GOVERNMENT FAQS ON NEW VENT REGULATIONS TRICKLE VENT

As of June 15th 2022, the newly revised Building Regulations for England have come into force. The debate around trickle vents today has been as strong as ever, with questions still being asked about compliance, who is liable and help being sought from various industry bodies.

In response to the new regulations coming into force, the Government has today published a small set of FAQs in an attempt to answer some of the more common questions that are being asked. You can follow this link here to that page, or keep on reading below: Approved Document F, Volume 1: Dwellings – frequently asked questions – GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

1. Can background ventilators be installed through a wall to meet the Part F requirements, instead of installing trickle ventilators in windows?

Ventilation can be provided through any appropriate means. Installing a background ventilator through a wall that provides the equivalent areas described in Approved Document F, volume 1 can be an acceptable route to compliance.

2. What do I need to do if I already have a wall ventilator in my room?

When replacing a window in a room where there is already a wall ventilator present which meets the minimum equivalent areas in Approved Document F, volume 1, no further background ventilation needs to be added after replacing the windows. Where there is an open-flued appliance in the room, there should be permanently open air vents to supply the air for combustion. These air vents are there to meet Part J requirements. These air vents should not be considered as existing ventilation for Part F and therefore extra vents should be installed.

3. Is a window with night-vent capability a suitable solution for background ventilation when replacing windows?

Providing a night-vent (also referred to as a night-latch), where a window can be locked slightly ajar, is not an appropriate background ventilation solution. This is because windows locked on the night-latch do not provide a sufficiently secure means of background ventilation.

4. When replacing windows, can the Building Regulations requirements be met through a homeowner signing a disclaimer that they will install background ventilation at a future date or that they do not wish to have any installed?

For work to comply with the Building Regulations, all requirements must be met in full. Members of competent person schemes self-certify that their work complies with the relevant requirements of the Building Regulations including Regulation 4(3). The work can only be certified by a member of a competent person scheme if the work complies with the Building Regulations,