Flue change on combi boiler due to extension, issues!

[badgeraudio]

Hi,
Apologies for the long message!

I have built a small single storey extension on the back of my semi-detached house.
Originally the Combi boiler flue came out of the back wall of the house, but this required altering due to the extension.
So the local gas plumbers extended the flue horizontally, put in a 90 degree bend then a vertical kit to allow the flue to come through the roof of the new extension.
At the time of install we followed the guidance in the boiler manual to position the flue.

However we now have a few issues:
1) The neighbour from the adjoined semi is complaining about the flue gasses being blown onto his land and smelling them in his house/bedroom.
2) After reading into the regs a bit more due to the issue above, I think the flue is positioned to close to my velux window. This appears to be a building control stipulation as it is not in my boiler manual (or the rule came in after 2006, the age of my boiler?) I have not confirmed this distance yet as I am away from home, but Im pretty sure its closer then 600mm!
The first we knew of the neighbour issue was when my Building Control officer turned up un announced and wanted to look at the flue, as the neighbour had raised a complaint. The BCO said it appears fine and within regs, but a Gas Safe Certificate will confirm this.
The BCO said even if it is all installed within regs etc the neighbour could still claim a statutory nuisance and make us sort it out.

The plumbers seem to think they do not need to issue a certificate for a flue change but I’m not 100% convinced on that! We are checking with Gas Safe this morning.

So im just not sure what to do.
1) Fight the neighbour over it, but I still might loose, this will waste time and money ( need to get on with the extension and get it plastered etc. But I don’t want to do it now, then re do it all in a month after a boiler relocation!
2) Get the boiler moved to a different location, there will be cost+hassle then no warranty on the 7 year old boiler. I can at least re use the new flue I have just paid for!
3) Get a new boiler installed in a new location. High cost but will get a warranty etc.
4) If the flue is installed to close to the Velux I might be able to get a slight refund off the plumbers for installing not to regs.

Cheers for any comments and advice!

 

[onecog]

A photo would be good.
Or get a different RGi out to issue a safety certificate and see what it says.
If there is a problem you could claim the cost back off the first RGi
The flue should be 2m away if it's below a rooflight or 600 above.

 

[sooey]

If it's causing a nuisance the neighbour wins, no point getting safety certificates.

 

[CBF]

I doubt very much if a vertical flue will be giving your neighbour nuisance fumes, these are associated with normal flues blowing over the property boundary so i doubt if BC or GS will be bothered about this.

vert flue shouldn't be within 600mm of either the top or either side or 2m below a velux, as the RGI has just installed the flue if it is within these distances then they have installed it to NCS & they aren't allowed to do this, which is prob why they don't want to give you a cert

 

[badgeraudio]

Cheers for the input guys.

I went to go see the neighbours last night. They only seem to worry about Carbon monoxide and a risk to health etc.
TO kep them quiet for now we have lent them our CO alarm. Bu tI am looking into a better quality alarm/monitor to buy them for the long term.
I have seen some mains units with an LCD giving parts per million on the display, so this could be a better long term solution?

I had a measure of the flue to velux. The Flue is 700mm to the right of the Window, but only 450mm above. But taking a diagonal measurement it is just over the 600mm I think.
So if you only need to be 600mm away, its ok.
But to keep out of a horizontal and vertical 600mm exclusion zone it fails.
Does that make sense?

Cheers

 

[Agile]

Not really!

There is also a 1200mm dimension that comes into play with some arrangements.