Home Maintenance
Check your ventilation products regularly
For many products it is sufficient to clean them using only a damp cloth and mild domestic detergent. Abrasive or corrosive cleaners should not be used.
Powered ventilation products require regular servicing by a qualified engineer.
For some products, specific operation and maintenance instructions and installation instructions might be required.
Window trickle vents and air bricks
Clean the vent on the window with a damp cloth, removing the unit and checking for any blockages through the window frame or wall. If you have easy access, also clean the external canopy for the vent on the outside of the property. This may not have been done for years on some properties, if at all. Ensure the vent opens and closes correctly.
Extract fans
This is best done by a qualified electrician as they will know what to look for and be safe whilst doing it. The unit requires cleaning, as does the external grille.
As they move a lot of air, extract fans collect a lot of dirt, dust and other particles and this affects their performance. Also ensure that the ducting between extract fan and external grille is connected properly to the fan and external grille and clean. This ducting can be short (straight through an external wall), or in the case of internal bathrooms quite some distance (through a loft or via a ceiling void, to the outside).
Many extract fans are never fitted correctly even be supposedly experienced fitters. Any gaps in the ducting and its connections where air can escape will affect how well the fan extracts the air from the room.
