Is there a way a non-plumber can do something about the plume? Our neighbours haven't complained yet, I don't think I'd blame them if they did but I'd like to pro-active and sort it beforehand. The exhaust pipe is horizontal and has two larger diameter pipes surrounding it (cooling fins??) and the whole thing is covered with a what resembles a deep-fat fryer basket.
Thanks
No. There's plenty you can do as plumber, though. Basically, the plume can be usually be eliminated by using a long vertical flue section up to the roof line. Even if that doesn't eliminate it, the plume will at least then be in a location that isn't a nuisance.
Don't even think about trying to modify the flue outlet yourself. This could result in death (and possibly manslaughter charges).
Christian.
Wouldn't that sequence present certain practical problems?
I didn't specify whose death. It could your family that you kill, rather than yourself.
Christian.
I did so with mine, quite easily, using a chunk of scrap stainless-steel sheet. In my case, the plume also emits horizontally, from an outlet about the size and shape of a can of beans ['A' in the ascii art below]. Using a cardboard template first, I just cut and bent the sheeting into a bracket-like gizmo; this screwed to the wall next to the outlet, at 'D'. The plume now strikes an angled plate at 'B', and diverts upwards; the angle pre-determined to prevent the plume going straight up, or damaging the soffits on my garage directly opposite the outlet.
---------------- /
---- / | / (side view) A| B/
---- /
----------/C
---------------| |D |
---- | | | (top view) A| |B
---- | -----|
Any condensation just runs off the bottom of the gizmo at 'C' and falls to the ground.
This arrangement deliberately doesn't interfere with the flue itself or with the actual emission of the plume; I'm sure that to do so would risk damage or potential danger. But it avoids having to do expensive remedial work on the flue using approved components (and in any case there were none suitable for my application).
hth David
AFAIK all condensing boilers are room sealed (balanced flue) so blocking the flue would pose no significant risk even if it caused the burner to produce significant CO output. Extending such a flue is impractical is it not?
Not necessarily. It really depends on the individual product so one would have to refer to the manufacturer.
There are some where the flue system is/can be implemented using 50mm high temperature plastic waste pipe which can be run to 20m if you want.
Some are concentric and can do the same thing - for example in Germany in multiple occupancy buildings it is common to have a boiler per apartment and to run the concentric flue vertically to the roof from each.
Mine has a choice of either, and I have a concentric system with 125mm outer and 80mm inner. If I wanted to I could extend just the outlet from where it comes out of the wall to take it to a more appropriate position for discharge. It is a moot point because there is very little plume anyway.
I am sure that a lot of the flexibility comes from having the boiler fan assisted.
In most instruction books that I have read where long flues are possible, it does make the point that horizontal runs should slope a little towards the boiler so that any water deposited in the flue returns to the boiler. This could make very long runs inside a bit tricky.
.andy
To email, substitute .nospam with .gl
I seem to recall that some systems allow more unusual routings, provided that intermediate drainage points are provided to collect the condensate, rather than relying on it to travel all the way back to the boiler trap.
Christian.
Thanks for all the input and advice.
I'm impressed that the diagrams worked, it makes sense anyway. I'll consider this if nobdy shoots it down.
Thanks
Well that's a result - I almost didn't bother posting it because I thought it looked incomprehensible! If you want I could email you a jpg which might be clearer? David
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