Hi,

I work from home and my office, in a bedroom upstairs, seems to be full 
of computers and other such bits. All this stuff generates heat, plus 
the room faces south, so it can get quite warm in there.

I am considering ways of getting some forced ventilation going and was 
wondering about a fan (Xpelair, Vent-axia) fitted into the ceiling 
blowing into the loft. I'm considering this because it appears easier to 
do than knocking a hole in the wall (and more easily reversible).

Do you think this is a reasonable approach? Any problems to look out
for?

The Vent-axia site shows such an arrangement for a bathroom, but with a 
flexi-pipe taking the exhaust out through the eaves. I'm assuming that 
this is because you don't particularly want to blow damp air/steam into 
the loft, but I'm talking about a dry room so perhaps the duct isn't 
necessary in this case?

I suppose full air-con might be best, but it's a) expensive, b) bulky, 
and c) we don't get that much hot weather so I'm not sure it's 
necessary. Hopefully the fan would be enough to deal with just the 
computer heat, except for the few scorching days we get. On those days 
I'll go somewhere else with a cold beer!  ;-)

All advice gratefully received.

Thanks.

"John Fryatt"  wrote in message
news:2Skse.34652$8m5.5589@newsfe5-gui.ntli.net...

> Hi,
>
> I work from home and my office, in a bedroom upstairs, seems to be full
> of computers and other such bits. All this stuff generates heat, plus
> the room faces south, so it can get quite warm in there.
>
> I am considering ways of getting some forced ventilation going and was
> wondering about a fan (Xpelair, Vent-axia) fitted into the ceiling
> blowing into the loft. I'm considering this because it appears easier to
> do than knocking a hole in the wall (and more easily reversible).
>
> Do you think this is a reasonable approach? Any problems to look out
> for?
>
> The Vent-axia site shows such an arrangement for a bathroom, but with a
> flexi-pipe taking the exhaust out through the eaves. I'm assuming that
> this is because you don't particularly want to blow damp air/steam into
> the loft, but I'm talking about a dry room so perhaps the duct isn't
> necessary in this case?
>
> I suppose full air-con might be best, but it's a) expensive, b) bulky,
> and c) we don't get that much hot weather so I'm not sure it's
> necessary. Hopefully the fan would be enough to deal with just the
> computer heat, except for the few scorching days we get. On those days
> I'll go somewhere else with a cold beer!  ;-)
>
> All advice gratefully received.
>
> Thanks.
>

It's not a good idea to have holes through in to your loft space, especially
from a space that could be at higher fire risk than other areas of the
house.  The last thing you want in that situation is for the fire to easily
jump through in to the roof space of the property.

A good solution is make a screen in the top section of the window, so that
you can open the window a little and have the screen in place to stop debris
and insects getting passed it.  An open door and a window at the other side
of the house can then be opened to give a controlled air flow throughout the
whole house.  You may even install a fan in one of the screens, which would
give some forced air intake or output venting if really needed.

If you do want to go for the ceiling vent option, then make sure you have
proper fire / heat resistant ducting above it, which will take the air away
to the outside world at the eaves or to a vent slate on the roof itself.
And that the fan or the ducting has some sort of safety damper that closes
automatically in the event of a fire condition to stop air being drawn in
and feeding the fire again.  Don't give fire a chance, even in the
slightest.  And please, don't be the type of person to say "It can't / won't
happen to me".  It's just not worth it.

BigWallop wrote:

> "John Fryatt"  wrote in message
> news:2Skse.34652$8m5.5589@newsfe5-gui.ntli.net...
> 
<snip>
>>I am considering ways of getting some forced ventilation going and was
>>wondering about a fan (Xpelair, Vent-axia) fitted into the ceiling
>>blowing into the loft. 
<snip>

