Neighbour complaint - our new combi condenser boiler flue

[Damselindistress999]

Please help! I'm somewhat desperate. Any advice most welcome.

Me and my husband have been renovating our house ourself. It's our first house and it will be our home when we're finished. It's taken us two years with a non-existent budget to get to the painting and final fix stage....

Anyway, to cut a long story short we recently had installed a new combination condensing LPG boiler. Our neighbours have complained that the flue omits nasty vapours over their garden. Our flue exits the back of our lobby and towards our shared boundary (less than 2.5m away).

Now I know, having been alerted to the fact by our neighbour, that this is wrong. Now I need to come up with a solution that will keep them happy for minimum cost. I'm desperate to avoid having to resite our new boiler - we've only just finished that room ready for carpeting.

Our boiler is a Worcester Greenstar 32cdi compact LPG. The flue exits horizontally and is about 1.5 from the boundary at the side of our property (away from any road or footpath). The ceilings and roof above are all finished - I'd hate to have to knock holes in them. Resiting would be very tricky and undoubtedly costly.

Any suggestions please!

Thank you

 

[JohnD]

you can get a flue extension. Either an elbow so it points and blows the fumes towards your own property, or one that goes up, say to eaves level, where the hot steam and fumes will rise up without annoyance, or possibly runs sideways if it can go to a corner of your house. You don't want it close to or underneath a window. Even if at a permitted distance, it will billow clouds of steam in winter.

The makers of your boiler will offer various kits, and will specify the maximum permissible length. You will need a heating engineer to fit it.

It can run up the outside of your property, so no redecoration or holes in ceilings required. Or inside if necessary, though it must then be accessible for inspection in case of leaks, so it can't be poked up a chimney.

 

[Dan Robinson]

Have a polite word with your installer that the installation is not to standard.

By get him to buy a suitable plume management kit and ask him to fit to for costs.

How does your neighbours' flue terminate? Had more than a few shrink back into the shadows when they realise their flue is just as non compliant as the one I have been asked to look at. Funniest was some crazy bint kicking off that the boiler we had just fitted was poisoning her by putting fumes in through her bedroom window.


Her boiler was installed back to back with the one we had just fitted - the difference being hers was an old standard efficiency thing and you couldn't see the products of combustion.


The rules do cater for the plume causing a nuisance though - even if the distances to boundaries etc. are compliant with the manuals.

 

[Agile]

For those who don't know you should never discharge towards a boundary unless its OVER 2.5 m away!

Otherwise plume diversion!

Tony

 

[Dean744PiN5]

For those who don't know you should never discharge towards a boundary unless its OVER 2.5 m away!

Otherwise plume diversion!

Tony

That's 90% of flues in London that don't comply then

 

[picasso]

The 2.5 metre from the boundary is misleading, if the plume causes a nuisance no matter how far from the boundary you (the installer ) will be issued with a remedial notice from gas safe if the neighbour complains.

 

[PotatoHead]

Have you tried just swivelling the end flue part to point it away. There's 2 screws on the inner flue terminal that can be undone to point the fumes away slightly.

It's not great but might just make enough difference.

 

[pallen5000]

Have you tried just swivelling the end flue part to point it away. There's 2 screws on the inner flue terminal that can be undone to point the fumes away slightly.

It's not great but might just make enough difference.

+1

 

[Agile]

The 2.5 metre from the boundary is misleading, if the plume causes a nuisance no matter how far from the boundary you (the installer ) will be issued with a remedial notice from gas safe if the neighbour complains.

That is true.

However, its generally considered that when the discharge point is 2.5 m away then there is sufficient dispersal of the POC to not normally be expected to cause any annoyance. That is meant to be the Building Control and Environmental Health figure.

Tony

 

[polesapart]

The above replies, all well-informed and constructive, really deserve the O.P.s acknowledgement!