Anyone know about gas boiler flues/venting.

March51 · May 2012

Trying this to save me wading through all the Google stuff.

We've had a new gas boiler fitted today and we now have a (small diamater) pipe over 2' long on the external wall: it vents upwards and resembles a periscope! This is in place of the old 'horizontal' vent . The engineer says this is to meet the current regs but it looks bloody awful! anyone else had a boiler fitted recently?

Dansk_Red · May 2012

What make of boiler is it?

March51 · May 2012

It's a 'Worcester Greenstar Ri' (Bosch Group): A wall hung RSF gas fired condensing boiler. Hope that helps.

Sparrows Lane Lion · May 2012

Be on the Gas Safe website I'd imagine, but yes, from what I know it all new boilers have to be vented upwards - minimum distances from windows, neighbours etc.

He wouldn't have installed it like that if he could get away with just running the flue through the wall.

fastforward · May 2012

the fitter should have left the fitting manual and fitting instructions. fluing can be problematic depending on where the boiler is situated i.e. facing a wall. all the diagrams should be in the fitting instructions.

Valiantphil · May 2012

They can't fit them in a way that the discharge might hit someone in the face - even if they are fitted fairly high up, so you have an additional upright to take the flow into the sky instead of blasting Peter Crouch in the face as he passes.

March51 · May 2012

Thanks chaps. The manual shows a pipe running through the wall then with a 'plume deflector' on the extermal wall end. This has a nozzle on it which can be rotated. It doesn't show the additional upright pipe which, as you suggest, must be there for the discharge to be lifted to a certain height.

Baldybonce · May 2012

My downstairs nieghbour has one exactly the same, looks a bit odd but is perfectly legal.

March51 · May 2012

Thanks mate. Done a bit of reading since asking about this and it seems this arrangement is an essential part of the new condensing boiler system and its flue height is governed by factors such as nearby opening windows etc. Does look odd though.

guinnessaddick · May 2012

My downstairs nieghbour has one exactly the same, looks a bit odd but is perfectly legal.

So the fumes are send in your direction?

Addickted · May 2012

It's not the flue - generally a powered one for a room sealed boiler like the Worcester.

It will be the condensate pipe. When the boiler runs in condensing mode (generally when it's below freezing) it uses the pre heated flue gases to make the boiler more efficient, but the condensate has to be removed via this pipe.. It works a bit like the condensing pipe on your car's A/C unit.

Baldybonce · May 2012

My downstairs nieghbour has one exactly the same, looks a bit odd but is perfectly legal.

So the fumes are send in your direction?

sort of, but the pipe is still a long way from my windows and further than the legal requirement.

johnny73 · May 2012

We have a worcester bosch combi 25si. Venting sounds about right. Only issue we've had are some of the internal parts are plastic and prone to wear and tear.

March51 · May 2012

Thanks again, fellas: looks like we have to have the 'periscope'. We've moved into a small development where the residents are very sensitive over the appearance of the houses. Ours will be the only one with one of these on the front elevation (because of the position of the boiler which we couldn't change) and I'm expecting a lynch mob any time now. :-)