Living in student halls - fumes from boiler flue come into room when window open

superman909

Hi there I am only 19 and live in student accommodation and I have recently noticed when the boiler has been on constantly due to cold temps, there is gas/steam coming through my window when I open it. This flue is from the flat below me, but what is more annoying is the noise which comes from our boiler, souns a bit like a hair dryer,( annoying) with the flue located above my window so the steam doesn't come through into my room so in all two boilers are causing me problems- noise from ours and steam from flat below. is there anything I come to the to solve this problem I have to let the university accommodation central services know about this and I'm just wondering if this is potentially harmful to my health? I apologize for any spelling mistakes I am writing this off of my phone

pimento

Sixty odd views and no replies, eh?

You can get carbon monoxide detectors fairly cheaply, so I would buy one and put it near the window in your room just in case there's a problem. Then I would contact the student services people for your halls (who you would call if there's a problem with your room) and ask them to re-assure you that there isn't a problem with the boiler flue.

Keep your window closed while you're sleeping until you've spoken to student services. Better safe than sorry. I'd be surprised if there was a problem if they are purpose built student halls though.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/NEW-Kidde-Carbon-Monoxide-CO-Detector-battery-operated-/250941334510?pt=UK_Safety_Alarms&hash=item3a6d44e3ee

thegirlintheattic

The steam is likely to be mainly just that - steam. You are noticing it because the boiler is on more and it's colder outside. The proportion of CO in it is likely to be small and will be diluted by the air outside, so it is unlikely to pose any hazard to you, even with your window open. If you are worried, as pimento said, you can get a cheap CO detector - which IMHO should be a must for any house anyway.

The noise is most likely normal and again your noticing it because the boiler is on more.

I would keep on at whoever does maintenance or manages the accommodation and get them to check it all out just to put your mind at rest.

SYNERGY

superman909 wrote: »

Hi there I am only 19 and live in student accommodation and I have recently noticed when the boiler has been on constantly due to cold temps, there is gas/steam coming through my window when I open it. This flue is from the flat below me, but what is more annoying is the noise which comes from our boiler, souns a bit like a hair dryer,( annoying) with the flue located above my window so the steam doesn't come through into my room so in all two boilers are causing me problems- noise from ours and steam from flat below. is there anything I come to the to solve this problem I have to let the university accommodation central services know about this and I'm just wondering if this is potentially harmful to my health? I apologize for any spelling mistakes I am writing this off of my phone

..............................................................................................

The noise from your boiler could be possibly worn or dry fan bearings, worn pump, flame lift off at the burner and several other causes. I wouldn't expect lift off in such as your property due to the fact the boiler should be serviced annually, however things do go wrong between services. Contact the accommodation services to get it checked.

There should not be any boiler combustion products whatsoever entering your flat. End of story.

It would be advisable to have a word with other residents to see if they also have the same problem.

Either way you do need to raise the matter of combustion products, it's not only steam :eek: , with the accommodation services manager.

Below are the specifications for the positioning of boiler flues.

The bold and underlined are the more pertinent points.

As noted in (a), (b) and (c) although the flues may comply with the regulations , A1, B1, C1, regarding to being sited within the recommended distances / areas, if the combustion products will cause a nuisance the flue should be either re-sited, or a diverter fitted if possible.

......................................................................................................

General position

1. The terminal must not cause an obstruction (a) nor the discharge cause a nuisance.

Particular care should be exercised with regards to (b) the
pluming of the flue gases and any increase in noise levels.

2. If a terminal is fitted less than 2 metres above a surface to
which people have access, then a guard must be fitted.
The terminal guard must be securely fixed to the wall using
suitable plugs and corrosion resistance screws. The guard must
be symmetrically positioned about the terminal assembly and
The flue system must be installed and terminated in accordance with
the recommendations of BS 5440:Part 1.

Terminal Position Min Distance.

A1 Directly below an opening, air brick, opening windows etc. 300mm
B1 Above an opening, air brick, opening window etc. 300mm
C1 Horizontally to an opening, air brick, opening window etc. 300mm
D Below gutters, soil pipes or drain pipes 75mm
E Below eaves 200mm
F Below balconies or car port roof (lowest point) 200mm
G From a vertical drain pipe or soil pipe 150mm
H From an internal or external corner 300mm
I Above ground, roof or balcony 300mm
J From a surface facing the terminal 600mm
K From a terminal facing the terminal 1200mm
L From an opening in the car port not
(e.g. door, window) into the dwelling recommended
M Vertically from a terminal on the same wall 1,500mm
N Horizontally from a terminal on the same wall 300mm
P From a vertical structure on the roof *
Q Above intersection with roof *
1 In addition, the terminal should not be nearer than 150 mm (fanned draught) to an opening in the
building fabric formed for the purpose of accommodating a built-in element such as a window frame.
* See instructions supplied with vertical flue kits
spaced such that there is a gap of 50mm between the end of the
terminal and the guard.
(c) 3. In certain weather conditions, a white plume of condensation will
be emitted from the flue terminal and siting where this could be a
nuisance, i.e. near security lighting, should be avoided.
4. The air inlet/outlet duct and the terminal of the boiler must not be
closer than 25mm to any combustible material. Detailed
recommendations on protection of combustible materials are given
in BS 5440:1.

