Trickle vents - Yes or No - New Double Glazing

[emptycoffers]

Had a couple of quotes for new windows - local firms - no pressure selling at all.
The exisiting windows don't have trickle vents.
Neither firm mentioned them until I asked.

Both said as the existing windows don't have vents - there's no building regs obligation to fit them on the new windows.

Both said they are very cheap to fit - about a tenner - but expensive to retro-fit.
One said some people complain about a draught.
One said drilling the frame compromises A- rating.

Otherwise neither put a case for or against.

What's the best thing to do? Are they an essential or not? Is opening windows better?

[nothingwittyhere]

I have them on all my Anglian double-glazing and haven't found any problems with draughts, except for one in the living room which doesn't fit the french door frame as well as the others. I suspect I could get a new one online and just screw it into place.

If you feel the cold or draughts and don't have much of a condensation problem, then I would say don't have them, you'll probably be happier just opening the windows slightly when you need to. Otherwise I would have at least one in every room, with the exception of any windows which are close to busy roads, as I find the one in the kitchen gets grubby from being near the rat run at the back of my house.

[emptycoffers]

@nothingwittyhere - thanks, I hadn't thought of grime issues.

What about noise form the road? Does it penetrate more?

Are they literally a hole cut through the frame and then covered with a sliding vent?

[Behoove]

I did get them on my new windows. The reason being we are all out at work all day so can leave them open for a bit of air in the house, whereas we couldn't leave a window open for obv reasons.

[emptycoffers]

Thanks Behoove - do you find they work for condensation? Would they allow cooking smells to fade over the day?

[Bamaluz]

I was only saying yesterday that I wish I had trickle vents in all the windows, instead of just the bathroom and French windows.
Had to open vents to prevent condensation but have window open a bit in bedroom and it's cold.
Also handy when you go on holiday so there's a flow of air through the house when it's all locked up.

[PigletJohn]

definitely get them. They are basically a slot cut in the frame, with a rain-cover on the outside, an insect screen, and a closable door on the inside.

Your new windows are likely to be much tighter-sealing than the old, so will stop natural ventilation.

There are some people who think that double glazing causes condensation, but it doesn't, it's just that it cuts ventilation which allows water vapour to escape.

If for some reason you decide one day that you don't like ventilation, you can shut them.

[nothingwittyhere]

I haven't noticed that noise penetrates more with the vents, but it's difficult to compare with the awful windows we had before! There is less noise with the vents closed than open. I too like them because they allow gentle and secure ventilation, but I know some people hate them because they feel they let in draughts.

They are a hole in the frame which on the inside is covered with a plastic cover which on mine you can adjust a bit, and on the outside there is a sort of covered grille to stop water coming in. Only once in seven years have I had any water come in and it was really foul weather!

[mausmaus]

no
imo it's counter productive to install super efficient glazing and then cut a hole into the wall.

my european head just can't understand that.

just open the windows regularly to air or have a heat exchange pump fitted.

have just had triple glazing installed without vents

[Behoove]

Have just had triple glazing installed with trickle vents. I don't have any condensation inside the new windows empty, my old ones were a nightmare but yes I think it will help with general ventilation from food smells etc.
I leave them open during the day and close them at night when we are all home.

[PigletJohn]

I honestly can't see any reason not to have them.

If you don't want ventilation, shut them.

If you do, open them.

There are a lot of people who complain of damp, condensation and mould. Ventilation will do nothing but improve that.

[LonnyVonnyWilsonFrickett]

I think you should check the building regs. They were definitely a requirement for our extension windows (cos we didn't have them and had to retro-fit).

[emptycoffers]

Cheers all - with regard to building regs, the installers said because we're replacing 'like for like' - not a new installation, such as an extension - then the building regs permit us to replace with windows which are 'no worse' than the existing windows.

Logically, I feel it makes sense to have vents, but I feel my logic is wobbled by the installers not suggesting vents automatically and just assuming we wouldn't want them - as though it was the better decision not to have them - as though people who have vents only have them because the regs force them to but wouldn't if they had a choice - if you see what I mean.

It felt as though the underlying assumption of both suppliers/installers was that people don't have vents unless they have to.... and that's made me question whether we should have vents - seeing as we're in the position of not having to...

Personally, I'd rather not have windows slightly ajar all the time, even if they're locked ajar.

