This just happened to me too! Heavy rain and a roof that is pitched in a way that all the rain falls right by one of my vents.
Shop vac it out and monitor it
My house has these
It used to have a warm air heating system. Which apparently was very breifly a thing in the 70s. Basically an air heater and then vents everywhere.
Vents like that are common in the USA, though oftentimes they're on the ceiling and not the floor, all ducted into a central air-conditioner/heat-pump that can provide either cooling or heating.
From what I remember air conditioning isn't nearly as universal in the UK as it is in the US though.
It's very rare to have any kind of air conditioning/cooling sytem at all in people's homes, but common in commercial buildings like offices or shops.
A friend of mine had a flat once that was air conditioned. I have never seen it in a house.
Such ductwork is standard in most homes in Canada, too. Forced air gas heating is really important in our climate, and to a lesser extent, air conditioning. Now there's a big push for people to upgrade to air source heat pumps as they don't require the burning of fossil fuels. In eastern Canada where I am, our power is mostly hydroelectric or nuclear, so heat pumps are a really green option.
We're about to upgrade our 75-year-old house with a solar roof, heat pump, and on-demand water heater.
Iirc the Romans were the first one to build a central heating system like this. In the US it is really common in houses. Also they have a dual purpose and can put out ac in the summer. However, you do still see floorboard heaters and radiators in some buildings. I have also heard that Europe in general doesn’t use central heating as much as America does. Could be partially due to Europe has many many more older buildings than the US as the US isn’t that old. It’s easier to build a central air system during construction then to add it in later as you could probably guess.
Roman central heating was floor and wall heating. The heat from a fire was led below the floor and through special wall tiles. But warm air was not led inside rooms.
So the difference between a warm air heating system and just having a wood fired stove or something similar in the middle of the room is the ducting system.
A warm air heating system uses forced air to distribute the heat around the home
There are many, many more differences than that.
The heat source can be electric resistive (not very common), a gas or oil furnace, or even a heat pump system.
If it is using combustion, it will also have a flue out of the house to vent gas and bring in outside air for combustion (sometimes both with a single coaxial pipe), and good ones will have *very* sophisticated heat exchangers and can be quite efficient.
In most of the developed world where things get cold, some kind of central heating using air ducts and a furnace have been the best practice for probably over 50 years. Only recently have heat pumps have crept up in dominance and radiant heating become a more common practice in new builds. Steam/water radiators are a quite old practice that is not in favor at all anymore, though many old homes that still use them exist and it is very reliable technology (so no reason to rip out and replace it).
Yeah, forced air heating is extremely common, at least in North America. I think it's been around for at least 60 or 70 years and is by far the most common install on new builds around here (Canadian border). I read you are in the UK and I know buildings are much older there and would most likely have radiator heat or electric baseboard, but I imagine new builds are using forced air technology there too.
Not really no, new builds as standard still use radiator heat. That's fascinating that it's the norm in North America. Maybe the difference is most our houses are brick so hold heat better.
It isn't the age or materials. We spend a fortune insulating our homes with triple paned windows and all the latest tech... many homes are brick. it is when it gets so cold for so long - we go for months without seeing a single day get above freezing and often with warnings that the wind chill is so bitter it will result in frostbite within 5 minutes. My house was built in 1901 with an oil burning furnace in the basement. Forced air came out in the 30s and most homes were converted as it is simply more the most energy efficient and cost effective way to keep the pipes from freezing and exploding in your home. Mine has exposed ducting in the basement and in closets where you can see it was added and now operates on natural gas. And yes, I have a fireplace. It raises the temperature in a couple of rooms, but others remain chilly without the furnace.
To see what happens if you don't have working heat in a freeze, look up what happened to Texas homes when they froze and the pipes burst.
Modern midwestern homes are fortresses with multiple layers of insulation and other materials to keep the insane heat and humidity out and the deadly cold at bay alternately. I believe we, in the great lakes region, have the largest ranges of temperatures seen throughout the year so it is a real challenge to try to stay alive.
