During the 2021/2022 season we encountered a lot of problems with trickle ventilators.
Draughty when closed
Insect protection gone or decayed
Won’t close
Householder can’t open them
Draughty when closed.
We found that in a lot of cases draughts were emanating from the trickle vents even when closed. These vents were surprisingly insubstantial and it was rather a shame to find that they were letting in draughts. It would be possible to seal them to the frames to prevent some of the draughts but this would be tricky. If the windows can be used on a ventilate position, i.e. fixed in a secure vent position using the second position on the window keep then we recommend sealing up the trickle ventilators.
Insect protection gone or decayed.
We have identified whole estates where trickle ventilators have lost their insect protection, these are often with ‘over the head’ type arrangements. The insect grilles become brittle and fall out or are knocked out with window cleaner’s brushes.
Won’t close – this is different from draughty when closed as those do close but a draught enters between the frame and the vent. Some ventilators have plastic clips that hold the vent in place and these can break and the vent flaps about remaining open all the time, others just don’t close and allow draughts all the time even when closed.
Householder can’t open them, we liked this one! There are a lot of different types of trickle ventilators many and varied ways of opening them some push left or right some up and or down, others click open, while others need a sharp but gentle press. It is nor really surprising that some people can’t open them.
Trickle ventilators are the bane of a DraughtBusters life, they are intended to let draughts in in a controlled way. They are proving themselves to be unfit for purpose. We see ventilation as an active thing, to be controlled by occupants as and when required and a general government directive of ‘one size fits all’ is resulting in draughty homes. We have said before that draughts do too much by way of ventilation when it is wind and not enough when it is calm. Trickle ventilators should now be outlawed in favour of saving energy. Controlled ventilation is what we need.
The adage, ‘build tight ventilate right’ is a very good one, unfortunately trickle vents although the intention was for them to help have turned out to be unhelpful, cause draughts as highlighted above, do not ventilate right and it will take a lot of work to rectify the situation. Sadly this is a repeat of the same mistake made in the fifties with compulsory through the wall vents in all bedrooms in new homes, DraughtBusters expend a lot of effort blocking those ones up.