Hello, I can see from some general searches on Google that there are regulations about this but find the overall package of 'guidance' quite confusing.
Is it possible that someone with experience of the regulations/guidelines could indicate what requirements exist for the outlet of a gas condensing boiler which is about a metre above ground. In particular, I'm interested in how far it should be from the property boundary and if this is a regulation or a guideline. If the latter are there exceptions?
Do you mean the flue, condensate drain or the pressure relief pipe?
Either way IIRC, it only has to be on your side of the boundary.
But if the flue gas causes a nuisance to next door then it could be classed as a trespass, or Statutory Nuisance. Condensate should go into a proper drain, and relief pipe turned back to spray any hot water back against the wall.
Courtesy of our resident gas fitter Ed Sirett's site:
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5440 Part 1.
600 mm from any surface, structure, fence or boundary facing the terminal but note also:
1200 mm from another terminal facing directly opposite
I'm in this situation presently - the neighbours' fan-assisted flue blows smelly exhaust into my backyard, entering the kitchen, dining room and/or bedroom depending on which doors/windows are open and on the prevailing wind. Boiler was fitted by plumbers employed by the previous owner a year or so back, and the new owners aren't rich so I wouldn't like to land them with a large bill. Is there a 'nice' way to deal with this, other than slapping up a section of fence to break the flow? I think the flue may contravene some of the regs stated at
If talking to them does not help, then your only redress is via a civil action or getting the local council EHO involved. The latter may be better and at no cost to you.
Do the neighbours know of your concerns?
It is not possible to contravene a British Standard, as these are guidance only and are only one method. And unless your neighbour invites a suitably qualified person into his house and this person then condems the installation on safety grounds, then no one else can get involved.
What about the case of a terraced house, with a flue emerging from the back wall? Because it wouldn't be 'facing' the boundary with next door, does that mean the flue could emerge almost directly above the boundary line (ie, but just within your own property? The nuisance value to next door from that would be a lot worse than from a flue positioned 600mm away, facing the boundary.
Thanks, dg. I haven't discussed it with the neighbours but, to be honest, I wouldn't want to make them get a plumber in to move the outlet - there isn't really an obvious alternative location without completely resiting the boiler. I wondered if there was any kind of deflector/bend/anything which could be fitted to the flue to prevent the fan from blowing the exhaust into my yard quite so vigorously. The same outlet was never a problem when it was an old-style naturally-aspirated flue.
I could put up a fairly small perspex screen at the boundary to deflect the flow, but it seems rather cumbersome. Any other suggestions anyone?
Depending on the boiler, there may be a couple of options:
- Some boilers can have a flue type consisting of a pair of 50mm mUPVC plastic pipes (like plastic waste pipe) which can be routed separately if necessary and over several metres (20 in some cases). This could enable the flue to be routed to a different part of the building without moving the boiler. The inlet often doesn't have to be in the same place as the outlet.
Here's an example of a boiler that has this. Quite a number of other manufacturers do this as an option.
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For boilers with concentric flue, the manufacturer may make additional components that would allow the flue to be run up the wall slightly and/or to direct the plume up at an angle.
For example, look at
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and navigate to their product documentation for installers. As an illustration, there is the flue info for the 30CDi which shows a whole variety of fittings and installations that are possible.
I would ask the neighbour what the make and model of the boiler is and then perhaps you can work with the installer to come up with a solution.
I wouldn't put anything like a deflector close to the flue because this is not an approved method normally and could have adverse and dangerous effects on the flue behaviour
Thanks Andy, this could be what I'm after. Now I just have to find the right opportunity to talk to the neighbours about it. They are not very friendly at all -not specifically unfriendly, and certainly not unpleasant, but they always seem a bit phased by the concept of speaking to one's neighbours. Even a 'hello' over the fence yields a look of suprise, and sometimes even meets silence. Before you ask, I don't play a lot of loud music, rev the car/bike late at night etc, they just aren't friendly types.
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