SYNERGY

thegirlintheattic wrote: »

You are noticing it because the boiler is on more and it's colder outside. The proportion of CO in it is likely to be small and will be diluted by the air outside, so it is unlikely to pose any hazard to you, even with your window open. If you are worried, as pimento said, you can get a cheap CO detector - which IMHO should be a must for any house anyway.

The noise is most likely normal and again your noticing it because the boiler is on more.

I would keep on at whoever does maintenance or manages the accommodation and get them to check it all out just to put your mind at rest.

The steam is likely to be mainly just that - steam.

Not quite, the ' steam ' isn't like that from a boiling kettle, it is acidic containing nitric and sulphuric acid !

It also contains CO and CO2.

thegirlintheattic

SYNERGY wrote: »

The steam is likely to be mainly just that - steam.

Not quite, the ' steam ' isn't like that from a boiling kettle, it is acidic containing nitric and sulphuric acid !

It also contains CO and CO2.

I was simplifying it and trying not to scare the OP for nothing. My point still stands, any dangerous gases from the steam will be diluted in the outside air before reaching the OP's room through the window - assuming that the flue has be sited properly on the outside of the building, which is almost a given in this type of property.

The acid in the condensate from a condensing boiler has a pH of about 4 - no more dangerous than citric acid. Coco-cola actually has a lower pH. It is not going to do any damage to the OP in this situation. CO and CO2 will both be diluted in the air and dispersed by wind so, unless the flue is incorrectly sited, neither is likely to pose a risk to the OP by the time it enters her room - a precautionary CO alarm could be purchased and is a good idea in any home but CO and CO2 are not a cause for panic in this scenario.

OP should report the concerns, as they have done, to the accommodation office who will probably send someone over to make sure everything is ok and set the OP's mind at ease.

superman909

thegirlintheattic wrote: »

I was simplifying it and trying not to scare the OP for nothing. My point still stands, any dangerous gases from the steam will be diluted in the outside air before reaching the OP's room through the window - assuming that the flue has be sited properly on the outside of the building, which is almost a given in this type of property.

The acid in the condensate from a condensing boiler has a pH of about 4 - no more dangerous than citric acid. Coco-cola actually has a lower pH. It is not going to do any damage to the OP in this situation. CO and CO2 will both be diluted in the air and dispersed by wind so, unless the flue is incorrectly sited, neither is likely to pose a risk to the OP by the time it enters her room - a precautionary CO alarm could be purchased and is a good idea in any home but CO and CO2 are not a cause for panic in this scenario.

OP should report the concerns, as they have done, to the accommodation office who will probably send someone over to make sure everything is ok and set the OP's mind at ease.

Thanks for the reply guys, so maybe i isn't as bad as I thought after saying about the gases being so diluted etc. But I have smelled some gas in the pas, maybe like a gas BBQ smell or something - smelled this maybe no more than a dozen occasions since I arrived in September. Is this also normal, would these gases be harmful, if I can smell it, then surely it isn't as diluted as it should be?

Also, you say about the nitric and sulphur oxides, which is what worries me a bit - am I at some risk - more so that another student who lives away from the boiler? Seems a bit unfair that I have to put up with this, and it is the noise which is my mian issue - I can't concentrate on my work because of it, and also struggle to get to sleep so have to wear earplugs, which don't completely block it out I'm actually typing this from the library (at after 11pm), that's how annoying it is.

superman909

Also, I have noticed one of these flues, the one below me which is causing the steam issue, does not have a guard fitted like it should. What is the actual purpose of the guard? Based on SYNERGY's post, I know it should have a guard fitted as it is like 2 m or less from where someone has access, and all the others are fitted with guards. Is this a major issue?

bengasman

superman909 wrote: »

Hi there I am only 19 and live in student accommodation and I have recently noticed when the boiler has been on constantly due to cold temps, there is gas/steam coming through my window when I open it. This flue is from the flat below me...

Only one correct answer to that one: call 0800 408 5500 ASAP, and request an immediate safety inspection. If the boiler emitting the fumes is not set correctly, the CO levels can easily be dozens of times higher than acceptable. Somebody died a few months ago under the exact same circumstances.

superman909

bengasman wrote: »

Only one correct answer to that one: call 0800 408 5500 ASAP, and request an immediate safety inspection. If the boiler emitting the fumes is not set correctly, the CO levels can easily be dozens of times higher than acceptable. Somebody died a few months ago under the exact same circumstances.

Is there a free service for checks such as this?