Hi all,

Having just read Stephen's  post about boiler flues I'm getting
worried about the location of mine.

Very poor ASCII art follows, use non-proportional font:

   ________________
   |       |      |
   |       |      |
   |       |      |
   |       |      |
   |_______|______|
   |       |      |
   |       |      |
   |       |      |
   |       |      |
   |_______|______|
          ^
          |
          |
          | 1m
          |
          V
  FLUE -> 0<-->___________
          250mm|         |
               |         |
               |         |
               |         |
               |         |
               |         |
               |         |
               |         |
               |         |


The capital O is the end of the boiler flue. It comes straight out
through the wall from its cupboard. It's almost exactly 1m below the
bathroom window (which I think is OK?). However, it's 250mm from the
top left corner of an external door, which I think might be a problem?
In fact the door is virtually never opened, we use a different door to
get to the garden, and the boiler has been there for several years
with no ill effects.

In fact I've just found this in the installation manual of my boiler's
successor (the Ariston microgenus HE, condensing model, which is what
I'm likely to replace this one with):

TERMINAL POSITION mm
A - Directly below an open window or other opening 300
B - Below gutters, solid pipes or drain pipes 75
C - Below eaves 200
D - From vertical drain pipes and soil pipes 75
E - From internal or external corners 300
F - Above ground on a public walkway or patio 2100
G - From a surface facing a terminal 2500
H - From a terminal facing a terminal 2500
I - Vertically from a terminal in the same wall 1500
J - Horizontally from a terminal in the same wall 300
K - Horizontally from an opening window 300

It doesn't actually mention any rule governing the horizontal position
from a door. The closest is (K) - horizontal distance from a window.
However, presumably windows are different from doors because they are
inclined to be left open for long periods for ventilation, rather than
just used for going in and out.

If the rule is 300mm from a door, I might just about get away with it
if we're talking about the distance to the centre of the flue, rather
then it's outer circumference.

Am I worrying about nothing? Will I get condemned by the gas man? Will
we all be gassed in our beds by boiler fumes? Should I nail the door
up and have done with it?

Cheers!

Martin

On Fri, 15 Aug 2008 06:43:48 -0700, Martin Pentreath wrote:

> Hi all,
> 
> Having just read Stephen's  post about boiler flues I'm getting worried
> about the location of mine.
> 
> Very poor ASCII art follows, use non-proportional font:
> 
>    ________________
>    |       |      |
>    |       |      |
>    |       |      |
>    |       |      |
>    |_______|______|
>    |       |      |
>    |       |      |
>    |       |      |
>    |       |      |
>    |_______|______|
>           ^
>           |
>           |
>           | 1m
>           |
>           V
>   FLUE -> 0<-->___________
>           250mm|         |
>                |         |
>                |         |
>                |         |
>                |         |
>                |         |
>                |         |
>                |         |
>                |         |
> 
> 
> The capital O is the end of the boiler flue. It comes straight out
> through the wall from its cupboard. It's almost exactly 1m below the
> bathroom window (which I think is OK?). However, it's 250mm from the top
> left corner of an external door, which I think might be a problem? In
> fact the door is virtually never opened, we use a different door to get
> to the garden, and the boiler has been there for several years with no
> ill effects.
> 
> In fact I've just found this in the installation manual of my boiler's
> successor (the Ariston microgenus HE, condensing model, which is what
> I'm likely to replace this one with):
> 
> TERMINAL POSITION mm
> A - Directly below an open window or other opening 300 B - Below
> gutters, solid pipes or drain pipes 75 C - Below eaves 200
> D - From vertical drain pipes and soil pipes 75 E - From internal or
> external corners 300 F - Above ground on a public walkway or patio 2100
> G - From a surface facing a terminal 2500 H - From a terminal facing a
> terminal 2500 I - Vertically from a terminal in the same wall 1500 J -
> Horizontally from a terminal in the same wall 300 K - Horizontally from
> an opening window 300
> 
> It doesn't actually mention any rule governing the horizontal position
> from a door. The closest is (K) - horizontal distance from a window.
> However, presumably windows are different from doors because they are
> inclined to be left open for long periods for ventilation, rather than
> just used for going in and out.
> 
> If the rule is 300mm from a door, I might just about get away with it if
> we're talking about the distance to the centre of the flue, rather then
> it's outer circumference.
> 
> Am I worrying about nothing? Will I get condemned by the gas man? Will
> we all be gassed in our beds by boiler fumes? Should I nail the door up
> and have done with it?
> 
> Cheers!
> It appears from the figures you quote that the flue is a modern powered 
flue? It might be a natural draught type if the boiler was a very low 
powered unit. However the 75mm suggest that the flue is modern.


