My boiler has just been condemmed as the flue which goes into a small lightwell is no longer allowed. I need to change my boiler anyway from a regular combi to, I guess, a condensing one (from what I've read) for a 1 bedroom flat. My main concern is what to do about the flue - it will need to reach up to the roof which is 3 floors away. Is this possible and is it true that some boilers can use regular plastic piping as flues? (or it seems that I'll be paying around £40 per metre for extension pieces). Any suggestions or advice on the best boiler and flue to get would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.
flue/boiler advice
- Thread starter Shivaun
- Start date
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The main boiler that uses plastic 50mm pipe for the flue is Keston.
Avoid having a Keston fitted at all costs.
Most makes include various flue options these days. I can only suggest getting 3 quotes for the work and seeing what each installer recommends, as we can't see your problem from here!
Avoid having a Keston fitted at all costs.
Most makes include various flue options these days. I can only suggest getting 3 quotes for the work and seeing what each installer recommends, as we can't see your problem from here!
Because the lightwell is quite small and there are 3 floors above me that have kitchen and bathroom windows opening out onto it (fume possibilities I guess).
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I've tried that. The first guy suggested a Keston but then didn't send quote as promised (I'd since read not so good reviews anyway), the second guy suggested Baxi but never contacted me again (think maybe not too happy with the possibilty of having to absail down the building to fix to wall). Just thought before I tried third might be good to be armed with abit of info. I'm suprized that with so many people living in flats it seems to be an unusual request that makes boiler fitters run away.
I have to assume that the vertical route for your new flue would go inside the building if you were considering a Keston (yuk).
If the flue could go outside the Vaillant ecoTEC has some very long flue lengths for the VTK exhaust - you can do up to 10m outside for certain models for the outlet and terminate in an upward end......
The air inlet would of course remain near the boiler.
If the flue could go outside the Vaillant ecoTEC has some very long flue lengths for the VTK exhaust - you can do up to 10m outside for certain models for the outlet and terminate in an upward end......
The air inlet would of course remain near the boiler.
you can run modern condensing boiler flues externally there is no need to resort to plume kits.
Internal flue components are not designed to be exposed to the weather.
You are posting as if the only place to vent the boiler to is this enclosed well.
Whats the problem with the outside parts of the building?
Tony
You are posting as if the only place to vent the boiler to is this enclosed well.
Whats the problem with the outside parts of the building?
Tony
Thanks very much for your advice. The flue has to go outside and run up the wall of the building in the lightwell and I think 10m would just about reach to roof level - is there a maximum height that flues can go to incase 10m not enough?
The boiler is currently in my kitchen which is by the lightwell - I'd rather keep it there if possible rather than have to move everything over to the other side of my flat into my sitting room so that the flue could go through the main external wall onto the street outside.
is there no other part of your flat that the boiler cannot be sited? to maybe use just an horizontal flue? its worth thinking about if possible. as you have said you have had 2 engineers come say what they thought then left. either they didnt know what to do (or) the job was abit of a B*****d to to do.
In theory a Keston could take in the air just by your flat but would have to expel the flue gasses at roof level.
Practically speaking that probably would need scaffolding adding about £900 to the cost of the job!
Apart from the problem that Kestons have not proved very reliable, a better solution would be to discharge across your flat thus saving the scaffolding cost.
The real solution would be to use a better boiler located on or near an external wall.
What will it take to get you to realise this?
Tony
Practically speaking that probably would need scaffolding adding about £900 to the cost of the job!
Apart from the problem that Kestons have not proved very reliable, a better solution would be to discharge across your flat thus saving the scaffolding cost.
The real solution would be to use a better boiler located on or near an external wall.
What will it take to get you to realise this?
Tony
P.s. the lightwell isn't enclosed at the top - it's 4 walls but is open at the top at roof level (incase this makes any difference to the advice you're giving. Thanks.
L
Legion
Have you bought the flat? what`s a lightwell FFS whatever boiler you had must have been vented adequately without going 3 stories away, a clue would be handy, look at the top of your boiler where does the big white pipe go? Does it go straight up through the ceiling? Or out through the wall?
I think they didn't know what to do and the job is abit of a b*****d to do. I'd still like to try to do it this way rather than having to destroy and redecorate my kitchen, take up all the floors for new pipes etc. and have a boiler in my sitting room. Thanks.
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