Dripping air vent!

[Chris Lingwood]

I have a chimmeny colar (110mm diameter) with one of those little hat covers on to help ventilate my bedroom. Unfortunatly its directly over where my girlfriends face is when she sleeps. Que heavy rain and the poor little lass gets drips on her head!

 

As I'm sure you will appreciate the fact that my side of the bed is fine is little consolation, although it more than makes up for it for me! Any ideas as to what I can do about this slightly daft design? I've already got a note on the last safety certificate saying that I don't have sufficent low level ventilation so I don't really want to restrict the air flow...just the rain!

 

I've tried squashing down the vent, but it didnt really help. Al I've come up with so far is griding the top part of the colar off and screwing a mushroom or something over the top (into probably incrediby tough steel). I don't really like this plan!

[Alastair]

The chimney collars really aren't meant for this - I think you've found out why.

 

You really need a mushroom vent, that can be screwed down in the event of very severe weather.

 

For now, I'd suggest cutting a cylinder out of a plastic cool drink bottle and putting it down on the outside of the collar - cut the length so that it it just higher than the low brim of the hat.

[John Orentas]

Chris.

 

I think we are a bit confused about what type of ventilator you have could you elaborate a little.

 

Alastair.

 

We are not supposed to be using mushroom vents which can be closed off any more.

[Chris Lingwood]

Its probably best to note that I didn't do it By a chimney collar I mean that big plate with a bit hefty tube through the middle thats traditionaly used for poking the chimny from your fire through the roof. On top it has a metal hat (you know the ones shaped like a chinamans hat) with those springy metal legs, they normaly find themselves on top of.....chimneys!

 

Quite why they used chimney bits for ventilation directly over the bed I'll never know!

 

The plastic tube idea is pretty good. I'll get a cheap bottle of water and have a go next time i find myself near some shops.

[John Orentas]

Chris.

 

Probably a larger more substantial coolies hat would do the job but make sure water isn't leaking between the collar and the roof surface.

 

I don't think chimney collars were ever routinely used as ventilators, much more likely your boat at one time had a stove fitted where your girl friends head is now.

[Keeping Up]

Chris.

 

Probably a larger more substantial coolies hat would do the job but make sure water isn't leaking between the collar and the roof surface.

 

I don't think chimney collars were ever routinely used as ventilators, much more likely your boat at one time had a stove fitted where your girl friends head is now.

Unless your girlfriend is large, made of cast iron, and consumes a lot of coal, in which case you are just confused

[NB Willawaw]

Unless your girlfriend is large, made of cast iron, and consumes a lot of coal, in which case you are just confused

 

and very, very lonely...

[Yamanx]

Hot though

 

Sorry I'll get me coat.................

[DHutch]

Probably a larger more substantial coolies hat would do the job but make sure water isn't leaking between the collar and the roof surface.

- I don't think chimney collars were ever routinely used as ventilators, much more likely your boat at one time had a stove fitted where your girl friends head is now.

Yeah, in the short term, as john said check its not geting in under the base (tape/silicon it if it is) and then bodge somthing pro-tem.

- Then in the (not so) long term, whip the stilly thing off and stick a proper mushroom vent there, and anywhere else, if need more ventitation.

 

 

Daniel

[Alastair]

Chris.

 

I think we are a bit confused about what type of ventilator you have could you elaborate a little.

 

Alastair.

 

We are not supposed to be using mushroom vents which can be closed off any more.

 

I didn't say closed off - just screwed down.

 

Between my boats, I think there are 7 or 8 of these things - standard brass mushroom vents - they can be screwed down so that only very very determined rain can get in.

 

However, they do have limitations - if a kid hurls a bucket of water along the roof, it still sloshes in . . .

[Chris Lingwood]

I don't think chimney collars were ever routinely used as ventilators, much more likely your boat at one time had a stove fitted where your girl friends head is now.

 

I think you are most probably right. It is in almost exactly the right place for that.

