the way the responses FEEL. Like i said, i'm not going to sit & tally it up. I'm sure someone else will do that, especially if it proves my feeling wrong.



Or instead perhaps we should stop being silly?




So since i said no, all the "you should have them" people are coming out & talking about the condensation thing etc, which i understand (read my earlier post about my patio doors). So let me ask you....
My patio doors have no such night latch feature, so they benefit from trickle vents.
The windows however do have a night latch feature - so what's wrong with using this in place of trickle vents?

I don't care whether you have trickle vents or not, I was posting for the benefit of anyone else who is having the same dilemma.

Re the night vents, it depends whether you believe the quote about them not being secure that I posted earlier or whether you believe Leveller.

leveller2911

SuzieSue wrote: »

So are you saying that this is incorrect:

http://www.aluminiumtradesupply.co.uk/11113/trickle-vents-night-vent-position-explained/

There should be no conflicting advice regarding trickle vents and the night vent position.

Which specific part of the link are you asking my opinion on?.

I posted previously regarding the Building regs and how trickle vents are not compulsory on replacement windows unless the existing windows had them fitted.

I deal with Rother District Council,Ashford Borough Council and also Wealden and I've made plenty of replacement windows where the existing ones have trickle vents fitted and the Building Control officers have not insisted on trickle vents.

Any sales representative that claims windows are as secure in the night vent position as in the fully closed position is simply misleading the customer to the point of telling lies.

Personally I've never claimed a window is as secure in the night vent position but I have said that they would still be covered under house insurance which it would. Insurance companies insist on window locks being fitted on all ground floor windows and a window is classed as being locked in a night vent position. You can have the flimsiest timber window in your house and as long as its fitted with a lock its covered for insurance purposes.



Windows on the ground floor should certainly not be left in the night vent position and the property unoccupied. The night vent facility is simply a feature enabling additional ventilation through the window without having it fully open. It is not intended to perform the role of the trickle ventilator.

For insurance purposes the above is irrelevant.

I stick by my opinion that if trickle vents were a good idea and a better solution to ventilation they would be compulsory on all windows but they aren't.

starving_artist

What is the correct way to use trickle vents? (genuine question)

SuzieSue

leveller2911 wrote: »

I stick by my opinion that if trickle vents were a good idea and a better solution to ventilation they would be compulsory on all windows but they aren't.

As someone said below the reason they they aren't compulsory any more is that there are other methods of ventilation so they have given people the choice.

JustAnotherSaver

starving_artist wrote: »

What is the correct way to use trickle vents? (genuine question)

Have them open i would guess :rotfl:

On a serious note, we don't need them in summer but we do in winter. We just have ours open all year round though.

SuzieSue

starving_artist wrote: »

What is the correct way to use trickle vents? (genuine question)

I just leave them open all year round.

Furts

Oh dear this is all getting contentious! To add a few pointers leveller2911 does not like them and says they are no longer compulsory. I understand this view but my earlier point was about the background/history. What leveller2911 overlooks is when windows started having them fitted in the 1980s the windows were simple timber construction without multi point locking. Yes night latches were fitted but these were rudimentary.

To quote Buildings regulations Departments is unfair. These departments and officials are just concerned with the law and not good practice, nor workmanship issues, nor design, nor project management. so a bit of a red herring here.

SuzieSue is correct in saying they perform a function. This is because of security if a window is set on night latch, but also because of simple physics. A night latch setting gives a far greater area of gap - it is all around a side opening sash. Hence drafts, and noise can be a problem, not experienced with a trickle vent.

As for JAS saying he has a night latch setting to relieve condensation - this will only work if this is always open, and this raises the issue of security and cold drafts. Entirely up to JAS here, but knowing there is a damp issue I maintain the decision to delete the trickle vents from the order was foolish, or naive, or both.