One installer said putting the vents in compromises the A-Rating of the windows - does that mean anything bad - as long as they're still Fensa/Certass certified?

[mausmaus]

that just means that the energy rating of the window/house is not as energy efficient as it could be.

if you open the windows wide for a few min mornings and evenings that combats damp humidity and leave nice warm air and no drafts for you. that's what people in europe do

[Bunbaker]

I am totally with PIgletJohn on this. MIL has problems with mould in her house ever since she had her fire taken out and double glazing installed because she has no ventilation at all in her house. She is old and just won't open windows.

All our windows have trickle vents and we don't have draughts or get damp and mould. I would never install new windows without trickle vents.

"just open the windows regularly to air or have a heat exchange pump fitted."

Leaving windows open all day when you are out of the house isn't an option. I'm not sure what a heat exchange pump is, but there must be a cost to running it. I think you probably don't know what a trickle vent is

Here is an image of a window with trickle vents. The vent is covered and doesn't cause a draught, but it does allow any excess damp in the house to escape.

[DayLillie]

We had windows installed without vents. The installers even managed to overlook the ones in the extention. We live near a busy trunk road and had triple glazing installed to reduce the noise.

We already have a big hole in the wall with a grill over it to provide ventilation for the open fire. The chimney provides loads of ventilation and we have not had misted up windows since it was installed 10 years ago.

A friend looked into having cavity wall insulation put in and the contractors would not do it without putting two great big holes in the wall to ventilate the open fire, which is a Baxi with its own air supply. They do not know anything about fires, and just follow their part of the regulations. The house already has extra thick thermalite blockwork, so putting in the insulation, then holes would have made the house colder so they didn't bother.

If you are not careful, you could end up with a seive for a house.

My grandma had vents in a tower block, which was pretty airtight otherwise. Everyone used to tape them over, because it used to blow a gale through them on windy days (it is much more of a problem living higher up)

OK - end of ventilation ramble

[mausmaus]

I know what a trickle vent is. but I don't want them.

[TalkinPeace]

we have them and love them

[PossumPoo]

Our windows can be locked about an inch open. I leave all the upstairs windows opened but locked, every day. We only discovered the windows could be locked and left open this way by mistake but I love it.

[LonnyVonnyWilsonFrickett]

When we first moved in here I felt it was fusty, for want of a better word. None of the windows had trickle vents, so there was no fresh air in the bedrooms at night (we moved in Jan and we live in Scotland). We ended up replacing all the windows and have to say the trickle vents make a massive difference. Most new windows can't be opened a tiny crack the way my old sash windows could and I need that wee bit of air!

[PigletJohn]

Since you have the ability to close the things when not required, I can't understand when anybody would refuse to have them.

all they do is offer you the option to have controlled ventilation when and if you want it.

[Bunbaker]

Exactly PigletJohn

[CointreauVersial]

Definitely get them.

We don't have them in the DDs' bedrooms and it is a pain. Flinging open the windows is not an option, as we are in a bungalow and the windows are huge great things.

[gericb]

Having been in the window industry over 45 years i can assure you that the key is ventilation on a daily basis to change the air in the house, the warmer the air the more moisture it will hold. At night when heating off the moisture will condense on the coldest surfaces notably the windows and especially in the bedrooms. A couple in bed will exude and breath out a considerable amount of moisture. Double glazing will cause condensation if it replaces draughty frames which would by their very draughty nature allow air changes and consequently draughts. Our industry has worked to make very efficient windows up to A rating, so the fitting of trickle vents must reduce the rating of the frames. They do allow draught even when shut as i know in my home. The second stage of all opening sashes will give very good ventilation and can be left open in bathrooms and toilets to avoid moisture build up. Bear in mind that sashes left on second stage at ground floor level COULD be a way for burglars to get in by jemmying them open so only leave top fanlights on second stage and make sure the sashes below are locked with the key.
Hope this helps

[DustOffYourHighestHopes]

I know this is a zombie thread but just in case anyone finds it on search -

Oh god NO if you have any sort of roller blinds.

We asked for trickle vents for all our new windows. Well with recess-inset roller blinds (which look much much better than having roller blinds fitted outside the recess), the blinds effectively block the vents. So there's not much point in them, plus it makes the blinds really difficult to fit.

Wish our window person had told us beforehand but he's not clairvoyant I suppose.