smoke from neighbours flue...help

kev1744

hi all,
hope someone can help.
i live in a semi detached property and get on well with the neighbours.
the neighbour has a conservatory and has just had a solid wood burner fitted in the conservatory with a flue pipe coming out the wall and going up about 12 foot in the air.
the problem i have is the smoke from this fire now blows directly into my bedroom and my house is full of smoke!.
i contacted the council and they say there are no building regs to control this.
is there anything i can do?

ormus

close your windows in winter?

aliasojo

kev1744 wrote: »

i live in a semi detached property and get on well with the neighbours.

..is there anything i can do?

Yes...go and talk to them. They will have no clue this is happening, so tell them and ask them to change the flue in some way to stop this. If you get on well they will probably be happy to help resolve this situation.

kev1744

thanks closing windows great idea ...why didnt i think of that.
i have spoke to them but they say theres no other way to vent the fire.
at the moment my room is full of smoke. the smoke alarms have been set off.
not happy at all

aliasojo

Have you had them round to see the smoke in your house? Perhaps they don't understand the level of intrusion?

Could they perhaps extend the flue further so that it goes past the level at which it discharges presently?

olias

Whoever you spoke to at the council is a numpty! There are building regulations relating to the sighting and height etc of stove flue pipes. I can't just find a link at the moment, but do a bit of googling and you should find the relevant information.

It may be, however, that your neighbour has complied with regs, you need to check whether that is the case before going any further.

Olias

Jackinbox99

I have a similar problem in my new house, although not as bad as yours sounds. Both neighbours each side have these new "fashionable" wood burners in their living rooms with flues going up the side of their house to normal chimney level. They both seem to have a peaked cap on the top of them, so the smoke seems to be directed downwards, rather than go up in the air like traditional chimneys do. Therefore, whichever way the wind blows, all I can smell is the stink of wood burners. Whilst i keep windows / doors closed the smell still manages to work its way into my house and i certainly cant go outside without my clothes stinking of smoke.

Only prob is, is im the new one in the street and these people have had their wood burners for about 6 years or so now so im not convinced they would be receptive to changing or altering them.

Ionkontrol

Jackinbox99 wrote: »

Only prob is, is im the new one in the street and these people have had their wood burners for about 6 years or so now so im not convinced they would be receptive to changing or altering them.

If they are following the relevant regulations, there is sod all you can do about it I'm afraid, it's a bit like complaining about BBQs.

olias

Jackinbox99 wrote: »

Both neighbours each side have these new "fashionable" wood burners

:rotfl::rotfl::rotfl:

I think you'll find that people have been burning wood for heat for millenia, and wood burning stoves have been around for hundreds of years.

Olias

Swipe

If there's smoke coming out of their flue they do not know how to burn properly. They are probably burning wet unseasoned wood. When a stove is burning efficiently there should be little or no smoke coming from the flue (although it will still smell)

muckybutt

Chimneys and their construction come under Part J Building regs
http://www.planningportal.gov.uk/uploads/br/BR_PDF_ADJ_2002.pdf

Pages 25 section 2.10

Flue Outlets should be above roof top in a position where products of combustion can discharge freely....or words to that effect.

Get building control in !

Also page 23 section 1.51 Flues discharging at low levels near boundaries