How low to the ground can a combi boiler flue be installed?

[applecrumble]

Hi,

I'm replacing an old boiler in my bedroom with a combi. It's a ground floor flat and the boiler can only really go next to a window in the bedroom.

The current boiler is quite low off the ground. It has a cabinet built around it and is at a decent height so it's quite discreet and is useful for storing things on top of. The flue goes directly out the back of the boiler and comes out at about the height of bottom of the window outside (where the front garden is). The top of the boiler is around 110cm from the floor and the horizontal flue comes out around 80cm from the ground in the front garden about 150cm away from the pavement (it's a small garden!).

I've had a quote and have been told that many boilers require the flue to be higher than this and that you don't want boiler exhaust being fired at passers by. I'd like to keep the current height of the boiler if possible as it makes it less of an eye sore and means I shouldn't need the old flue hole filled up and a new one made.

Does anyone have any advice on if I can keep the boiler at it's current height? What is the minimum installation height? Are there particular combis that can be installed lower? Can I just get a horizontal flue that points up the way once outside to direct the fumes?

Thanks.

 

[gaspro1981]

the boiler flue will have to be relocated end of story im affraid

 

[kevindgas]

some outside pictures might help us advise.
you may be able to use a plume management kit to get the flue higher on the outside, some manufacturers allow low level flue inlets with a plume kit.

 

[mickyg]

sounds fine to me.. am i missing something?

 

[Steve69the69Gas]

yep, just needs a chip pan on it?

 

[sooey]

It sounds OK to me too, as long as it's at least a foot off the ground with a terminal guard. Though a plume management kit sounds like a good idea for passers by.

 

[simond]

From your description the Glowworm Flexicom would appear to meet your requirements.

http://www.glow-worm.co.uk/products/pdf/current/Flexicom_Brochure.pdf

It's not a boiler we would fit because I don't care for the build quality but it is compact, can be mounted 150mm from the floor, has a rear flue and can be fitted with a plume management pipe outside.

 

[DP]

I would consult the boiler manual regards clearance below the boiler. Flue hole then decided by the template.

Go to plenty jobs where the installer knows nothing about boiler clearances.

 

[sooey]

DP, I have to ask, what was in them butties?

 

[bengasman]

By default, the minimum distance between ground and bottom of the flue is 300mm, between that and 2 metres high, it needs a flue guard. That's all.
It is possible that the instructions for your boiler prescribe a different distance.

 

[simond]

80cms is enough for any flue off the ground.

If fitted with a PMK no flue guard is of course necessary.

 

[fitz1]

its only set high enough to stop water ingress and blockage from snow.

 

[Agile]

You have told us nothing about the flue location!

Apart from the basic requirements mentioned above, the flue has to be positioned so that it does not cause a "nuisence".

If its a pubic walkway then possibly some people could object.

If its a council flat style with balcony walkway access then many landlords will not permit fanned flues to cross the balcony any more, others will allow non condensing boilers only.

Tony

 

[applecrumble]

Thanks for all the replies! Some answers to questions:

> It sounds OK to me too, as long as it's at least a foot off the ground with a terminal guard. Though a plume management kit sounds like a good idea for passers by.

If the PMK means I'd have a vertical pipe running up the outside wall, I'd rather avoid this as it's the front of a small ground floor flat so it wouldn't look great. If a terminal guard is just a cover on the flue outlet, that would look better.

> You have told us nothing about the flue location!

My current boiler is about 30cm off the ground. The flue comes out around 1m off the ground outside. The flue is inside a small front garden pointing towards the street pavement about 1.5m away (with only a metal fence between). Could a new combi have a flue at roughly the same level with a flue guard then without causing problems to pedestrians?

Looking around, there several flue outlets with guards on my street that exit about adult head height. The person that gave me a quote was concerned the flue height I wanted is about the height of a child's head. Seeing as the flue fumes aren't harmful and (as far as I know) don't constantly fire out burning hot air, I'm not sure what the problem is to be honest.

As the boiler will be in a bedroom and the flat isn't huge, I'd like to keep the boiler as discreet as possible and don't particularly want a huge boiler cabinet in the corner of the room.