 

I had a look at the collar again this morning (after sleeping with a pan in the bed) and its got a fairly heft amount of paint around the join (possibly with a weld underneath) so its not really going to be leaking through there.

[Glennbrown]

I have the same problem with a vetus vent in my bedroom

 

The vent is presently shut and at night condensation forms on the cold

steel resulting occasional drip on the bed.

 

Glenn

[dor]

I have the same problem with a vetus vent in my bedroom

 

Was this one of the vetus "flying saucer" types? I also used to have one over the bed - wasn't too much of a problem as although it collected a bit of condensation, it tended to drip on her side. however when the occasional drip became a steady drip I had to investigate in order to maintain marital harmony.

 

When I took the Vetus one off to investigate, I found that the plastic innards were cracked and broken, so allowing any rain on the roof to run straight in.

 

I replaced it with a conventional mushroom.

[lymmranger]

Chris,

you could always swop places... ?

 

[Chris Lingwood]

Chris,

you could always swop places... ?

 

 

but surely then the drip would be on MY face

[lymmranger]

can`t argue with that......

 

s**t keep forgetting....

 

her indoors reads this....

 

[DHutch]

but surely then the drip would be on MY face

Which would be good motivation to get it fixed....

 

 

Daniel

[Carrie]

I see chivalry is well and truly dead

 

While you are waiting to be dumped, you could attach a drain-away. Something for the drips to run along, and into a container or off the side of the bed.

[lymmranger]

I must admit she seems incredibly tolerant...?

[Chris Lingwood]

I've semi fixed it now in a decidedly non permenant way. Jamming a bucket over the top allows ventilation and seams to keep out the rain...but I do now have a bucket on my roof......which will probably fly off sooner or later in the gale force winds we are enjoying today.

 

In my defence she's only around at weekends...and who am I to argue with two years of bed side tradition!

[DHutch]

I've semi fixed it now in a decidedly non permenant way. Jamming a bucket over the top allows ventilation and seams to keep out the rain...but I do now have a bucket on my roof......which will probably fly off sooner or later in the gale force winds we are enjoying today.

Fair enough. - Nothing wrong with a bucket!

 

And ive you tie it on round the handrail you'll be able to recovor it should it get blown off.

- Or if it happens often, put a rope over it, from one hand rail to the other, or somthing.

 

 

Daniel

[ChrisPy]

if you've isolated the problem to water getting in as opposed to condensation, you can buy a hemispherical plug type cap that seals the chimney. Better than a chinese hat. Check Aquafax catalogue.

[DHutch]

if you've isolated the problem to water getting in as opposed to condensation, you can buy a hemispherical plug type cap that seals the chimney. Better than a chinese hat. Check Aquafax catalogue.

Yes, but i beleave the ex-chimmey hole is part of the boats permanent ventilation at the moment, so blocking it off totaly is not a aceptable solition.

- There great for kep the rain off tho.

 

 

Daniel

[John Orentas]

Yes, but i beleave the ex-chimmey hole is part of the boats permanent ventilation at the moment, so blocking it off totaly is not a aceptable solition.

- There great for kep the rain off tho.

Daniel

 

 

 

Yes as Daniel says, you need to check if the collar is now part of the main ventilation of the boat. I would suspect it is, in which case you really should re-instate it in some way either by an improved coolies hat or by replacement of the entire thing with a mushroom vent or similar.

 

As I said in a previous reply the adjustable types should now be fixed fully open.

[Chris Lingwood]

I amost certain it is part of the ventilation now, seeing as the certificate has notes about mildly insufficient ventilation.

 

I've managed to get a bit of a better solution now which seams to have fixed the problem without being a bucket. My nieghbour just fitted a new stove and had a bit of pipe spare just big enough to go over the outside of the colar. Since its a bit higher up I can put the legs of the hat outside the pipe and squish it much further down so the highest point of the pipe is higher than the lowest point of the hat. It needs some tidying up and a couple of self tappers to help keep it on but it seams to have done the trick without looking silly