Flue siting

[PM]

Where the regs specify flue terminal siting, is this purely for reasons of the exhaust gases and pluming? Any reason why the intake can't be in one of the specified areas?

[dom]

The regulations.

Heat producing appliances:

[John Stumbles]

Generally yes and no, respectively, but the manufacturer's instructions will give you the definitive rules for your appliance and will override the standards (although the regulations say that manufacturers cannot waive certain clearances).

I'm puzzled why you ask. Do you have a boiler (or other appliance) with separate flue and air intake ducts (such as the flexible fluing options for many condensing boilers)? If so the manufacturer's instructions will show permissible locations for their terminations. Or are you just contemplating buying such an appliance and don't have the manual?

[Guy King]

The message from John Stumbles contains these words:

Siting the inlet away from the exhaust could be fraught with problems on windy days. The variation in pressure from across a wall can be quite considerable.

[PM]

Worcester Bosch flues can have a plume management attachment which pipes the exhaust away but leaves the inlet alone. The literature on the web site shows the standard distances but does not explain what to do when using the plume management.

[Andrew Gabriel]

IIRC from the Keston manual, they do allow the inlet and outlet to be quite separate, but not on opposite sides of a building. Can't recall the exact wording however.

[Ed Sirett]

The manufacturers permit this provided the terminal are not on opposite sides of the buildings. The combustion fan is reasonably powerful compared with anything less than the strongest storms.

[Guy King]

The message from Ed Sirett contains these words:

I was just remembering the way the carpet used to lift on windy days in our old house in Hounslow. Why that place had a gas fire in the livingroom I'll never know - it didn't make any difference, you could see the flames being sucked up the flue and the radiants going dark when the gusts came.

[Andy Hall]

That was the low flying aircraft.

How did you clean the tyre marks off of the roof? ;-)

[Guy King]

The message from Andy Hall contains these words:

The worst was the fine drizzle of unburnt fuel. Played hell with windscreen wipers - they lasted only six weeks at some times.

[Frank Erskine]

I read that as:- "... when the guests came."

[PM]

So how does this fit in with the building regs? Is it just the exhaust that needs to be x mm away from windows etc?

[Andrew Gabriel]

AFAIK, yes.

[PM]

Thanks Andrew.

[Ed Sirett]

I studied for my gas exams at a college in Houndslow. The building was directly under the flight path on some days. When they were the downdraught on some conventional flues was truly astounding. Especially if you had been busy using smoke matches or pellets to test the flue. The place would get filled with smoke.

[Guy King]

The message from Ed Sirett contains these words:

Ah. Did you ever see the film of tiles lifting in the vortex? They flutter alarmingly.