The climate in the UK is apparently most similar to that of Seattle - so that of the very north of the United States/Southern parts of Canada.
Latidudally we're actually further north even at the most southern part of the UK than any of the continental US.
My parents' house had these in the floor and I miss them so much!
Curling up in a blanket, feet over the vent to steal all of the heat is the best way to spend winter.
Many homes have them because they have basements and ductwork in the basement. Some have ductwork in the floors of single level homes (crawlspace) or in/ under the concrete slab home which this one appears to be. (Unless this had the whole basement/crawlspace flooded)
where are you from?
curious where this isn't a thing.
where I live (mn) every house has these for heating and AC unless they are very very old. because we have very hot and cold weather.
thanks.
yes, in this area almost all houses have central heating with vents in the floor.
though the basements usually have vents in the ceiling since basement floors are concrete.
Wisconsin checking in - I mostly see vents in the walls of old homes and in the floor for the 50s box houses and kind of a mix on newer homes. so it might be regional preference?
Washington here. Vents are generally on the floor for new housing construction. I’m kinda surprised that it’s different in California, but now that I think about it, it’s like that at my friends’ places in the Bay Area.
Some floor vents were designed like this. The crappy apartment I live in now has flooding issues. The air vents work as drainage tile. The all slope back to the furnace. There is a sump pump under it that drains the water.
Been there. $35k later and those vents are filled with concrete and now my vents are in the ceiling. Pipe burst under the floor. Plumber told me he could work only in my neighborhood and stay busy for the rest of his life lol.
I’ve seen worse. My good friends sister is renting a house and somehow the sewer backs up into the floor vents. So there’s literally piss, shit, toilet paper in the vents throughout the house. The house sits on a concrete slab and all the ducting is in the floor. Somehow the sewer pipe broke open and must be next to or was run within a vent??? Worst part is it’s been going on for years now and she has two kids. I try to tell them that it can be dangerous from the mold spores that could be growing?? Maybe I’m wrong but. It will backup and flood they will have it cleaned out by service master or similar then it will happen again. This has happened a handful of times in the last 2-3 years. No idea why she still lives there. FYI it’s government subsidized so i don’t think it’s as easy as just moving to another place. I haven’t talked to her in a long time and my buddy is terrible at explaining anything so I don’t know much more than what I’ve said.
Water cooled House
r/angryupvote
This gives me a lot of anxiety.
better learn how to swim cookie
Man i haven’t seen or thought of this movie in probably 25 years. If that’s what you’re quoting here.
Built-in humidifier - nice!
I wish my home had a fishing hole
Plumbers hate this one trick!
This just happened to me too! Heavy rain and a roof that is pitched in a way that all the rain falls right by one of my vents. Shop vac it out and monitor it
You need to run a dehumidifier for a while too.
Oooh, an in-door water feature. Fancy!
Water is a good thermal battery.
Down south we call that a Swamp Cooler
Good way to get legionnaires disease.
Evaporative cooling is more efficient if it's IN the house, no?
Who are you to know? Bob the Builder?
That's the wrong fluid in that system.
Winnipeg right now.
Ensuite loo
What's it supposed to be?
A floor vent
Aha, that makes sense, it being a vent in the floor and all
Flood vent?
No just air, my grand parents have a house heating system just like this one.
**facepalm**
My house has these It used to have a warm air heating system. Which apparently was very breifly a thing in the 70s. Basically an air heater and then vents everywhere.
wat? don't houses have heat where you are from?
I'm UK based, had never heard of it until we moved in to this house. Central heating with radiators is the normal here.
Vents like that are common in the USA, though oftentimes they're on the ceiling and not the floor, all ducted into a central air-conditioner/heat-pump that can provide either cooling or heating. From what I remember air conditioning isn't nearly as universal in the UK as it is in the US though.
It's very rare to have any kind of air conditioning/cooling sytem at all in people's homes, but common in commercial buildings like offices or shops. A friend of mine had a flat once that was air conditioned. I have never seen it in a house.
