wall vents

[rscho]

Hi all,

We have an old cavity brick house with 3m high walls and 2 or 3 wall vents in most rooms. The vents are flush with the wall and are very plain so we're planning to fix some decorative plaster vents over the existing vents. As its getting colder it occured to us that alot of our warm air is escaping into the roof space so before installing decorative vents we were planning to carve out a section at the back of the plaster vents where we can slot in a piece of plastic or plywood from above to cover the vent holes and trap warm air inside. Then when it gets warmer we can remove the plastic or plywood to allow hot air to be drawn out by the out roofspace whirly thingy.

Can anyone see any problems with covering wall vents over the winter? We have both ducted (ceiling) and gas heating. Thanks in anticipation!

[echnidna]

Don't do it if you use a gas heater.

[Barry_White]

There are thousands of new homes that have gas heating and don't have vents in the rooms and dont have any problems.

[echnidna]

People have died because of well sealed rooms.

For that reason vents were mandatory under the vic building regs.

That was scrubbed when we got national uniformity of building regs.

And people have died in recent years, since the uniform regs came in.
and would have not occurred with wall vents.

[totoblue]

People have died because of well sealed rooms.

For that reason vents were mandatory under the vic building regs.

That was scrubbed when we got national uniformity of building regs.

And people have died in recent years, since the uniform regs came in.
and would have not occurred with wall vents.

You're talking about flueless gas heaters I presume? Where the fumes just escape into the room instead of up a flue/chimney?

[rscho]

People have died because of well sealed rooms.
We would prefer not to die. We currently have an old Vulcan type flued gas heater installed in the old fireplace which we are considering replacing with a gas log fire (either with a glass front or the open exposed flame type). In any case it should exhaust up the chimney.

I wasn't aware that wall vents are no longer required in new houses. So if "exposed flame type" flued gas heaters are OK for them I would think we shouldn't have a problem? Can any flueless indoor gas heating appliances meet Australian Standards if wall vents are no longer required?

Thanks for all the replies.

[broadstar44]

resant studies have showed that gas heater aare a major cause of flue in people buy have a vent near the gas heater and one on the other side of room reduces chances of flue like symptons and hospital.

[silentC]

If you're worried about fumes, just open a window. I doubt many houses are actually air tight, with or without vents.

[ozwinner]

Looky here. (http://www.ogs.vic.gov.au/ogs/ogsnav.nsf/v/8AF5EFDC6C1A6C2FCA257058001B8310/$file/RIS%20for%20standard%20for%20unflued%20gas%20heaters.doc)
And here. (http://www.google.com.au/search?hl=en&q=Can+any+flueless+indoor+gas+heating+appliances+meet+Australian+Standards+if+wall+vents+are+no+longer+required&btnG=Google+Search&meta=cr%3DcountryAU)

Al :)

[JDub]

resant studies have showed that gas heater aare a major cause of flue in people buy have a vent near the gas heater and one on the other side of room reduces chances of flue like symptons and hospital.

EH? What recent study would this be?

[michael_jenny]

In victoria i was told by jetmaster fireplaces, that you must have one or two vents to external wall of house with any open flame gas fire.

that includes a fireplace that already has a chimney or vent already.

we are added a gas flame into the existing wood fire and must keep the vents even though we would like to remove them.

I said this cant be the case with a chimney but they said it was law that open gas fires have both.

anyone confirm this.

thanks michael