Extractor vent cover

[robgraham]

I buried a question about these in the thread on bathroom extractors and did perhaps rather worry that it might get missed.

The last storm finally did for the cheapy loose flap vent cover I had from Screwfix which drove us all quietly bonkers with it's continuous clattering in high winds. What else is there on the market and who stocks something which doesn't detach itself during every gale and doesn't make a noise?

Thanks Rob

[Chris J Dixon]

You don't say if it is a wall, window or ducted fan.

Have a look at

I had a draught problem with my ducted kitchen extractor fan, which faces west, and fitted a cowl (BM424W, shown on page 9). It has no moving parts, but seemed, subjectively, to reduce the effects when recent high winds were blowing against it.

Maybe the BM447 (same page) or BM419 (page 6) might help. They also seem to have an anti-draught baffle included in some of the kits on page 5, but I don't how well they work.

An alternative approach is (presuming they are still made) replacement with a unit including an electrically operated shutter.

Chris

[Another John]

I made my own, out of scrap wood (and it looks it!) to fit *over* the loose flap vent cover, and thus protect it from winds, while allowing the vented air to flow smoothly out and down. Seems to work OK.

Using thick plywood I cut two wedge-shaped sides to which I fixed the board; I then fixed the resulting cheese-wedge shaped structure to the wall above the vent, so that it covered it. It's about 350mm square, by about 150mm deep at the bottom (thick) end. It's quite heavy, and hangs on the wall using two plate-type picture hangers (y'know - the ones that have a hole-cum-slot for the screwhead to go through).

It's been there for about a year now: never any vent-flapping, and perfectly functional vent (the slope of the cover matches the slope of the vents when they open).

Looks a bit Heath-Robinson though: wouldn't go down well with the more proficient members of this community!

John