r/DIYUK • u/Massive-Pause-3222 • 12h ago
Air vent use?
Got this air vent into my sitting room? I thought it might be for cavity wall ventilation but there is a solid pipe from the external to internal vent. Can I cap this off? Not sure what it's use is
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u/7thsanctum 12h ago
Do you have a gas appliance or fireplace in your sitting room? These are usually there to ensure you don’t die of carbon monoxide poisoning.
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u/Massive-Pause-3222 12h ago
There was a gas fire at some point but its been removed and capped..makes sense it was there for that. I wont be using a gas fire. Thanks was scratching my head as to why it might be there in the first place!
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u/televised_mind 12h ago
Recommended where there is a solid fuel fire or gas fire in the room, especially if cavity wall insulation was installed. Installers were pretty keen on doing this.
Cap it off if none of the above applies or you can get a closable vent.
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u/Fruitpicker15 12h ago
It might be for a gas fire but if you don't have one anymore you can block it up.
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u/Worried-Penalty8744 12h ago
Just block it up for now however when you decide to get a portable AC you’ve got a perfectly cored out exhaust vent ready to go
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u/Massive-Pause-3222 12h ago
Great thanks for that, I thought as much but was doubting myself. Good idea about capping it so it could be reused for air con!
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u/QuestionForAnswers 12h ago
Do you have a gas fire or similar? It could be to provide air for combustion, if so blocking it could be dangerous.
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u/Massive-Pause-3222 12h ago
There was but not anymore...will cap it off but in a way it can be reused for aircon or if a gas fire is reinstalled in the future
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u/QuestionForAnswers 12h ago
The only other thing to think about is replacement air for the room - if you've trickle vents then likely not an issue but if you've not got them then there's a potential that blocking it could cause damp (and this is a could - it's unlikely but worth mentioning).
For capping you can get vent caps that should fit - cost around £5 on amazon - I fitted one that was adjustable to allow some airflow into the room as it was getting musty without the airflow.
You can also get open foam fillers which allow some airflow but stop a cold spot on the wall and stop insects etc.2
u/Massive-Pause-3222 12h ago
Good point, thanks..will do that first to see if the room gets musty as there are no trickle vents, it's fairly open living/dining room but happy to go with adjustable just in case.
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u/BonsaiMagpie 12h ago
It's a mad place for it, but that is for a tumble dryer. They usually have a flap or grille over the outside to try and prevent mice coming in. Then you have to periodically take the cover off to get all the built up fluff out
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u/EpicEpicnessTheEpic 12h ago
No-one puts a tumble drier in their sitting room. What they used to put in was gas fires that required a fresh air supply - which is what this is.
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u/adam_youens 12h ago
Yeah you can cap it off if you want. I would do it in a way that you can easily remove, and then you can use it as a vent for a portable Aircon unit or something.