Ventilation
  • Phil Burton
    5
    We are finding that our tower is becoming uncomfortably hot during the summer months.

    As a sandstone tower, it tends to retain the warmth sometimes days after the heat outside has subsided. Similarly, in winter, the walls remain very cold even after a cold snap.

    We have next-to-no ventilation in our tower. There is a large, partitioned, stained glass window (age unsure, but I'm guessing over 150 years old) on one wall. Opposite this is an arch shaped glass window with a circular opening which opens in to the main body of the church.

    There's holes in the ceiling (for sound) and a trap door leading to a clock chamber.

    The question is - does anyone have any experience of installing ventilation in a tower like this, and have knowledge of the steps required re. faculties etc?

    I've considered putting vents in the floor, but I'm not convinced that would help much. The only thing I can think of is to put some kind of vent(s) on the stained glass windows - perhaps even a hinge.

    Can anyone offer advice?
    Phil Burton Options
  • Peter Sotheran
    142
    We have a 24" wide (approx) wall mounted heater over the door. It is mounted on brackets which enable us to tilt the fan up and down. In winter (and chilly days) we tilt it down to make a warm air 'curtain' over the door; on days when the ringing room gets a bit stuffy, we turn off the heating elements and tilt it up, to blow cool (unheated) air horizontally over the heads of the ringers.

    (I was intending to include a photo but I can't remember / find out how to paste an image into a message! How or where do I find or create a link to an image in my Picture Folder?)
    Peter Sotheran Options
  • Phil Burton
    5
    Thanks Peter - we already have a large fan which moves a decent amount of air, our problem is getting cold(er) air in to the tower.

    We have a trap-door style entrance which has to be closed during ringing, hence my question as to whether anyone has experience of modifying stained glass windows, as that appears to be our only option of getting air in.
    Phil Burton Options
  • John Harrison
    496
    We have a trap-door style entrance which has to be closed during ringing — Phil Burton
    I once rang at a tower where they put a grid in the trapdoor while ringing, strong enough to stand on.
    John Harrison Options
  • Phil Burton
    5
    Yes - installing a grid, whether it be to the floor in general, or to the trapdoor, is an idea I have considered. A neighbouring tower has a similar thing.

    My concerns would be that a) it wont draw much air in, and b) the air that it will draw in will just be from the base of the tower, which wont be much cooler air unless the tower door is wide open.
    Phil Burton Options
  • John Harrison
    496
    ↪Phil Burton
    after Covid we had plans (and in fact still do but on ice) to install a fan in the ringing room ceiling, ie in the clock room floor, to draw air up through thee ringing room. To avoid it going Barack downs thee rope holes wwe were going to feed it via a flexible duct to the clock room window. It got as far as flows rated calculations, fan selection and outline design but didn’t get progressed when the urgency passed.
    Our concern was to increase the air changed rate to avoid build up of anything harmful. Heat wasn’t an issue since we already have air conditioning.
    John Harrison Options
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