KenK Posted June 30, 2020 Report Share Posted June 30, 2020 The Dutch barge which we now share with two other couples after selling our narrowboat has two "UFO" air vents one for the shower and the other for the toilet in the rear cabin, both are leaking and probably have been for some time. Our narrowboat had mushroom vents so I have no idea what fails on these vents and causes leaks. I suspect they are more complex than standard as when the lights are turned on in either space a fan also turns on, there is no obvious exit for the air other than around the light fitting which are located directly below the vents. I can't travel to the boat which is in the Netherlands until the end of August but when I do go I'd like to be able to resolve the problem, unfortunately the boat was fitted out by Mitchell Narrowboats and they no longer exist so I can't get any information from them. I also can't find a photograph or diagram showing how these units are assembled. So does anyone know what fails or have an assembly diagram and are repair kits available? Thanks in advance Ken Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alan de Enfield Posted June 30, 2020 Report Share Posted June 30, 2020 (edited) 38 minutes ago, KenK said: Thanks in advance Are they these sort of things ? If you unscrew the top (4 screws) there is a hard plastic liner which can become very hard and brittle with age - if it has been subject to any impact it may have cracked and allowing water to leak in. If there is nothing obvious then you can simply screw the top back on without disturbing anything. They are quite simple to remove and replace. Edited June 30, 2020 by Alan de Enfield Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paringa Posted June 30, 2020 Report Share Posted June 30, 2020 Do a search for "ECS Ventilite" You should be able to find some diagrams and spare parts. Other manufacturers do variations on the theme but that should get you started. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony Brooks Posted June 30, 2020 Report Share Posted June 30, 2020 Screws hold the metal cover onto the roof so remove those and take the cover off. This will reveal the plastic vent which is in two parts. More screws that you can now see hold the top part to the bottom but may hold the whole lot down onto the roof. removing these screws will soon prove the point. One the top is off I think that you will find more screws that hold the bottom onto the roof. From memory there is a foam rubber O ring as part of the bottom that is supposed to seal to the roof. If the roof is heavily bowed it may not seal. If that seal is damaged I would use a sealer rather than sealer/adhesive so you don't destroy the plastic base trying to get it off in the future. I would also apply sealer to the screws in case its leaking down a screw hole. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tracy D'arth Posted June 30, 2020 Report Share Posted June 30, 2020 The inner plastic part is fastened to the roof with 3 countersunk stainless screws, sealer underneath around the edge of the hole. I had some of these, they did not leak but suffered from terrible condensation which dripped inside, I sealed them time after time till I realised that the shower from them was only when the boat was warm and it was cold outside! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Onewheeler Posted June 30, 2020 Report Share Posted June 30, 2020 We've got them on our bunkering tanker. I replaced one with a plastic pudding basin as a temporary job five years ago. It's still there. The self-tapping screws holding the vent on from the outsdie had rotted, and the sealant used appeared to be polyfiller. The others on the boat are good after putting some proper sealer around the rims. I think one can still buy them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ex Brummie Posted June 30, 2020 Report Share Posted June 30, 2020 Make sure the drain holes are not blocked, allowing the water to build up inside. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sea Dog Posted June 30, 2020 Report Share Posted June 30, 2020 They were everywhere once, but I think you're discovering why they lost their market position. If it were me, I'd be looking to replace them rather than repair, only to have further issues down the line. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Mack Posted June 30, 2020 Report Share Posted June 30, 2020 (edited) When I removed my UFO vents (like the ones A de E posted above) I found this: I didn't put them back! Edited June 30, 2020 by David Mack 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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