Please note that the Regulation is still only a draft and has not been approved by Parliament. It is possible that changes may occur and therefore the answers given below are based on current information available. We would recommend a degree of caution until the document is finally approved. Q. When does the final approved document get published and what is the implementation date? A. The intention has always been for a simultaneous introduction of Part L and Part F. The information – as of mid October and indicated by the ODPM – is that Part F will be published at the start of 2006 and the implementation date will be 6th April 2006. Q. Can I fit a night vent keep or use a night vent position on the window to provide background ventilation, instead of a trickle ventilator, because I know the size of the opening provided by the old window? A. "Means of ventilation" F1 – There shall be adequate means of ventilation provided for the people in the building. Paragraph 3.3 states "To comply with the requirement windows should include trickle ventilators". The alternative is the provision of another back ground ventilator opening of a known equivalent area in the same room (wall vent). If the equivalent area is not known the following sizes should be adopted: For dwellings: Habitable room 5000 mm² equivalent area. Wet room 2500 mm² equivalent area. Control of ventilation paragraph 0.17 says "Manually controlled trickle ventilator (the most common type of background ventilators) can be located over the window frames, in windows just above the glass or directly through the wall (see diagram 5 in the glossary)". Night vent keeps and sliding sashes have been removed from the guidance hence they are not an approved method. BS EN 13141 does not set out a method for testing the equivalent area on these forms of ventilation. Q. Can I carry on using slot vents to comply with background ventilation provision requirements? A. In most instances, yes. However, it is important to understand that the background ventilation requirement has changed from a geometric method of calculation to a performance based method, i.e. airflow, shown as equivalent area. It cannot be interpreted as the current simple 4000/8000 mm² free area scenario, as the proposed requirement will be to calculate the required background ventilation for the whole dwelling, and also allow for each individual room. As to whether current slot ventilator designs can be used, it is anticipated that the majority will not perform well enough in new build situations to provide the overall levels for the dwelling, at least in the quantities required to achieve this total. Therefore better performing ventilators will enable compliance in more situations. Please note in a few dwelling types it may not be possible to use System 1 (Intermittent Extract & Background Ventilators), so fewer or no background ventilators will be required than compliance via System 1. Q. Do I have to use certain makes or models of whole house ventilation systems with certain models of background ventilators? I have been told this is essential. A. No. As long as each component of the complete ventilation system complies with the provisions set out in the document and this can be demonstrated via test results, it is not necessary to match one make or model with another to ensure compliance. Q. I notice there are now a number of ventilation systems outlined in the document, where do I go to find guidance on these? A. The draft document includes further guidance on the use of these systems via appendices in the publication. If further information is required, it is preferable to contact a ventilation system supplier, such as Titon, to assist in suitability to your specific requirement and specification of the correct product to ensure compliance. Q. Can I carry on using my current trickle vents? A. In many instances, yes. However, it is important to understand that the ventilation requirement has changed from a geometric method of calculation to a performance based method, i.e. airflow. It cannot be interpreted as the current simple 4000/8000 mm² scenario, as the proposed requirement is to calculate the background ventilation for the whole dwelling, whilst ensuring a minimum provision for each individual room. Your trickle ventilator supplier should be able to offer advice and solutions for these varying situations. Q. Will trickle ventilators need to be larger to comply with the new Regulation? A. The ventilator will not necessarily have to be larger but its airflow performance may have to be more efficient. This is because, in some dwellings, and according to the ventilation system chosen, the overall background ventilation requirement may be greater than can be supplied through current products.

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