Do I actually need an air vent in my living room?

mad_rich

1920s terraced house, cavity walls insulated, double-glazed, gas central heating. Open fire in living room (used a handful of times a year, will be investing in a chimney sheep to close it up for the other 360 days).

When I had the cavity walls insulated, I was persuaded to get an air vent put in my living room. I can't remember exactly why I agreed, but I quickly covered it up with duct tape and it's been like that ever since.

In the recent storms, the outside cover blew off and revealed (what I supposed I should have known all along if I'd thought about it!) that it's just a piece of flimsy plastic covering a bloody great A5-sized hole through the wall.

I'm trying to improve the insulation and draught-proofing in my house. Do I really need this ventilation? It seems a bit silly worrying about the keyhole in the front door when this is open to the elements.

If I want to block it up, what's the best way?

Chickereeeee

All solid fuel open fires require an air vent (50% the size of the chimney/flue opening) in the same room. You MIGHT have been OK in practise (not in law) before the house was insulated, draughts eliminated etc, but certainly not now. It was also illegal to block it, as you have been doing.

FreeBear

Chickereeeee said: All solid fuel open fires require an air vent (50% the size of the chimney/flue opening) in the same room. You MIGHT have been OK in practise (not in law) before the house was insulated, draughts eliminated etc, but certainly not now. It was also illegal to block it, as you have been doing.

Is it illegal to block it - Probably if this was a rental, but I'd question it if it were just the homeowner in residence.

Better to say it is inadvisable if there are no other sources of ventilation when the fire is in use. Certainly, to be compliant with current building regulations (Part J), a vent is required, but the rules are not retrospective. So if the fireplace was installed in the 1920s, the 2022 regs would not be relevant.

NSG666

The vent is for the safe combustion of the solid fuel burner to stop you killing yourselves. Regardless of what you do I'd suggest that you put a carbon monoxide detector in the room if you haven't got one in there already.

mad_rich

Thanks all. Blocking it off was on the suggestion of the guy who installed it! 

I have a CO detector in the hallway, will look at getting one in the front room. Just seems a shame to have that massive hole blowing cold air through my wall for the handful of times I use the fire. 

The previous occupants survived 80 years without it, though I guess the house was draftier then.

Brie

Maybe you could put a removable cover on it to eliminate the draft when not in use?

Meanwhile I'd love to see what you end up buying......

mad_rich said:

will be investing in a chimney sheep 

  

mad_rich

They're a real thing! (Similar to a chimney balloon)

https://www.chimneysheep.co.uk

EssexExile

We had the same problem. cavity wall insulation guys insisted on drilling a flippin' great hole in our lounge wall because we had a gas fire in the room. It's been blocked up these last 20 years, we never close doors downstairs so there is plenty of air supply for the fire without a hole in the wall.

twopenny

Yes, I'm told the same applies to gas fires which on the one hand I can understand because then I'll be paying to heat the garden.
I had to have one in the 80s for the gas boiler installed in a fireplace and a big hole in the floor to the void extternally connected be  an air brick. Knowing the house was draughty and ventilated I covered it with a placemat for 40yrs but no one mentioned it when the walls were insulated.
Get aa decent cover you can close and if you are thinking of running the fire open/remove whatever then.
I did get the monitors when they came out.

daveyjp

By all means  block up every source of ventilation and make rooms as air tight as possible, but in older properties lack of ventilation can cause damp.

Sorting thag can be more costly than the heat loss from ventilations holes.

BUFF

mad_rich said:

Thanks all. Blocking it off was on the suggestion of the guy who installed it! 

I have a CO detector in the hallway, will look at getting one in the front room. 

I realise that you probably aren't in Scotland but it is now law here to require a CO detector in any room with a carbon-fuelled appliance. Doesn't matter whether owner-occupied or rental. I wouldn't be surprised if England & Wales go the same way at some point so you could be ahead of the game.