Neighbor's boiler / flue waste gases enter my flat

Chanterelles

Hello, please advise, I don't know what to do. 

I live in a block of flats on the first floor. My downstairs neighbour had his boiler replaced and the flue now comes out of the perimeter of the balcony, as is legally required. Original boilers, when this block was built, had a short flue which is now illegal. All good so far for him. But the problem is that now all the gases are blown into my flat if I open the window or balcony door. The kitchen window is perpendicular to the living room wall and windows and the flue is parallel, like in the attached image. The now longer flue at the top left corner comes out of the balcony perimeter and ends where my living room window starts and opens. All the smoke is blown to my window to the right and onto my balcony. Old boiler did not have such 'smoke' nor smell. I do not understand how is it legally acceptable for the 'smoke' to come into neighbour’s house. 
My neighbour is also a smoker and all the smoke comes up into my space. 

On the day when the boiler was being installed, I raised this with the installer. The neighbour was not to be seen or heard. The installer was rude, making unprofessional comments, threatening me and ignoring what I was asking. It hurt because I am an emotional woman and speak with an accent.
I am not happy with this situation but all the same do not know what to do since apparently this is legally installed correctly by a British Gas engineer/installer but at the same time blowing the waste into my window. After the incident, I am also reluctant to try and speak to the neighbour because 1. do not want him to understand me wrongly, and 2. he could be just as rude to me, protecting himself. No friendly neighbours around here. 
If the boiler is on, which is most of the time these days, I can also sense an unpleasant odour. 

I was thinking to put a note to the neighbours post box to explain the situation, but it may not help as I do not have the solution so may be just ignored. Anyone can say the boiler and flue are installed legally and that's that. What do you think, is there a solution? Or should I just keep my windows shut? - I need fresh air! On the other side of the block is a busy road so cannot keep those windows open. I called a gas safe engineer, but they are not available until late April. I can call the housing association administrator because they approved extended flue on the wall but not sure what they can do now. 
Is there, legally, anything out there to help me? Thank you

missile

There should not be any toxic fumes from a new properly installed boiler and "smoke" is most likely water vapour.
If you think you can smell gas, leave the house and phone the National Gas Emergencies number immediately on 0800 111 999. 

Chanterelles

@missile, it is not gas smell, it’s more like a very faint car exhaust sort of smell. And as I understand, boiler exhaust is toxic because it contains carbon monoxide, right? That’s why it has to be going away from the windows. 

Anunnaki

Some info below. You can google for more?

Distance from windows and doors

A boiler flue should not be placed close to any part of your home that can open, such as windows or doors. These boiler flue distance regulations help to ensure that harmful gases are fully expelled from your property. The exact distance will depend on the size of your home but, generally, the regulations prevent a boiler flue from being situated within 30-60cm of a window or door. This is to prevent harmful gases from exiting the flue and then re-entering the property through an open door or window.

I would voice my concerns to neighbour re fumes entering your property, it may be a simple case of extending flue away from opening windows?

Jeepers_Creepers

Hi Chanterelles.

In your diagram, whose kitchen window is that? And whose balcony? (The living room, I presume, is yours?)

I'm just wondering if they've 'trespassed' at all?

From what you say, chances are that the flue has been installed 'correctly' - ie to the required regs. But that doesn't mean it is acceptable, and I would say that in this case it simply isn't - it's an environmental nuisance.

So, whilst there's almost certainly no 'risk' to your health, it still smells and spoils your rightful enjoyment of your own home.

Is there a solution? Almost certainly a very cheap and simple one - a 'plume kit' which can divert the exhaust upwards to a point where it vents above your window.

How to tackle this problem? Not sure, but considering the BG engineer's unhelpful (and possibly racist?) manner, I wouldn't blame you if you went straight to your local council's Environmental Health department, and also to the GasSafe ombudsman.

However, it would be 'best' to first give your neighb a chance to address it. Do this in a note if you prefer. Make it clear, tho', you don't at all 'blame' your neighb, but you consider it a thoughtless installation by the BG engineer. The emitted fumes are deeply unpleasant, tho',  and spoil your enjoyment of your home. You understand there is a cheap and simple solution - a thin pipe (the size of the small nozzle in the middle of the flue) that will divert the fumes upwards - and you are asking them, please, to address this.

If they don't reply, or reply dismissively, then you escalate this to E-Health. When contacting the EH dept, please try and keep as simple and factual and unemotive as you can. Just stick to the facts - new flue installation is allowing the strong=smelling exhaust gas to blow directly into my home via windows and door. Also tell them you spoke to the BG engineer at the time about your concerns with the flue being so close but he was unhelpful, dismissive and actually very unpleasant to deal with.

Going back to that balcony - is it yours, shared, what? Where is your balcony door? Whose kitchen window is that?

Please let us know how you get on.

Chanterelles

Hi Jeepers, thank you for your straight forward and helpful thoughts. I am definitely thinking I should put it to my neighbour in a note. 

The layout of the flats is the same, he is in the same position on ground floor, same living room and kitchen as my flat right above, on first floor. There is also the balcony door on the right had of the balcony going into living room. His flue runs on the left wall of the balcony, just beneath my balcony. There may be some 30-40 cm between the flue level and the floor of my open balcony. The balcony width is about 1.5 meters. Diagonally from the flue to the bottom of my living room window looks like 2 meters and a bit. That’s why I say possibly it all seems within legal requirements. 

The block is 5 storeys high so the extension would have to go all the way to the roof?

TELLIT01

Maybe speak to your local council Environmental Health department?  They are likely to be the ones with detailed knowledge of all the rules and regulations.  I would do that rather than speak to the neighbour.  If the flue has been wrongly installed it isn't their fault, but needs to be put right.

Jeepers_Creepers

Ah, I see Chant - that flue is below you?

Staggeringly thoughtless by the installer! As if you wouldn't be bathed by the fumes when sitting out in your balcony at least! Lawdie.

The wall to the left of that flue - what room is that? Is there a window on it or is it blank wall? I don't know how far a plume pipe can go, but it would just need positioning so it no longer caused you a nuisance. If that's a blank wall, it could be 'cranked' sideways along there, for example, tho' that's now coming on to your wall!

I am staggered that the BG guy thought this would be ok. I think a vociferous complaint to them too - including the manner with which you were addressed - the rude comments, etc.

Chanterelles

picture from my window. Around the corner from the flue are still flats. 

Chanterelles

I am working up my energy and courage to write to my neighbour and to the housing association who approved this pipe on the wall. And call the environment people too hopefully tomorrow. 

Thank you for your views so far. Will keep you posted. 

Chanterelles

And am thinking everyone in this column of flats should agree to extend the flues and connect to something that takes the discharges up to the roof if this is what needs to be done to avoid further issues. ?