Condensing Boiler Chimney

Fey!

I got a condensing boiler installed before Christmas. Unfortunately it is located just outside my back door, below a bedroom window.

This means that we can't leave the door or window open while the boiler is on due to the amount of steam it produces and the smell from it.

Our plumber finally gave us a price this week to fit a chimney. It is €576 for the parts, and €160 for the labour.

He said that the parts are pricey, and showed me the catalogue from the supplier with the prices of the parts handwritten in. The supplier doesn't stock the parts, and apparently it has taken this long to source the parts.

They say that they've never encountered this problem before.

The house is a standard 2 storey semi-detached, built in 1970. I want the chimney going slightly above gutter level so that it comes out over the upstairs windows, and so that it also stops annoying the neighbours, as the boiler is located against the boundary wall, so it's affecting their windows too (the neighbour has been VERY patient about this).

Does this sound right, and am I getting screwed on the price?

Thanks.

D.

heinbloed

The price depends on several things. You neither gave a material specification in your question nor the wage or the total amount of material.

You seem to have been "screwed" in the first place, the positioning of the boiler. And this guarantees plenty more jobs to the plumber. For example new pipes and a new boiler in case the electricity fails in winter, risk of freezing.
The freezing of the condensate pipe is guaranteed , an illegal installation. Read the manual.
And plenty of running hours to avoid freezing means a shorter lifetime to the boiler. And a higher energy bill anyhow, every boiler is a radiator in itself.

Get a heating engineer in.

A condensing boiler doesn't smell. If it does there is something wrong with it.

Alex M

assuming your on gas - check in the boilers manufacturers instructions (supplied with boiler) the permissable distances from openable windows and doors. if your appliance is inside these measurements it is up to the installer to rectify.
if it is the case maybe a plume diversion kit would be a solution to suit both parties. they are cheap and easy to retrofit.
the inner-flue is whats classed as the terminal when using a plume divertor.
should be a simple solution to the problem.

Fey!

Thanks for the replies.

I should have specified that it's an encased outdoor oil burner.

In the worst of the Christmas freeze one of the safety valves on the oil line (outside of the burner casing) froze, but was easily thawed.

I'll try and take pictures later; my description probably isn't the best.

According to the plumber, the placement of the boiler is within the regs. We had an SEI assessment done since (we wanted to see what we could do to reduce bills), and the boiler placement didn't pose a problem for that, either.

Micky Dolenz

What make is the boiler?

How high do you want it to go in metres?