Vent through Air brick by neighbour stinks out my house

Aylesbury_Duck

And I repeat: What your neighbours eat and how often they do so is absolutely none of your business.

As for “shots”, my question about it perhaps being a psychological problem was a genuine one. That you chose to see it as a “shot” confirms my suspicions. I suggest you take the practical advice already given but simultaneously seek some help to address the underlying problem. Good luck.

Doozergirl

None of those articles are related to each other! It's offensive to those with genuine life limiting illnesses to have random Googlegarble used by people who equally think manure is a good solution to the same problem.

It's like a scattergun blame approach to a problem that isn't an average problem. What we've discovered is that you don't like the smell or meat - or are sensitive to it. It doesn't matter. It isn't reasonable to suggest it's their problem and the simple solution is to move your air inlet to somewhere that isn't right next to their air outlet. No court in the land is going to ask them to stop cooking.

We have just forked out £6.5k on a mechanical heat recovery and ventilation system. It takes the warm stale air from our new house, runs it through a heat exchanger and pumps in warmed fresh air. It has the only air inlet into our house, because our house is airtight.

But you know what? Other people's smells aren't their problem. If I want to stop pollution and food smells entering my house, it's my job to stop it by my own means, not theirs.

-taff

Most neighbours are considerate. Asking someone to change their diet is not considerate, however you want to couch it, whatever your reasons are, because it is outside the bounds of what would be a reasonable expectation, which is why there is no 'Smells' department in a local council.

Adding in obesity [ this is not yet a problem that you have to police], various ailments that increase a persons sense of smell [ you forgot chemotherapy there by the way] are cheap shots too.


Last time - your problem, your responsibility.

missile

Doozergirl wrote: »

….We have just forked out £6.5k on a mechanical heat recovery and ventilation system. It takes the warm stale air from our new house, runs it through a heat exchanger and pumps in warmed fresh air. It has the only air inlet into our house, because our house is airtight. .. .

I know how this works when building a property but if you have installed on an existing home(?) I would be interested in how and why you did this? :A

pollypenny

-taff wrote: »

Most neighbours are considerate. Asking someone to change their diet is not considerate, however you want to couch it, whatever your reasons are, because it is outside the bounds of what would be a reasonable expectation, which is why there is no 'Smells' department in a local council.

There are actually. As a young EHO my son was regularly called out by householders complaining about the stink from an abattoir.

However, try complaining about normal, household cooking smells and you'll give them the best laugh ever.

Doozergirl

missile wrote: »

I know how this works when building a property but if you have installed on an existing home(?) I would be interested in how and why you did this? :A

We're currently building our own home.

It can be done in an existing house as part of a wider retrofit with airtightness and energy efficiency in mind. I'm illustrating that there are lengths one can go to, though at the moment the OPs problem is clear and it's probably easily fixed by moving the vent rather than sealing the house up.

GDB2222

Out of interest, why move the vent, rather than just block it up? It's a high level air brick IIUC.

Mr.Generous

OP I suggest you add a poll to see the level of support for and against your view of the problem. Might hep with your perspective, we all get caught up in our own problems sometimes.

Doozergirl

GDB2222 wrote: »

Out of interest, why move the vent, rather than just block it up? It's a high level air brick IIUC.

Because airflow is important to prevent mould and condensation.

If there is some superior form of ventilation that has replaced the air brick in the room since the house was built, then it can be blocked up, but houses work on a fine balance and it could easily be upset. If you remove airflow, it should be replaced elsewhere.

GDB2222

Doozergirl wrote: »

Because airflow is important to prevent mould and condensation.

If there is some superior form of ventilation that has replaced the air brick in the room since the house was built, then it can be blocked up, but houses work on a fine balance and it could easily be upset. If you remove airflow, it should be replaced elsewhere.

We have a house built around 70 years ago. There are air vents all over it, which may have been a good idea in the era of gas fires, but make the place decidedly draughty. Our kitchen was knocked together from 3 rooms and still has 3 air bricks!

Houses built now tend to have no, or very few, air bricks, except at foundation level. I agree it's necessary to avoid condensation inside the rooms but a window can be opened when needed, rather than having a permanent vent.