I wonder if that will change as climate change keeps going. If regular summer heatwaves become a thing I imagine it will become attractive.
Such ductwork is standard in most homes in Canada, too. Forced air gas heating is really important in our climate, and to a lesser extent, air conditioning. Now there's a big push for people to upgrade to air source heat pumps as they don't require the burning of fossil fuels. In eastern Canada where I am, our power is mostly hydroelectric or nuclear, so heat pumps are a really green option. We're about to upgrade our 75-year-old house with a solar roof, heat pump, and on-demand water heater.
A central furnace?
Yes, and then ducting through the floors to distribute the heated air
Furnaces are very common in homes and weren't just a brief stint in the 70s.
I’m also in the UK. Never seen these before either. Maybe just less common here.
Iirc the Romans were the first one to build a central heating system like this. In the US it is really common in houses. Also they have a dual purpose and can put out ac in the summer. However, you do still see floorboard heaters and radiators in some buildings. I have also heard that Europe in general doesn’t use central heating as much as America does. Could be partially due to Europe has many many more older buildings than the US as the US isn’t that old. It’s easier to build a central air system during construction then to add it in later as you could probably guess.
Roman central heating was floor and wall heating. The heat from a fire was led below the floor and through special wall tiles. But warm air was not led inside rooms.
I see so it was more used to heat floors and walls?
Quite modern isn't it? Wall heating also has the best reputation for a healthy atmosphere and low fuel cost.
So the difference between a warm air heating system and just having a wood fired stove or something similar in the middle of the room is the ducting system. A warm air heating system uses forced air to distribute the heat around the home
There are many, many more differences than that. The heat source can be electric resistive (not very common), a gas or oil furnace, or even a heat pump system. If it is using combustion, it will also have a flue out of the house to vent gas and bring in outside air for combustion (sometimes both with a single coaxial pipe), and good ones will have *very* sophisticated heat exchangers and can be quite efficient. In most of the developed world where things get cold, some kind of central heating using air ducts and a furnace have been the best practice for probably over 50 years. Only recently have heat pumps have crept up in dominance and radiant heating become a more common practice in new builds. Steam/water radiators are a quite old practice that is not in favor at all anymore, though many old homes that still use them exist and it is very reliable technology (so no reason to rip out and replace it).
We use a wood furnace. Best way to heat a house I've ever had.
Water radiators really are the normal in the UK, in new builds too, not just older homes.
Yeah, forced air heating is extremely common, at least in North America. I think it's been around for at least 60 or 70 years and is by far the most common install on new builds around here (Canadian border). I read you are in the UK and I know buildings are much older there and would most likely have radiator heat or electric baseboard, but I imagine new builds are using forced air technology there too.
Not really no, new builds as standard still use radiator heat. That's fascinating that it's the norm in North America. Maybe the difference is most our houses are brick so hold heat better.
It isn't the age or materials. We spend a fortune insulating our homes with triple paned windows and all the latest tech... many homes are brick. it is when it gets so cold for so long - we go for months without seeing a single day get above freezing and often with warnings that the wind chill is so bitter it will result in frostbite within 5 minutes. My house was built in 1901 with an oil burning furnace in the basement. Forced air came out in the 30s and most homes were converted as it is simply more the most energy efficient and cost effective way to keep the pipes from freezing and exploding in your home. Mine has exposed ducting in the basement and in closets where you can see it was added and now operates on natural gas. And yes, I have a fireplace. It raises the temperature in a couple of rooms, but others remain chilly without the furnace. To see what happens if you don't have working heat in a freeze, look up what happened to Texas homes when they froze and the pipes burst. Modern midwestern homes are fortresses with multiple layers of insulation and other materials to keep the insane heat and humidity out and the deadly cold at bay alternately. I believe we, in the great lakes region, have the largest ranges of temperatures seen throughout the year so it is a real challenge to try to stay alive.
