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Air Vents - 22 year old house

  • 12-12-2021 8:38pm
    #1
    Registered Users Posts: 25


    I've recently gotten our home insulated but the insulation company said I would need air vents put into all habitable rooms or I couldn't avail of the SEAI grant. I trusted the company's recommendation and let them core holes into my house at a cost of €175 per vent. It's a 2 storey house and the wind is very bad pushing through the air vent even when closed and is making the house very cold. Is their anything that can be done to rectify this please? I've rang SEAI and they told me ventilation is needed but trickle vents in windows would have been suffice. Have I been done? The house is big and extremely airy to start with. Appreciate any feedback to help keep us warm. Thank you.



Comments

  • Registered Users Posts: 2,820 ✭✭✭MicktheMan


    That's the problem with grants ... you automatically assume that the companies registered by the granting authority are competent.

    Ventilation is needed in all houses to get rid of moisture but there are much better solutions than "hole in the wall" or window trickle vents. When you say that the house is airy do you mean draughty? If so, then adding insulation is likely not the solution to keeping you warm. I suggest you consider a heat loss survey by an independent outfit (i.e. not linked to any other business) to find the main heat loss culprits and make recommendations accordingly. The solution(s) offered should also cover appropriate ventilation solutions.



  • Registered Users Posts: 25 CarolineL


    Hi Mick, thanks for your reply. Yes I mean draughty. After getting extra vents put it, I'm honestly thinking of stuffing them with newspaper - any better solution? My little boys bedroom has a wind coming really strong through these vents. We got a survey done through electric Ireland,.which was a farce. A fella came out (spent 10 mins here - absolutely no interest and said replace the windows (and by the way he works for a window company). Windows are actually in good condition. And put PV panels on the roof costing 8K which will give us money off our electricity. I just want a warmer house. Do you know of anybody else that could help? I haven't paid insulation company yet. Do I have any comeback as they were the ones who told me I need the vents. Also Mick, may I ask for attic insulation they bore vents in either end of the house instead of roof ventilation. Is this the norm and is it as good as roof ventilation? Thanks for your help



  • Registered Users Posts: 25 CarolineL


    • Mick, thanks for your reply. Yes I mean draughty. After getting extra vents put it, I'm honestly thinking of stuffing them with newspaper - any better solution? My little boys bedroom has a wind coming really strong through these vents. We got a survey done through electric Ireland,.which was a farce. A fella came out (spent 10 mins here - absolutely no interest and said replace the windows (and by the way he works for a window company). Windows are actually in good condition. And put PV panels on the roof costing 8K which will give us money off our electricity. I just want a warmer house. Do you know of anybody else that could help? I haven't paid insulation company yet. Do I have any comeback as they were the ones who told me I need the vents. Also Mick, may I ask for attic insulation they bore vents in either end of the house instead of roof ventilation. Is this the norm and is it as good as roof ventilation? Thanks for your help.


  • Registered Users Posts: 7,515 ✭✭✭Outkast_IRE


    You can get a better type of vent such as the below which can come with acoustic or storm accessories to help control the ventilation a bit better.





  • Registered Users Posts: 25 CarolineL


    Thank you so much. Think I'll get onto the company to see can they get these instead.



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  • Registered Users Posts: 4,293 ✭✭✭Tefral




  • Registered Users Posts: 33,385 ✭✭✭✭listermint


    To answer your question.

    Yes you most definitely need ventilation. If you simply wrapped the house in insulation and heated it. Then you have no where for noisute to escape and air exchange to occur bar people coming and going from the entrances.

    What you would end up with is mold issues on the coldest surfaces of the house. That could be window frames, walls, fixings behind. Wardrobes or colder spots on gable Walls, even ceilings.

    Is there a better methods of controlled ventilation yes. There is expensive MHRV systems which control air into the building envelope and balanced distribution across each room.

    There are also systems like the ones noted above that retro fit into cored holes. These can open and close based on humidity level inside a room. It's a good compromise for your setup.

    But in the main the installer was correct. Ventilation was needed. There's a grey area on them testing or accepting fixed window ventilation as adequate enough for ventilation. May be down to homeowners to prove that... No idea myself.



  • Registered Users Posts: 4,293 ✭✭✭Tefral


    Listermint is bang on.

    OP, if i were you id have a chat to someone like Aereco and see about getting a DCV system in.

    That litterally just plugs in vents into your wall. They are passive but open and close themselves based on Humidity. (plastic strip inside bends when it detects too much moisture) theres a centralised extract then that goes into your wetrooms thats always pulling some air through the house from these vents.

    Its actually a great system.



  • Registered Users Posts: 25 CarolineL


    Thanks Listermint. I do agree with the need for ventilation but the force of the wind is really blowing through and making bedrooms extremely cold. At this point, I just want to make bedrooms comfortable to sleep in. I'll look into retrofit vents above as mentioned. Thank you.



  • Registered Users Posts: 33,385 ✭✭✭✭listermint


    I understand that. But if you stuff those vents you will get mould in weeks without airflow. That leads to a host of other problems both from the houses perspective and more importantly health. A very short fix is wind baffles inserted into the piping in the vents. It stems the wind push.

    Don't block them up. Many people out there with poor lungs due to moisture in the home.



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  • Registered Users Posts: 25 CarolineL


    Thank you Listermint. I'm just finding it all so stressful. May I ask what are wind baffles please? Expensive? Easy to do?



  • Registered Users Posts: 2,820 ✭✭✭MicktheMan


    It is interesting that so many (well intentioned) replies about differing ventilation solutions proposed to the OP do not appear to take any other considerations into account.

    We do not know what type of house, house exposure, level of air tightness, type of insulation present and where it is, thermal bridging, thermal mass, heating method or regime etc etc.

    Yes, appropriate ventilation is key component to a comfortable & healthy house but in the absence of a lot more detail, throwing out suggestions will result in the OP likely throwing good money after bad.



  • Registered Users Posts: 2,566 ✭✭✭Yellow_Fern


    The OP said it is a big house that was already draughty so would you recommend an airtightness test as a text step?



  • Registered Users Posts: 2,820 ✭✭✭MicktheMan


    As part of an overall independent holistic heat loss survey, yes.



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