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Original poster

Trickle vents for windows

22 replies

GreatGooglyMoogly · 17/10/2011 10:06

Does anyone have trickle vents on their windows? Do you like them? Any pros and cons? Did the window company fit them? TIA.

OP posts:

Pendeen · 17/10/2011 10:18

The Building Regulations require the provision of trickle vents on all replacement windows.

An alternative is 'nit latch' position handles however the Regs do not recommend these.

Pendeen · 17/10/2011 10:20

night

MadameCastafiore · 17/10/2011 10:21

We had them fitted to all of our sash wondows and they haven;t made a huge amount of difference with regards to condensation which we were told they would cut down!

Original poster

GreatGooglyMoogly · 17/10/2011 14:12

Oh really, MadameCastafiore - I was hoping they'd help with that myself :(.

OP posts:

jeanjeannie · 17/10/2011 18:41

Ours have been great...no condensation at all. DH fitted them when he replaced all the windows...like Pendeen says, they should be on all replacement windows.

PigletJohn · 18/10/2011 23:25

they will help with the modest moisture from breathing and living, but not with the vast amount of damp generated by people who drape wet washing around the house or over radiators. There is not much that can help them.

Gotarty · 18/10/2011 23:44

They only has to be fitted on new windows - fir example in an extension or new build but not replacement and do not need to be fitted at all if you have an air exchanger unit.

Pendeen · 20/10/2011 20:50

Pendeen hangs her head in shame :(

Gotarty is quite right - even though the Regulations remain unchanged, confusingly as of 1 October the requirement for replacement windows to be fitted with trickle vents has been withdrawn.

I struggle to keep up with the constant changes!

Change of Mind

If, however you are considering replacement windows they will have to comply with the Regs and be supplied / fitted by a FENSA installer or you will have to submit an application to your local council for approval

Regs Guidance

Using a FENSA contractor is infinitely easier. :)

PigletJohn · 20/10/2011 21:04

"as of 1 October the requirement for replacement windows to be fitted with trickle vents has been withdrawn."

I wonder why?

CaptainNancy · 20/10/2011 21:21

Pendeen- do you know why building regs don't like night latch position?

Pendeen · 21/10/2011 14:27

CaptainNancy

I may be wrong but I believe it's because so few people even know the facility exists unlike trickle vents which are obvious.

bacon · 23/10/2011 12:00

They are good for getting ventilation into a room particularly at night and useful on the security issue.

Yes, you can have latch position if its a listed building as some LA dont like the external appearance of the vent on a building.

In a home with excellent insulation where they is little drafts etc this is a must otherwise you can have the feeling of lack of air in a room including dampness, condensation and stuffiness.

Yes, go for them.

Original poster

GreatGooglyMoogly · 27/10/2011 09:54

bacon, are trickle vents really ugly on the outside of the window then?!

OP posts:

Civliz · 27/10/2011 10:39

Trickle vents can look ugly and completely out of place in an old building but then upvc windows can often look ugly and out of place too.

We put trickle vents in all our new aluminium windows but they are small and not too noticeable - our neighbours have trickle vents on their new windows too - their windows are upvc, chunky, lacking in style and so guess what? - so are their trickle vents.

leeloo1 · 28/10/2011 19:08

We've just had trickle vents added to most of our new windows. There is (currently but not had really bad weather yet) an improvement in condensation, but then we replaced old, blown, aluminium with UPVC, so that could have happened anyway. They don't look particularly unsightly, although we have 3 sided bays and have the vents on the narrow side windows, so they are pretty much the width of the window and don't draw your eye to them. If you look down your street you'll probably see them on quite a few houses (or we could in ours once they were pointed out by the double-glazing people).

Something which I (probably quite stupidly) didn't realise was that there would be a noticeable draft from them! It took me a few days of thinking 'Oh no these windows are colder than the old ones' and wondering why the curtains seemed to be blowing before working out it was because the trickle vents were open (and promptly closed them all! ).

I can see them being really useful though - especially in rooms where its not practical to open the windows - and they can be left open when you go out, unlike night vents.

Emma2228 · 21/08/2012 12:43

This reply has been deleted

Message deleted by Mumsnet for breaking our Talk Guidelines. Replies may also be deleted.

betterwhenthesunshines · 21/08/2012 13:02

We have original sash windows - they have natural trickle vents :)

RightsaidFreud · 21/08/2012 13:04

We have just bought some trickle vents off ebay to install ourselves in our upvc windows. Our windows are very old, and are first generation UPVC, and dont have trickle vents. We get AWFUL condensation and mold in the bedroom, so hopefully these trickle vents will get some air circulating!

MousyMouse · 21/08/2012 14:10

so I would have to wait until oct to have windows without vents fitted?

hate the buggers with a passion, can't stand the drought. what is wrong with opening windows regularly?

brighthair · 21/08/2012 14:12

Mine is a new build. Has trickle vents and windows can be set to vent locked too
I can't really say to be honest as the vents have been open for the last 4 years, I never shut them so don't know what difference they make

audrey01 · 13/04/2013 22:39

We're just renovating a newly bought flat where among many things, the windows were in such poor state that we had to replace all of them. The company we are using is a FENSA registered company, so we didn't go through the Local Authority Building Regulations as the Fensa company is able to issue a Fensa certificate for the replacement windows to show they comply with the current Building regulations.

Last time when the building inspector came to check on the progress of the other building work that was notified to them as it falls under Building Regulations, he also noticed that all windows were new and said they won't pass the BR requirements as they need to be fitted with trickle vents in all habitable rooms.

Fensa company assures me that this is not necessary.

Can somebody shed some light on this? I checked the web and the amendment to part F says that the requirement has been withdrawn, but it is good practice to fit the windows with trickle vents to improve ventilation.

so, if it's not a requirement, can the Local Authority Building Control say otherwise? or even worse, can they withhold the compliance approval for the other work that is done to meet BR requirements unless we fit trickle vents on all windows?

audrey01 · 15/04/2013 10:28

Is no one around who might know about these new regulations?

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