Building Regs for Oil Boiler Flue

[HomerSimpson]

Just had an OFTEC registered plumber around to give me a quote for a new oil central heating system. Where we want our new boiler the flue position would be about 500mm horizontally from our back door. I thought Building Regs say min distance of 600mm but he seemed to think it was only 300mm and "besides it depends on the manufacturer"(?)

If he's right then it'll solve our problem, if he's not then why the hell doesn't an OFTEC plumber know his building regs! He also said that the requirement for having a condensing oil boiler has been put back to 2006. Is this true?

 

[kevplumb]

ask the manufacturer as the installation instruction give you the required clearances

 

[Slugbabydotcom]

If he's right then it'll solve our problem, if he's not then why the hell doesn't an OFTEC plumber know his building regs! He also said that the requirement for having a condensing oil boiler has been put back to 2006. Is this true?

AFAIK Your plumber is right Manufacturers instructions rule. This is just the recommendation. Having said that what is the proposed boiler? We might be able to check up on it.
Just had a look at a few Worcesters and all of them I saw said 600mm
Condensing oil boilers rule has been put back to 1/4/2007 last I heard but they do have a habit of moving the goalposts.

 

[oilman]

I agree with Slug that the MI is supposed to be the last word, but I think this is the case because there is somewhere to lay the blame, and that building regs are not enforced as no one really cares anyway. There are lots of non-compliant installations on new-build that are signed off by building control.

You may think your plumber SHOULD know all the regs, and it may be a bit of a problem if he doesn't, but there are so many figures to carry around in your head, that some confusion is inevitable. Not ideal, but that's life, not life-threatening.

If I was having a flue anywhere where flue gases could get to a door or window when it was open, I'd put it somewhere else. It stinks when the boiler starts and just after it stops.

2007 is the current date for condensing boilers, but up to a couple of months ago it was 2005, so who's to say what will happen.

 

[PEDANTICVINDICTIVEMAN]

Of course you know "every" single little thing about your job dont you, well larrrrrdy daaaaaa.