I don't think the 50mm is going to do you or anyone any harm. However if 
you had a very thorough gas safety inspection (because you were going to 
let out your house) then a very thorough gas fitter might just pick this 
up. The solution is likely to be to make the door permanently shut. 




-- 
Ed Sirett - Property maintainer and registered gas fitter.
The FAQ for uk.diy is at http://www.diyfaq.org.uk 
Gas fitting FAQ  http://www.makewrite.demon.co.uk/GasFitting.html
Sealed CH FAQ http://www.makewrite.demon.co.uk/SealedCH.html
Choosing a Boiler FAQ http://www.makewrite.demon.co.uk/BoilerChoice.html

On 15 Aug, 21:29, Ed Sirett  wrote:
> It appears from the figures you quote that the flue is a modern powered
> flue? It might be a natural draught type if the boiler was a very low
> powered unit. However the 75mm suggest that the flue is modern.
>
> I don't think the 50mm is going to do you or anyone any harm. However if
> you had a very thorough gas safety inspection (because you were going to
> let out your house) then a very thorough gas fitter might just pick this
> up. The solution is likely to be to make the door permanently shut.

Thanks Ed, it is a fan-assisted flue on a modern combi (the non-HE
Ariston Microgenus combi). From your post then I guess you're saying
that the rule IS 300mm horizontally from a door despite the Ariston
manual. I'm not likely to be having any gas inspectors round any time
soon. What's niggling me a bit is what happens when the time comes to
replace this boiler. If the new fitter is strict about it it could
cause a lot of upheaval because there's really no leeway to move the
boiler 50mm away from the door - it would have to go somewhere
completely different. Anyway, cross that bridge when we get there.

Cheers!

Martin

On Sat, 16 Aug 2008 02:29:01 -0700, Martin Pentreath wrote:

> On 15 Aug, 21:29, Ed Sirett  wrote:
>> It appears from the figures you quote that the flue is a modern powered
>> flue? It might be a natural draught type if the boiler was a very low
>> powered unit. However the 75mm suggest that the flue is modern.
>>
>> I don't think the 50mm is going to do you or anyone any harm. However
>> if you had a very thorough gas safety inspection (because you were
>> going to let out your house) then a very thorough gas fitter might just
>> pick this up. The solution is likely to be to make the door permanently
>> shut.
> 
> Thanks Ed, it is a fan-assisted flue on a modern combi (the non-HE
> Ariston Microgenus combi). From your post then I guess you're saying
> that the rule IS 300mm horizontally from a door despite the Ariston
> manual. I'm not likely to be having any gas inspectors round any time
> soon. What's niggling me a bit is what happens when the time comes to
> replace this boiler. If the new fitter is strict about it it could cause
> a lot of upheaval because there's really no leeway to move the boiler
> 50mm away from the door - it would have to go somewhere completely
> different. Anyway, cross that bridge when we get there.
> 
> Cheers!
> 
> Martin



You would simply choose a model which complied with the circumstances. 
Often there are multiple compromises and choices to be made on a proposed 
boiler location. 






-- 
Ed Sirett - Property maintainer and registered gas fitter.
The FAQ for uk.diy is at http://www.diyfaq.org.uk 
Gas fitting FAQ  http://www.makewrite.demon.co.uk/GasFitting.html
Sealed CH FAQ http://www.makewrite.demon.co.uk/SealedCH.html
Choosing a Boiler FAQ http://www.makewrite.demon.co.uk/BoilerChoice.html