Ventilation For Central Heating

[Hammer]

My mum has been told during her annual central heating inspection that there is not enough ventilation in the house and needs an airbrick or window vent to keep within the regulations. Trickle vents are not good enough apparently. There always used to be a window vent until she had double glazing installed. She doesn’t really want to go the airbrick route as it’s too messy. I’ve seen window vents suitable for double glazed windows to buy but I’m assuming it’s not a diy job to get them in the sealed unit. Anyone know of a company that would do this for a reasonable price in the east London area? I’ve googled but couldn’t find anything. Any other bright ideas?

[Twister666]

I'm a Gas Safe Registered engineer. Ventilation is not something to mess around with and needs provide the correct volume of air for combustion or carbon monoxide will be produced.
The best and probably cheapest option would be to fit a 'stadium' vent through the wall below floor level and then cut a hole of the required size in the floor near the appliance. This will cut down on cold draughts and reduce the temptation to cover up the vent.

[Hammer]

Thanks Twister, that's not really an option though as it's a concrete floor and the boiler is bang in the middle of the house, probably ten feet or more from an external wall.

[diddlydo]

Errr - why not just open a window?

[gingejbee]

diddly: I think the ventilation needs to be passive ie there all the time.

[diddlydo]

Yes, so leave a window open all the time you're in the house.

[gingejbee]

...but that wouldn't satisfy regs...because you may not open the window and therefore have no proper ventilation!

[craft1948]

I was refused cavity wall insulation because I didn't have an airbrick fitted. My last house had an airbrick fitted by British Gas, the draft used to cut you off at the knees and when the wind blew in a certain direction dirty rainwater used to come in and drip down the wall.

[gingejbee]

craft: but you didn't die of CO poisoning! (Look at the positives!)

[craft1948]

I have a carbon monoxide alarm..........

[Hammer]

To be clear, this is not something she wants to do, this is something she has to do. Building regs state that in certain situations there must be permanent, passive ventilation. This is one of those situations. Opening a window is not an option. Getting a carbon monoxide alarm is not an option. Permanently installing a vent is the only option as far as I am aware.

My questions really are (1) who could put a vent in a double glazed window for me or (2) are there any other better / cheaper / easier options that would still satisfy the building regs?

[Hammer]

I've just read that, according to FENSA, the company installing the windows shouldn't have made compliance with the regs any worse than it was. So if there was an existing vent in the old windows (which there was) then they should have installed one in the new windows.

So now my thoughts turn to getting them to sort it out as they should have in the first place. Only problem is they were installed 6 years ago. Would the same regs have applied then? Should they have installed the vent? They are a big national company registered with FENSA and I'm sure there is a 10 or 15 year guarantee.

[The Builder]

Hammer, your boiler is in a room with a window, and it's about 10 feet from the outside wall?

If your ceiling joists run the right way (50/50 chance), then run a duct in the ceiling void from the bolier position to an airbrick.

If they run the wrong way, then the only thing is to run the duct up at ceiling level, against the wall, to an airbrick. Then box it in.

[Hammer]

Thanks all for your responses, I'll pass on the advice.