Loft insulation and requirement for extractor fan in the bathroom

New Government driven standards (known as PAS 2035) which is effective from July 2021, meaning that householders who qualify for funded insulation, for instance through schemes like the Energy Company Obligation (ECO), can also benefit from the new requirement to have additional ventilation installed in their homes. Insulation and ventilation go hand in hand with each other under PAS 2035 standards and form a wider whole-house approach to energy-saving measures in the home. There are different types of ventilation all of which help to improve the air quality in your home. This includes mechanical ventilation, in the form of extractor fans.

Ventilation and insulation work together to keep your home warm and breathable. Rather than working against each other (as many people think they do) they actually go hand in hand. If you have received ECO funding, it sounds like the installer has installed the measure without the proper guidance for ECO and will be forced by the funders to return and rectify the ventilation. Failing that, the funders have the right to claw back any funding.

While an extractor fan is not a legal requirement, there are air ventilation requirements that need to be met when you are building new structures or renovating them. An extractor fan ensures you meet these, but also has other benefits to consider. An extractor is used as a defence against mould. It helps to release moisture as condensation is created when bathing/showering etc. Over time without one it could cause damage to fittings and vanity units, so this helps to prevent that.

The purpose of the fan is to disperse bad air and smells to outside open air as per regs and provide fresh air within the bathroom, So basically a fan is installed to serve it’s purpose.

I dont know about funding from the government, that sounds abit suspect to me. But what I can say, is that high moisture content in your home is never a good thing. Depending on the age of the home and construction type, if that moisture doesnt get ventilated out of the building then it doesnt just magic itself away. It condenses on windows, walls. Sometimes in the cavity if its a brick/brick build with no cavity insulation. It can travel through plasterboard ceilings and condense in the loft space on the roof sarking if the loft is not ventilated, or on the building paper and drip down. Long story short? Vent your kitchen and bathroom adequately Kieran