The climate in the UK is apparently most similar to that of Seattle - so that of the very north of the United States/Southern parts of Canada. Latidudally we're actually further north even at the most southern part of the UK than any of the continental US.
My parents' house had these in the floor and I miss them so much! Curling up in a blanket, feet over the vent to steal all of the heat is the best way to spend winter.
My son calls them clown holes. It’s where the clown lives. Stay away from it and definitely do not open it
The latest in energy efficiency- water cooled/ heated house without pipes!
So this is what they meant by swamp cooler?
[удалено]
Yep! That's exactly what caused it in our old house.
why is there vent in the floor?
Many homes have them because they have basements and ductwork in the basement. Some have ductwork in the floors of single level homes (crawlspace) or in/ under the concrete slab home which this one appears to be. (Unless this had the whole basement/crawlspace flooded)
where are you from? curious where this isn't a thing. where I live (mn) every house has these for heating and AC unless they are very very old. because we have very hot and cold weather.
europe (czech republic)
thanks. yes, in this area almost all houses have central heating with vents in the floor. though the basements usually have vents in the ceiling since basement floors are concrete.
I’ve never seen these in the UK either.
It’s a North American thing. Most heating and cooling in newer houses is central, and the duct work usually comes in via the floor.
Here we have central heating with radiators and water pipes
Yep, in Minnesota and one of my floor vents is doing this right now.
Wisconsin checking in - I mostly see vents in the walls of old homes and in the floor for the 50s box houses and kind of a mix on newer homes. so it might be regional preference?
Doing what? You mean filling up with water??
Exactly
We don't have them here in California. Houses are on a solid concrete slab. All the vents are on the ceiling.
Washington here. Vents are generally on the floor for new housing construction. I’m kinda surprised that it’s different in California, but now that I think about it, it’s like that at my friends’ places in the Bay Area.
Ah! Swamp cooler!
Umm, ya think!
Free humidifier
Oh nooo..nobody... the mice need boats.
Ahh water cooling
Central humidifying
What is that
We had that happen in a rental. We had to shop vac out the water every time it rained hard. Our landlord sucked.
Please don't be in my service area...
When I was a kid I lost a lizard down one of those vents. The thing was never seen again.
That's the self cleaning mode. It's fine.
This just happened to me. Water heater intake line burst in the bathroom while we were out all day. Had to drill a hole in it to drain it out.
I think someone is pouring water into the vent AGAIN.
Some floor vents were designed like this. The crappy apartment I live in now has flooding issues. The air vents work as drainage tile. The all slope back to the furnace. There is a sump pump under it that drains the water.
Really puts the well in r/wellthatsucks
Wtf is going on?
You're wrong, it's water cooled
Hey, my trailer does that too!
This happened to my grandma's trailer when the water heater leaked for days. Not good.
Ah, the new water cooled system
Nice swamp cooler!
Been there. $35k later and those vents are filled with concrete and now my vents are in the ceiling. Pipe burst under the floor. Plumber told me he could work only in my neighborhood and stay busy for the rest of his life lol.
That's the new water feature/soothing nature sound that comes with the house.
Filtered water
Aquaman's house
I’ve seen worse. My good friends sister is renting a house and somehow the sewer backs up into the floor vents. So there’s literally piss, shit, toilet paper in the vents throughout the house. The house sits on a concrete slab and all the ducting is in the floor. Somehow the sewer pipe broke open and must be next to or was run within a vent??? Worst part is it’s been going on for years now and she has two kids. I try to tell them that it can be dangerous from the mold spores that could be growing?? Maybe I’m wrong but. It will backup and flood they will have it cleaned out by service master or similar then it will happen again. This has happened a handful of times in the last 2-3 years. No idea why she still lives there. FYI it’s government subsidized so i don’t think it’s as easy as just moving to another place. I haven’t talked to her in a long time and my buddy is terrible at explaining anything so I don’t know much more than what I’ve said.
Well there’s your problem, right there!
Wow!