Would this vent be necessary? Can it be blocked up?

ChrisBint

Detached house with Cavity Wall insulation (assuming throughout) circa 1970. There is a vent in the lounge in the bay window and even with a shroud on it, there is a fair breeze coming into the property. I am trying to figure whether I could, or should block the vent up, or at least have it so that I can selectively open/close.

At the moment, the property only has a single radiator on the ground floor living area (lounge/dining/kitchen) and until I get that sorted, allowing cold air in seems contradictory.

https://imgur.com/a/puhZW





Thanks

EssexExile

We had to have those installed when we had the cavity wall insulation done because we have an open fire. The property & occupants had survived fine for the preceding 60 years but regulations are regulations.

If one were to stuff a big lump of foam in the hole the draught would stop but I couldn't recommend that for legal reasons.

ChrisBint

EssexExile wrote: »

We had to have those installed when we had the cavity wall insulation done because we have an open fire. The property & occupants had survived fine for the preceding 60 years but regulations are regulations.

If one were to stuff a big lump of foam in the hole the draught would stop but I couldn't recommend that for legal reasons.

The previous occupants had an electric fire which will be coming out (it does not work anyway, but no open fire that I am aware of. I did have an idea it would be something like that.

Grenage

I'd brick it up if you have no units that draw air from inside the house. That might include very old boilers etc.

Aylesbury_Duck

I had one of those added when we moved in because the original owners left a really nice coal-effect real flame gas fire. I did some research on it from the serial number and so I could get it checked/serviced before using it and discovered it was a 10.5kW rated fire with no fresh air intake to the room :eek: Once the vent was installed and the fire serviced it was lovely, but it perhaps explained the light sooty marks I discovered in the corners of the room. God knows what the previous occupants’ installer thought he was doing....

If you have no such appliances you probably can close it off, but given the numbers of threads on here about condensation, damp and mould, don’t dismiss the value of some extra ventilation to the property.

ChrisBint

Grenage wrote: »

I'd brick it up if you have no units that draw air from inside the house. That might include very old boilers etc.

Combi boiler with sealed flue, so no worries there!

Cheers

Plumber90

Is there an open fire or similar in a adjacent room?

indesisiv

EssexExile wrote: »

If one were to stuff a big lump of foam in the hole the draught would stop but I couldn't recommend that for legal reasons.

Loft insulation is very good for this cuts out most of the draft but still allows air to filter through.

ChrisBint

Plumber90 wrote: »

Is there an open fire or similar in a adjacent room?

No, nothing like that in the property. Non-working electric fire currently in fireplace and no evidence of open flame anywhere.

sevenhills

I have vents in my upstairs bedroom, covered by an open/close plastic cover. Not sure why I need them.

Slinky

sevenhills wrote: »

I have vents in my upstairs bedroom, covered by an open/close plastic cover. Not sure why I need them.

Is the bedroom fairly small? I had one in my bedroom as a child, 1930s house. My dad said they were built like that to provide ventilation in small rooms, goodness knows why, it's not like we didn't have windows! It was horribly cold (no proper heating at all in the house, certainly none in my room), and was a source of constant spider infestation until dad boxed in the vent between the inner and outer walls, previously it was just open to the cavity, which of course had no insulation.

If I was living there now, I'd brick it up.

ETA the other 2 bedrooms both had fireplaces, so I presume that was thought to provide sufficient ventilation in the other rooms.