Position of Boiler Vent

[Terry Fields]

A popular footpath runs from the housing estate here to the main road, which it meets at a right-angle. On one side of the footpath, facing the main road, is a bungalow. About two years ago building work started on it, to provide an extension, and since then more work has been undertaken, It must now be two or three times its original volume.

The (original) wall of the bungalow is about six inches from the garden wall that parallels the footpath. A condensing-boiler vent has appeared in this wall. It is about 6' 6"/2m agl, venting at right angles to the footpath and directly across it. Is this an acceptable arrangement?

I am concerned because the size of the bungalow suggest a large boiler with resultant high volumes of exhaust products. The footpath gets little sunlight, and is cool and damp except at the height of summer. In the winter, water from the boiler combustion products could easily collect in the footpath (which is very sheltered due to high garden walls bordering it) and then freeze. The footpath is neither flat nor level, raising the prospect of an extra hazard for the many people that use it.

Any pointers to the acceptability of this arrangement, and possible courses of action if it proves to otherwise, will be gratefully received.

[David Hansen]

On Fri, 11 Jan 2008 09:28:52 +0000 someone who may be Terry Fields wrote this:-

You could start by checking if any conditions were placed on the planning consent and what was put in by the applicants.

[dg]

No, the OP could start by getting a life.

Boiler flue gasses condensing on a footpath? The more scientific posters could probably correct my assumptions that hot gasses tend to rise, and winter air is already high in humidity.

dg

[Tony Bryer]

Condensing boiler flue gases are not that hot - that's why you can use plastic pipes on some boilers.

[Bovvered?]

Mmmmm, I'm glad you're not my neighbour. I think you need to get out more. IMHO

[Phil L]

Had a fall out with him have you?

1) the BCO would have been involved with all aspects of construction and final inspection. 2) the boiler was almost certainly installed by a CORGI registered plumber 3) see # 1

[David Hansen]

On Fri, 11 Jan 2008 12:49:28 GMT someone who may be Tony Bryer wrote this:-

Indeed. The plumes from a relatively new boiler installation in a church near here produce an amount of water on the pavement, though most of it comes from the condensate drain.

[Bovvered?]

I thought the latest regulations required the condensate to be plumbed to a waste or drain, not just allowed to discharge to the floor??

[Colin Wilson]

I can understand his point though - we live next door to a council house and share an access passageway. We had to have the neighbours' permission to install a flue from a multipoint there ~19 years ago.

What's the height of the flue ?

Does it have any sort of cover to keep people from touching it ?

Does it extend over the boundary onto the public footpath ?

[Tony Bryer]

The condensate must be disposed of properly. Discharging it onto a path (private or public) is likely to case a lethal ice patch if there is a prolonged period of freezing weather. I think that the OP's concern was that on very cold days the moisture in the flue gases would condense and fall to the ground with the same effect (though less liquid).

[Phil L]

6ft6in as mentioned in the op

probably not as it's not mentioned in the op

they normally extend about 100mm and the bungalow stops 150mm short of a garden wall which runs the length of the entry in question, so it's at least

50mm inside his own property, probably along with his gutters and facias/soffits etc

[Ed Sirett]

I have read all of the post so far in this thread.

A flue discharging onto a public area or someone else property almost certainly constitutes a nuisance of some sort.

The condensate drain absolutely should not discharge onto a pathway.

There is a significant chance that drips of condensate will fall on the public footpath which could build up a small glacier.

If the flue is below 2m above a ground level where someone can stand then it needs a guard.

BCOs delegate most matters to do with heating, plumbing, ventilating, electrics etc. to the relevant skilled (and theoretically qualified) installers. Those installers simply notify the authorities that the installation complies (whether it does or not) and the resulting paperwork is added to the BCO bumph.

However the actual risk to anyone using the path is probably minimal.

[fred]

Aside form the footpath issues, I thought there were some quite strict requirements regarding distance from flues to a boundary, this one seems very close. Any comments on this from your knowledge?

[Terry Fields]

A collection of interesting answers, thanks to all who contributed.

For the 'get a life' response, all I'd say is that we suffer in silence our neighbour's vent, 280mm from the common boundary and parallel to it, that in the right wind conditions blows exhaust fumes into our kitchen and bathroom.

For the poster who suggested I 'get out' more, is is precisely that action that revealed this potential problem!

I would have thought that a flue exhausting directly into a public area was unacceptable. The conditions of the footpath are such that flue-borne condensate is likely to collect or 'hang around' there. The plume is also highly likely to impinge on the flank wall of the house opposite.

I've no idea where the condensate drain is, it certainly isn't visible.

The calculation that one poster carried out is correct, the end of the flue is about 50mm from the boundary fence.

The ground that the bungalow is on is slightly lower than the footpath, so it's a moot point as to whether the flue is 2m agl or not.

It doesn't have a guard.

One real concern for the owners is that at night the footpath is a collecting point for youths, who drink beer, smoke, do drugs, and vandalise the garden walls and fences bordering the footpath. If they turn their attention to the flue, the bungalow's occupants could have an interesting time.

[Bovvered?]

It sounds like the youths present a greater risk to people and property than the boiler flue. Maybe you could try to get an ASBO?

Seriously, reading between the lines of your posts this whole neighbour/footbath/flue business is eating you up and affecting your quality of life. I suspect this originally started when your neighbour commenced his extension, did you object to planning permission? Anyway, I had a similar problem with my neighbour's 30 foot high leylandii, there was nothing I could reasonably do about it so I had to make a conscious decision not to let it bother me any more. Result, happier bunny.

To misquote someone:

"give me the strength to change the things I can and to accept things I can't, and give me wisdom to see the difference between them"

[Ed Sirett]

If this wasn't a condensing boiler you would probably be completely unconcerned. The fact that you are (whilst it would not bother me much) means that it does constitute a nuisance.

What do the council say about it? It looks like the only possible issue is the plume.

[David Hansen]

On Fri, 11 Jan 2008 19:13:12 +0000 someone who may be Bovvered? wrote this:-

It is not discharged onto the pavement. Rather it is discharged into a "drain" which runs under the pavement and into the road. However, in winter this "drain" tends to rapidly freeze.

I suspect that the boiler house does not have a proper drain.

[Terry Fields]

Bad form, etc.

Just found this:

"BS 5440-1 It is recommended that the fanned flue terminal Should be positioned as follows: a) At least 2m from an opening in the building directly opposite, and b) so that the products of combustion are not directly directed to discharge across a boundary."

HTH

[Ed Sirett]

They are recommendations not rules. The stuff you need to worry about has the words must, not & shall nearby.

e.g. Where a flueless appliance is installed/operated in a room or internal space, that room or internal space /shall/ be provided with vents which communicate directly with outside air and are sized in accordance with Table 4.