Neighbours Condensing Boiler Flue

tinshed

The builder whom owns the property which he is about to let out once he has completed knocking seven bells out of it, has installed a new Condensing Boiler.

The problem I have, is that when its fired up it emits large plumes of mist (Should only be water vapour? or is it a mixture of other substances?) towards my properties Bathroom (my extension) and my back-door (my extension) and can also hit my Sons Bedroom window (main house) and the Kitchen window (main house).
Both properties are Terrace Housing with single floor extensions built with a dividing outside wall.

The other problem i face is that you basically get a load of this mist? in the face if you go outside into my back-yard, not to mention that hanging any washing out (obv. when the weather is better) is a no-no when this boiler is on.

Legally, was he obliged to ensure that this boiler doesn't interfere nor cause a nuisance to neighbouring properties? The flue pipe is approx 1.5m from the divining outside wall.
Is their anything I can do other than speak to him. The guy has been a pain in the bum since he purchased and we have had to put up with him since the week of Xmas.

daveyjp

If it is causing a problem you could ask him to install a vertical flue extension kit.

MisterBaxter

There are a whole range of regulations around the installation of gas appliances and their associated flues but they are generally safety related and wouldn't necessarily cover nuisance type issues such as the one you are describing. If the boiler has been installed by a Gas Safe registered installer it should comply with the relevant regulations.

You could try discussing your concerns with your neighbour (I note that you don't really want to because of past issues) but any additional flue kit or alteration to the flue is going to cost and if they aren't failing to meet their regulatory requirements they may not be too receptive to the idea of spending money on the alterations.

Ultimately if you could show that the flue was causing damage to your property or was causing undue disturbance or nuisance there is the civil courts route but you would need a fairly solid case.

If you happen to know a Gas Safe registered installer you could ask them to take a quick look at the flueing arrangements for you just to check that there are no obvious regulatory breaches; if you don't know what make/model of boiler has been fitted then you won't have full details of the flueing arrangements.

Ruski

Fig 4d might be of interest to you.

http://www.installeronline.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/Terminal-problems.pdf

HTH

Rus

tinshed

Spoke to him last night and pointed out the problem it was causing by blowing into our windows/door not to mention when we get to eventually hang the washing out.

He said it conformed to Gas Safe Regs as he had used a registered Gas Safe Fitter. I mentioned the content of vapour being dispersed, he said "oh don't worry that's just water, its an A grade Boiler" i said are you sure there is no Carbon Dioxide/Monoxide in the mix. He now wasn't sure.

So I asked him if he could attach something to the flue pipe, maybe upwards pointing away from our direction. He wasn't very receptive to that idea.
I wont hold my breath on this one.

British Gas are coming on Friday (if they turn up and don't cancel) to service my Combi Boiler. I will ask his opinion, though I don't know the make/model of his boiler.

I have also took some video of it wafting across our property. Next stop Enviro Health for further advice.
If he put a Plume Management Kit on id leave it him alone, now he's just got me riled up and I won't rest now till i have taken this as far as I can. All be it, if it ends up in court.

Silver-Surfer_2

Did you look at figure 4 on the link Ruski posted? If so does it comply with that? If it does you may have to give up if he's not going to do anything by way of goodwill. Is wind a factor in the way the exhaust travels?

MisterBaxter

tinshed wrote: »

.......................
I have also took some video of it wafting across our property. Next stop Enviro Health for further advice.
If he put a Plume Management Kit on id leave it him alone, now he's just got me riled up and I won't rest now till i have taken this as far as I can. All be it, if it ends up in court.

Boiler flues discharging are a common sight everywhere you go and the scenario you describe is not unusual on runs of terraced housing where plumes of flue discharge waft across the back of a run of properties.

Unless the flue contravenes regulations it is unlikely that you will get very far with any legal action. By all means get the opinion of a gas fitter in relation to the actual regulations but sometimes, as much as it upsets you, there comes the time to be pragmatic. You could spend a lot of time, money and effort, cause stress and upset to ultimately achieve very little. I wouldn't hold out too much hope of seeing any help from Environmental Health either.

Silver-Surfer_2

Looking at the link, if I'm understanding the problem correctly the flue is 1500mm away from the boundary and it only needs to be 300mm. Annoying as it maybe I don't think there's anything to be gained from pursuing this further.

Mojisola

tinshed wrote: »

The problem I have, is that when its fired up it emits large plumes of mist (Should only be water vapour? or is it a mixture of other substances?) towards my properties Bathroom (my extension) and my back-door (my extension) and can also hit my Sons Bedroom window (main house) and the Kitchen window (main house).
Both properties are Terrace Housing with single floor extensions built with a dividing outside wall.

The other problem i face is that you basically get a load of this mist? in the face if you go outside into my back-yard, not to mention that hanging any washing out (obv. when the weather is better) is a no-no when this boiler is on.

I can't picture exactly the set-up but could you put up something on the boundary that would stop the mist coming onto your property?

jennifernil

The guidance linked to states........

An appliance fanned flue terminal needs to be at least 2m from any opening
in a building, which is directly opposite, and should not discharge products
of combustion across adjoining boundaries.

It doesn't sound to me like that is being complied with.

It must be a ferocious discharge to go so far!

Plume extension kits are not that expensive, seems unreasonable to create a nuisance by not fitting one.

Silver-Surfer_2

jennifernil wrote: »

The guidance linked to states........

An appliance fanned flue terminal needs to be at least 2m from any opening
in a building, which is directly opposite, and should not discharge products
of combustion across adjoining boundaries.

It doesn't sound to me like that is being complied with.

It must be a ferocious discharge to go so far!

Plume extension kits are not that expensive, seems unreasonable to create a nuisance by not fitting one.

Why not?
You don't know if it's a fanned flue.
Which way it is facing, it maybe on his rear wall.
If it is facing the ops property then have they built within 500mm of the boundary?

For some reason they appear not to want to confirm any of this.