Everything You Need to Know About Window Trickle Vents

Using window trickle vents can help to reduce the condensation build-up on windows and doors with double-glazing, without reducing energy efficiency. Trickle vents will extract ventilation by using small openings at the top of a window or door and can help to enhance air quality, which will make for a more habitable room.

The level of ventilation is very good when using window trickle vents, and it is not much different to the level you can expect from mechanical ventilation such as air conditioners or opening a window. Trickle ventilation is useful in the following rooms:

• Utility rooms: Rooms that house the utilities of a home often have a lot of equipment or appliances that create heat, moisture or particulates in the air – most notably boilers, washing machines and dryers.
• Bathrooms: Heat and steam from a bathroom will produce moisture, which window trickle vents can manage effectively. As the bathroom has particularly high levels of moisture the ventilation will help to reduce condensation well.
• Kitchens: The smells and moisture created in a kitchen can result in an unpleasant environment, with condensation affecting walls and windows. Window trickle vents can easily reduce these side effects in a cooking space.

Trickle vents are a form of background ventilation, which is a class of ventilation that enables the flow of air into a home – without opening a window. Using trickle vents is common in the UK, as the climate does not normally require extensive mechanical ventilation such as air conditioning – as a result, vents are a cost-effective alternative.

As experts in the installation of many windows and doors in the southeast of the UK, we are well-placed to explain the key information about window trickle vents. Trickle vents may be required by building regulations and they offer several benefits. If you have a project to complete in the southeast region please feel free to get in touch.

Do You Have to Have Trickle Vents?

Whether you require trickle vents or not can be a bit confusing. It is an important planning issue – as adequate ventilation is not only desirable but also very important for health and safety, as poor air quality can lead to a wide range of health issues.

In the UK, building regulations mean that you must have ventilation in what is called a ‘habitable room’ – defined as a 5,000 square millimetres (mm²) equivalent area. The requirement lowers to a 2,500 mm² equivalent area for bathrooms or kitchens.

Whether you are installing new windows or replacement windows, a good tip is to check the existing room to see if there are any trickle vents. If the existing windows or doors feature window trickle vents, you will need them to comply with regulations.

What Are the Benefits of Window Trickle Vents?

Trickle vents are a cost-effective solution to ventilation, which is a key part of their appeal. Another advantage of using trickle vents is that they are very discreet, and are almost unnoticeable on most window frames or doors until you view them up close. There are many other reasons to install trickle vents including the following:

• Health benefits: Avoiding the build-up of condensation indoors means that humidity is lower, which can improve air quality and make it much more comfortable to breathe. Avoiding condensation reduces the chances of mould developing as well, which can sometimes cause very dangerous health issues.
• Comfort indoors: The effects of smells in the house can reduce your quality of life, particularly if you have the smell of a badly functioning drain and the other unpleasant odours that come from a bathroom. Window trickle vents help to reduce unwanted smells, without the necessity of opening a window.
• Energy-efficiency: With minimal heat loss, trickle vents will provide a very energy-efficient environment while still delivering adequate ventilation. You can save energy by not using mechanical ventilation such as air conditioning, as well as lowering fuel needs and the associated costs using trickle vents.

Trickle vents are a smart but simple technology that can benefit many windows and doors and create more habitable rooms in your home. You will enjoy a more pleasant environment, and they are extremely low maintenance – as trickle vents perform very effectively without intervention have simple designs that are unlikely to break.