Help with Flue Terminal Regulations

[corine39]

Hi Everyone

I was wondering whether I could ask for some help.

My next door neighbour had an extension built last year that required him to replace his entire central heating system. The flue terminal is placed on the side of his house that faces the side of our house. There is only a 0.9m gap here brick to brick.

I constantly see 'pluming' from my windows when the heating is on. However although it is annoying, I am more concerned about the effect the closeness of the flue terminal has on my property.

I am not a plumber, nor do I have any knowledge of plumbing but I have read building regs part L1. This states that 'Wall terminals with horizontal discharge less than 2.5m from any wall, fence, building or property boundary facing the terminal' should not be considered.

If this is the case, surely this must mean the flue terminal contravenes building regulations? Could the closeness of the flue damage my property in anyway? If so, do I have any recourse with this?

Many thanks in advance for any help, and apologies if I have not been clear in anyway.

Corine

 

[picasso]

the distances are irrelevant if the plume is considered a nuisance, have you said anything to your neighbour? a simple solution to the problem to tfit a plume management kit but speak to your neighbour first, its better to try this approach before you contact building control ect

 

[corine39]

Thanks for your reply Picasso.

We have not said anything to our neighbour as yet. Dealing with him is quite tricky. When he had the extension built he never followed the party wall route, despite the extension and excavations being 0.9m away from the side wall of our house. When we mentioned he needed to, he said he knew nothing about it, and indeed did not do anything about it. As you know as his neighbour we could not enforce it. Therefore I cannot see him being willing to do anything unfortunately unless he has too!

 

[picasso]

unfortunately you still need to try, you have demonstrate that you have taken all reasonable steps to sort it out with him, if and when this fails you will have a better chance with building control (was the installation notified)mabaye get corgi involved, corgi dont have any power but mabaye the threat will be enough.

 

[corine39]

Thanks once again for replying.

I am not sure I understand what you mean by notified?

 

[picasso]

if his new gas boiler was installed legally (by a registered gas installer)it will have been notified through corgi normally, and a certificate issued BUT he could have quite legally have installed it him self,( this is a minefield in its self), try talking to before going down the official route.

 

[Agile]

You can contact Building Control first to see if the installation was notified to them as it should have been.

Then tell them that the flue has been installed within 2.5 m of your property and is causing a nuisence.

Its unlikely that BC will have time to do much about it but that all depends on whether their Inspector was involved in approving and inspecting the work. If they were you could try a complaint that the work is not in compliance with the Building Regulations.

If you dont get anywhere with BC then the department with some teeth is the Environmental Health Officer. They can service a formal Notice on the neighbour to stop the nuisance.

But they need to be convinced that there is areal nuisance and not that you just dont like your neighbour.

Tony

 

[gas4you]

The gas regs state that a flue pointing towards your boundary must be a minimum of 600mm from your boundary, even if it is an 'invisible' line.

I think your best course is with BC as it was a new extension, as others have said. If that fails try environmental health, they seem to have more clout

 

[corine39]

Thanks all for your replies!

Dave,

Please can you advise about the 600mm distance from the boundary you mention in your post?
The only information I have comes from building regs part L1 which advises that anything less then 2.5m should not be considered.

Also, open question to anybody, does pluming cause damage to brickwork when it is less then 1m away and directly hits it?

 

[GasMan1965]

Also, open question to anybody, does pluming cause damage to brickwork when it is less then 1m away and directly hits it?

Yes !!

 

[lightning]

This is what corgi's website has on the subject

http://www.trustcorgi.com/faqs/neighboursflue.htmx

 

[Agile]

Thanks all for your replies!

Dave,

Please can you advise about the 600mm distance from the boundary you mention in your post?

The only information I have comes from building regs part L1 which advises that anything less then 2.5m should not be considered.

Thats a red herring what Dave has said because the Gas Regulations are for the protection of the boiler.

The more stringent requirements of the Building Regulations are for the protection of the neighbour. Thats why its 2.5 m.

As an aside last time I heard they were only draft proposals which had not been ratified in law but they are the figures the BCOs work to in the meantime.

 

[gas4you]

In everyday practice I believe that the 2.5M is usually applied mainly to new build, in whatever form.

When fitting to an existing dwelling it is more than likely that it would be impossible to comply with 2.5m, therefore if you comply with gas regs, you will be ok.

 

[namsag]

The 2.5 is only advisable the 600mm is the reg. How is it annoying you, purely because you can see it or is it close to a window or door

 

[giblets]

The 2.5 is only advisable the 600mm is the reg. How is it annoying you, purely because you can see it or is it close to a window or door

The OP has hinted that the POC are hitting his/her wall therefore it must be discharging over the boundary and could be a matter of trespass.