Over the last draughtbusting season we’ve continued to see lots of problems with trickle vents
Most recently we came across the one below.
Initially, the trickle ventilator seemed okay when it was open, but when it was closed there were still gaps at both ends so it was drafty when closed. The gap between the window and the closed vent can be seen in the picture below.
I’m afraid this trickle vent story gets worse.
When we looked at the second sash which is shown in the photograph below, the trickle ventilator which was installed 10 to 15 years ago, has never been closed. The reason for that is that the trickle ventilator itself didn’t cover the holes that they made in the window.
We’ve never seen this before, but we’re expecting to see it again as now we’ve seen it once we’ll be looking for it next time. This gap (the dark line seen) is remarkable, note that the ventilator is in the closed position.
How could this tricky trickle ventilator situation be improved?
In this case, we talked to the householder and explained the problem to them. We then suggested sealing their trickle ventilators shut forever by using acrylic sealant and sealing right around them, going over the gaps and cracks.
This meant that the trickle vents could no longer be opened or closed because they’d be permanently closed and therefore no longer letting in constant draughts.
The householder was delighted with this idea and said “yes please do it”. The householder is still able to ventilate if and when needed, opening the windows and locking them in a ventilate position.
Crucially, they can now close the windows and have no draughts through them, which was not the case before the DraughtBusters attended.
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Have you checked your trickle vents recently or have stories to share?
- Have you left them open by mistake after using?
- Are they still letting in draughts even when closed (loose, bad design, fitting, or broken)
- Potentially it would be better to seal permanently and use windows setting instead when ventilation is needed