> It's not a good idea to have holes through in to your loft space, especially
> from a space that could be at higher fire risk than other areas of the
> house.  The last thing you want in that situation is for the fire to easily
> jump through in to the roof space of the property.
> 
> A good solution is make a screen in the top section of the window, so that
> you can open the window a little and have the screen in place to stop debris
> and insects getting passed it.  An open door and a window at the other side
> of the house can then be opened to give a controlled air flow throughout the
> whole house.  You may even install a fan in one of the screens, which would
> give some forced air intake or output venting if really needed.
> 
> If you do want to go for the ceiling vent option, then make sure you have
> proper fire / heat resistant ducting above it, which will take the air away
> to the outside world at the eaves or to a vent slate on the roof itself.
> And that the fan or the ducting has some sort of safety damper that closes
> automatically in the event of a fire condition to stop air being drawn in
> and feeding the fire again.  Don't give fire a chance, even in the
> slightest.  And please, don't be the type of person to say "It can't / won't
> happen to me".  It's just not worth it.


Good point. I hadn't considerd that, I must admit.

Re. windows, opening them is ok, I do that now. The resulting 
ventilation isn't really enough though, hence the fan.

One option I have considered is to make a little frame to mount a fan on 
the window frame, to actively push air out of the window. It's a bit 
cumbersome and untidy though, inc. the wiring.

I will bear in mind the fire issues. Thanks.

John

"John Fryatt"  wrote in message 
news:2Skse.34652$8m5.5589@newsfe5-gui.ntli.net...

> Hi,
>
> I work from home and my office, in a bedroom upstairs, seems to be full of 
> computers and other such bits. All this stuff generates heat, plus the 
> room faces south, so it can get quite warm in there.
>
> I am considering ways of getting some forced ventilation going and was 
> wondering about a fan (Xpelair, Vent-axia) fitted into the ceiling blowing 
> into the loft. I'm considering this because it appears easier to do than 
> knocking a hole in the wall (and more easily reversible).
>
> Do you think this is a reasonable approach? Any problems to look out
> for?
>
> The Vent-axia site shows such an arrangement for a bathroom, but with a 
> flexi-pipe taking the exhaust out through the eaves. I'm assuming that 
> this is because you don't particularly want to blow damp air/steam into 
> the loft, but I'm talking about a dry room so perhaps the duct isn't 
> necessary in this case?
>
> I suppose full air-con might be best, but it's a) expensive, b) bulky, and 
> c) we don't get that much hot weather so I'm not sure it's necessary. 
> Hopefully the fan would be enough to deal with just the computer heat, 
> except for the few scorching days we get. On those days I'll go somewhere 
> else with a cold beer!  ;-)
>

A mate did this in his office in a bedroom a 4 (or 6) inch fan to vent hot 
air into loft, not very successful (it was a large room in Victorian house).

- Makes a "bloomin" racket, more than PC,'s.
- When fan was off on some hot days, hot air from loft space "poured"/was 
blown into the room making it even hotter.
- All types of crap and dust fell from the loft through the fan when off.
- Signs of condensation in the loft in the winter, when warm air from the 
room entered the loft and condensed on the timbers and roof.

Ended up filling hole, buying a portable air conditioner the type you add 
water to to increase cooling and put a vent pipe out the window. Changed 
that, as always running out of water and the warm vented air blew back into 
room, to a two part dangle fan air conditioner, where you hang a bit out of 
window. Much better but still need pipes hanging out of open window letting 
air in. Eventually got the two part unit professionally fitted via holes and 
connectors in wall meaning you can close the windows, and guess what it 
worked......room was cold/cool.

But cost best part of 1000 and it worked..

> A mate did this in his office in a bedroom a 4 (or 6) inch fan to vent hot
> air into loft, not very successful (it was a large room in Victorian house).


4 or 6" is hopelessly inadequate for this.

Fanning outdoor air on on a hot day wont really help in most cases,
since its just as hot outside. A ceiling fans just as good for that. It
does help a lot in evenings and at night, when outside is cooler.

Shading the house is a good start, eg with climbers that lose their
leaves in winter.

Just venting the loft helps too, they get very hot up there, and the
heat gets through. Insulating the loft floor is another way to solve
it.

If the house is brick or crete, best thing is ventilate heavily in
evening and at night, this stores lots of coolth in the structure, then
close it up in day time.


NT