Heighway61 wrote: » Is the danger carbon monoxide build up? I blocked off mine, a sitting room with a wood burning stove. At the same time I put in a carbon monoxide alarm which hasn't triggerd since I blocked off the vent.
Deleted User wrote: » I know a few people that have blocked them up for various reasons (Cold air, letting outside noise in, etc.). No one has died yet, or developed breathing issues. There probably is a legitimate need for them, but my attitude to them has always been 'block them up' as I find they're a nuisance and a needlessly exaggerated step towards ventilation. No one needs a 4" hole in their sitting room wall. It's overkill. That said, use an old T-shirt or something, using expanding foam makes it tricky to remove, should you reconsider.
listermint wrote: » Like Twitter should this site start tagging posts with warning messages when they have no basis in factual evidence. Things like 'i know a few people' and 'no one needs' Its like sitting beside the lad in the pub going on about Fiats and Renaults. Depressing stuff all the same. Dam the experts. Sure why do they bother their arse putting these things on plans in the first place when KKV on boards says they arent needed.
Melanchthon wrote: » Serious question though, why go to serious amount of effort to insulate a house and then have a big vent in it blowing in a breeze? I know heat exchangers are more of a thing now but not in all the houses that get done?
listermint wrote: » because people arent willing to pay more for MHRV to be installed. A home owner can do that OR control via passive ventilation. Again its all down to cost. But you NEED ventilation , simple as that.
timmyntc wrote: » Majority are cheaply & lazily done - a hollow PVC pipe and two plastic vent coverings drilled in on either side. It literally is just a hole in the wall - and the noise, awful. You can do stuff to reduce the noise, and to stop wind from blowing straight in, but be wary of anything that significantly reduces airflow through the vent.
MicktheMan wrote: » You go to serious amounts of effort to reduce the heat loss from a house (insulation and air tightness) but you then need to have either a ventilation system or strategy to get rid of the moisture (avg family of 2 adults & 3 kids put out between 12 & 18 litres of water per 24 hours from normal activities inside the home). This moisture needs to be gotten rid of or you will end up with issues such as mould and higher heating bills. Unfortunately, "hole in wall" vents as a system has been proven to be a poor choice by the building industry. If you block up your vents and don't get a problem of excess moisture and associated issues, then your house is already so leaky that they are not needed and blocking them gives a placebo effect.
Melanchthon wrote: » Basically what's the recommended rate of air flow that's safe, in in other places is it lower, is Ireland an outlier?
CoBo55 wrote: » The only part of your post I agree with, the rest is alarmist rubbish.
Brian201888 wrote: » New build in an estate, we'd no say in spec or would have gone MHRV To clarify we've no stove/gas all electric in the house. If the only concern outside of that would be airflow we do open windows daily to air the place?
MicktheMan wrote: » Interesting question that. Were the other places you lived colder in winter? We have a relatively moderate climate here (i.e. it doesn't really get cold in winter like it would in central or eastern Europe) so the "efficiency" of out ventilation systems is significantly lower that colder regions. This then means that it is more difficult here to rid the moisture from houses.
PCros wrote: » So I have a 35 year old home with the aul hole in the cavity block vent system. Metal grill on the external wall and plastic sliders on the internal wall. 1) We have one front facing room that takes a lot of traffic noise so this is currently semi blocked, the rest of the rooms are open. Is there a company in Ireland that provides upgrades to vent systems in older houses or even units that slot into the cavity block that decrease sound whilst maintaining airflow? 2) In the interim would a decent dehumidifier in said room counteract any humidity? TIA
Alkers wrote: » Take the cover off the existing vent and measure the diameter of the hole, then you'll easily fine a replacement vent for it, you can get accoustic versions and even humidity controlled ones which vary air flow with demand
zippy84 wrote: » There's a fair amount of bad advice on this thread. A few of the resident experts seem to be refusing to engage, probably in the same way a scientist wouldn't engage with an antivaxxer... because there's just no point, and I wouldn't blame them. Doesn't bode well for anyone in the future coming across the thread though. I would highly recommend that people with blocked vents buy a handful of hygrometers online and drop them around the house to learn how their house responds to inhabitants. If the relative humidity is consistently over 60% day or night then you need more ventilation.https://www.amazon.co.uk/Thlevel-Temperature-Thermometer-Hygrometer-Greenhouse/dp/B07JW7K2M5/ref=sr_1_6?dchild=1&keywords=hygrometer+pack&qid=1605889581&sr=8-6I would guess that 9 out of 10 times the type of person blocking vents in a modern house is also the type of person that will skimp on opening windows adequately and decide it's too cold outside. Bedroom windows open for a bit before work in the morning for example isn't going to cut it. I would find out how to block the wind, not the air. Few years ago I bought a 1970s bungalow and have recently upgraded insulation, airtightness (to a fair degree) and upgraded the heating system and controls. I now find that the windows need to be left on the ventilation lock (cracked open) day and night to keep the place 50-60%. I will eventually install a heat recovery system. I don't have vents at the moment, so windows it is.
CoBo55 wrote: » More untrue assumptions, at least you didn't call me/us Trump supporters. 55% all day every day as reported by 3 hygrometers. The heating (oil) (outside burner) runs for 2.5 hours a day, no stoves or open fires. Yes, all my children are Vaccinated, I'll just nip that one in the bud. I have been in an Aeroplane so I know the earth is round.
listermint wrote: » You've brought me around with this one, It's totally amazing. The engineers and architects in Ireland have been doing it wrong all these years. Would you mind putting together a letter to the construction industry federation Ireland to tell them how vents are a con. They'd make a saving on the effort of leaving these slots open or core drilling. Win win all round
CoBo55 wrote: » They aren't a con, they need to be controllable, not a piece of cheap plastic stuck over a badly plastered wavin pipe, no core drilling in my house. When you shut a vent, it should be shut simple as that. I have closed mine permanently and used common sense to ventilate my home. People here need to realise the chasm that exists between the drawing board and the building site.
MicktheMan wrote: » Interesting question that. Were the other places you lived colder in winter? We have a relatively moderate climate here (i.e. it doesn't really get cold in winter like it would in central or eastern Europe) so the "efficiency" of our ventilation systems is significantly lower than colder regions. This then means that it is more difficult here to rid the moisture from houses.
listermint wrote: » Note you can buy vent covers that do all of what your saying and more hence the point of this thread and the legitimate options given to the OP. .
Iodine1 wrote: » Where can these alternatives be got? All I see in hardware stores are flimsy plastic which make no reduction in the gale blowing in on a windy night.
DublinDilbert wrote: » I fitted 3 of these, they do reduce the cross section of the vent, but do work quite well:-https://www.goodwins.ie/products/anti-draught-black-hole-ventilator-bm725-brown-outer-cowl.html?name=vent&type=simple They are quite easy to fit, you can just pack around them with insulation to seal around the outside. I'd rather fit something like this than block a vent altogether.
PCros wrote: » If applicable to yourself did you notice any reduction in street noise?
