extractor fan in an air-brick

Am-I-Paranoid

Can I get a single brick-sized extractor fan (or series of small fans) in that brick shape as I need to ensure that the airflow through one of our airbricks in particular is only able to go one way.

Background: The wall of my house runs down the property boundary and there is a narrow passageway on my neighbour's side of the boundary, which is used as the "front" entrance to a converted flat. My neighbour has some tenants who use that passageway as their smoking area and they use the recesses for the airbricks to balance their cigarettes, which is drawing smoke under the house and making the lounge, kitchen and dining room (downstairs rooms with wooden floors in that area) absolutely stink - it's like somebody is smoking int he house.

I've asked them if they could stop, but my neighbour doesn't want to annoy his tenants (or have them smoking inside his house) and maintains that since it is side of the boundary, they'are allowed to smoke there.

Further to this, we've had an extension on the other side of the house, so have already lose all the airbricks there, so can't jsut seal up the remaining airbricks as that would leave only the front of the house.

I'm going to ask the council (environmental health) what my options are as I have three young kids and in particular, my 4yr old daughter was sleeping in the lounge while her room was refurbished, but I walked into that room the other night and the whole room stank of smoke.

Davesnave

I don't know iif it would work, and I have no experience to offer, but while you wait for other replies Google 'Radon sump fans.'

I think something like that might be the answer.

Aylesbury_Duck

Am-I-Paranoid wrote: »

Can I get a single brick-sized extractor fan (or series of small fans) in that brick shape as I need to ensure that the airflow through one of our airbricks in particular is only able to go one way.

Background: The wall of my house runs down the property boundary and there is a narrow passageway on my neighbour's side of the boundary, which is used as the "front" entrance to a converted flat. My neighbour has some tenants who use that passageway as their smoking area and they use the recesses for the airbricks to balance their cigarettes, which is drawing smoke under the house and making the lounge, kitchen and dining room (downstairs rooms with wooden floors in that area) absolutely stink - it's like somebody is smoking int he house.

I've asked them if they could stop, but my neighbour doesn't want to annoy his tenants (or have them smoking inside his house) and maintains that since it is side of the boundary, they'are allowed to smoke there.

Further to this, we've had an extension on the other side of the house, so have already lose all the airbricks there, so can't jsut seal up the remaining airbricks as that would leave only the front of the house.

I'm going to ask the council (environmental health) what my options are as I have three young kids and in particular, my 4yr old daughter was sleeping in the lounge while her room was refurbished, but I walked into that room the other night and the whole room stank of smoke.

What a horrible situation, some people are so anti-social.

Have you spoken directly to the smokers, or just their landlord? In the first instance, would a polite sign next to the airbrick help? Unless they are deliberately vindictive, most people would respond to a request not to smoke near a window, vent or airbrick, particularly if they are told that children are the other side of it.

I'd also push the landlord harder. Not wanting to annoy his tenants is one thing, but to expect you to be inconvenienced to avoid him being inconvenienced is taking the mickey.

societys_child

they use the recesses for the airbricks to balance their cigarettes

Would an exterior vent cover prevent this?

Silvertabby

What about covering the air bricks with some fine mesh?

Strider590

Surely the air brick is at a different level outside versus inside? With a cavity between?
In which case blowing air from the inside air brick is just going to blow the smoke up through the cavity around the house, probably up into the loft and upstairs rooms.

You'd need access to the inside of the cavity wall to make that work, but on the plus side it could be done with some cheap 12v PC case fans instead of getting a sparky in to fit an extractor.

I'd be tempted to put something up against the inside air brick for sound deadening and then put a smoke alarm up against the air brick. They'll either be a bunch of "c u next tuesday"s and think it's funny, or they'll try to stay away from it.

Silvertabby wrote: »

What about covering the air bricks with some fine mesh?

That ain't going to help, smoke is awful, it permeates everything, someone once smoked in my spare room with their head out of the window, the entire room still stank 2 years later.

coffeehound

Davesnave wrote: »

I don't know iif it would work, and I have no experience to offer, but while you wait for other replies Google 'Radon sump fans.'

I think something like that might be the answer.

Or something that positively pushes air into the flat to push smoke back where it came from. A PIV system or just a bathroom type fan running to intake rather than extract.

Am-I-Paranoid

Thanks guys.

To clarify: it's a solid brick wall (old Victorian cottage) so the simple fan blowing air from inside the vent may work!

I think the (resident) landlord has as much trouble communicating with his tenants as we do - I've mentioned it to them directly, but that was previously when we thought the smoke was coming in through the extractor fans vents and even then I really don't think they got it. We've now left the fans running constantly - the main kitchen / cloak room don't really smell of smoke, but the dining room in particular stinks, so we can only assume that it is coming through the airbricks. I've seen them balancing cigarettes on the on the edge of the airbricks there and mentioned it, but they just said they don't normally do that... but then a few hours later, it was the worst it has ever been.

Smoke alarm being very seriously considered as I'm genuinely concerned about a fire after last night's prolonged smell even after people stopped smoking, but I need to get one that won't trigger constantly as I assume it is dusty down there (recommendations please)... and I'll need one with a mains primary so we don't need batteries being replaced constantly as it's going to be a pain to get to - a lot of old floorboards are going to need to come up to do the install of the fan + smoke detector.

I'm also checking with the council environmental health as it can't be right that they're allowed to do whatever they want on their side of the wall if the effluent is feeding directly into our house.

Silvertabby

“ What about covering the air bricks with some fine mesh?
Originally posted by Silvertabby ”

That ain't going to help, smoke is awful, it permeates everything, someone once smoked in my spare room with their head out of the window, the entire room still stank 2 years later. Last edited by Strider590; Today at 10:42 AM.

At least it would stop the ignorant sods from sticking their fags into the airbricks!

I agree completely that smoke stinks. It's a pity you can't buy an outdoor sprinkler system that could be fitted high enough on the wall to be out of reach, but with the sprinklers aimed towards the problem area..... or can you?

coffeehound

Am-I-Paranoid wrote: »

... previously when we thought the smoke was coming in through the extractor fans vents and even then I really don't think they got it. We've now left the fans running constantly - the main kitchen / cloak room don't really smell of smoke, but the dining room in particular stinks, so we can only assume that it is coming through the airbricks.

Unfortunately running extractor fans will make things worse — they will be actively pulling the smoke into your flat.

Davesnave

Strider590 wrote: »

Surely the air brick is at a different level outside versus inside? With a cavity between?
In which case blowing air from the inside air brick is just going to blow the smoke up through the cavity around the house, probably up into the loft and upstairs rooms.

It isn't a cavity wall, but if it was, your assumption should not be the case, beause properly fitted air bricks have a tunnel behind them bridging the cavity. In the old days it would be be fired clay, but I expect there are modern plastic equivalents.

Cavities may be ventilated and drained, but less aggressively, with plastic inserts in the mortar joints.

I know modern extraction fans may have rectangular section ducts fitted to them, and it would make sense if these were the section size of an air brick.

I can see advantages of having a fan not only in solving this problem, but also in compensating for the air bricks lost in the extension. If we add in the possibility of the OP being in a moderate to high radon area (about half the country) the OP might well consider the modest cost worthwhile.