Flue dripping from exhaust and from air intake.

[Yashimaki]

My neighbours flue is installed on my property & is dripping condensate from both the exhaust and air intake whenever boiler operating. The exhaust has kit fitted and is one metre above air intake so the drips are from different locations but both check out as acidic (i.e. products of combustion). It seems to be a loss of integrity of a seal between air intake and exhaust. Can anyone tell me is this an ID or AR fault and can a registered engineer put an unsafe notice on it.

 

[Chalked]

Why not get in touch with your landlord and ask him to contact your neighbour. As you are finding it a nuisance, he could ask if a plume kit could he fitted to divert the flue gasses away from the property you reside in.

 

[Yashimaki]

I will add some more pics later and appreciate your comments.
I most certainly bow to your superior knowledge.
Thanks Guys

 

[newcastle phill]

It is possible to retro fit an adaptor to the end of >some < flues that deflects and directs the plume away.
You may wish to suggest that to the neighbour.
Whatever you do. Do not interfere with, alter or adapt that flue. If you do you could wind up in court or worse as your unqualified and would be seen as malicious.
Can you add a picture from further away to show both properties - your window vs flue from the side angle if your with me..

Regarding access you will be trying to hold back the tide trying to stop that and again without just cause and acting in spite you will end up with court costs against you should he pursue access legally.

You may wish to look at
Access to Neighbouring Land Act 1992

Again if you act like an unreasonable a$$ and can show no loss or incurred expense as a result of necessary access then if it goes that way (to court for access) everyones had a great day out and you pick up the tab - as no court would prevent access on the grounds of maintenance for safety.

People just need to get along to make life easy - its too short to be bothered with crap like this imho

 

[Tonycane]

Looks like it already has a plume management kit installed, have you spoken to the owner of the property involved reasonably? Without seeing a the flue installation i can't really tell if a longer plume kit or just a slight adjustment of the elbow away from your window would solve this?

 

[Yashimaki]

Hi Newcastle Phill. Thanks for taking the time and trouble it is very much appreciated. The same goes for all the others. It's my first go on a site like this and I am blown away with all the amazing replies.
I appreciate your warning Phill but can assure you I never have and never will interfere with the flue but good advice to anyone in a similar position who may be on a short fuse.
The Landlord is unwilling to help out in any way. They permitted a flue to trespass on my property against my wishes which is in breach of our signed secure tenancy agreement and Housing Act 1998. They are required by these to inform me & must have my consent before making any changes which may affect me. Also the installation does not meet GSR 28 "No person shall install a gas appliance except in such a manner that it is readily accessible for operation, inspection and maintenance" . Getting a court order certainly does not sound like readily accessible or does the need to let them in my front door and through my home into my garden. They could abseil into my garden but not sure this is part of GSR engineers job description ; D.
Access Neighbouring Land Act 2a is applicable here as flue could be easily located on the dominant land. 2b applies as putting a flue on the servient land make it substantially more difficult to carry out essential works. This amounts to Delict (checkout wiki for Delict). They could not make any successful application for an ANL order even if the court ignored the Housing act, tenancy agreement and tenancy laws because 2a & 2b cannot be satisfied. Very good point though Phill.
I was hoping for an easy fix by it being an ID or AR but the consensus seems to reject this.
Regarding lets all get along. That's a 2 way street. Why would the neighbour put a flue outside my bedroom window and then expect me to allow them to enter my home to maintain it? That sounds like being forced to let someone's dog **** in your house and then give them the right to come in when they like to clean it up.
The deflection kit is pointed away from my window but it is at the same height & about I metre in front of it. The flue exhausts into free air i.e. not against a wall so can be blown in any direction. As you probably know plumes can hang around and when a nearby window is open it as a bit like pulling a plug out and the water being sucked down a plughole. I am asthmatic and can't take the risk of long term exposure to products of combustion especially while sleeping. I just keep my bedroom window locked shut and use an extractor fan on the window with an air filtration system fitted where bedroom door transom window used to be. Altering the deflection kit might be a problem. I'll upload some pics to give you a better idea.
You may know about Landlord's annual gas safety checks. I was wondering if that would apply to a third party installations they permitted to be on their tenants property. It would seem proper in this case for the landlord to be obliged to ensure it's safe operation and issue an annual gas safety certificate exactly as they are obliged by law (GSR 36) for any gas installations they own as they essentially are the same thing.
Incidentally the Flue is in breach of Doc j (distance from boundary and roof opening). Funny but if my bedroom window was a roof opening that would also breach Doc J.
The flue is located close to my flue so wonder if that is an issue? (I'll upload some pics)
Sorry for the long post but believe me I am trying to keep it brief without omitting relevant info.
Thanks Again.

 

[Riley]

Could we please have a photo from further out so we can see your property their property and the flue

 

[Riley]

I may be missing the point on the situation but is your flue not doing exactly the same thing then. I'm not trying to be inflammatory or to wind people up but this is just all sounds a bit weird. I think you have three options
1. Put up with it
2. If you believe your landlord to be in breach of contract then make this your point and leave
3. Get an independent gas safe engineer in to see if there are any gas safety breaches

 

[Yashimaki]

 

[Yashimaki]

The video is better but can't upload it as needes URL

 

[Rickster123]

Don't play with that flue. The exhaust elbow has been moved to point at the window to make the situation look worse than it is. In one pic it's pointing to the side in another it's pointing right. DO not touch the flue.

 

[Dotty]

Don't play with that flue. The exhaust elbow has been moved to point at the window to make the situation look worse than it is. In one pic it's pointing to the side in another it's pointing right. DO not touch the flue.

I noticed that. No gsr in their right mind would point the plume kit in either other them directions. It's clearly been tampered with.

 

[Rickster123]

And the pics are dated back in 2013. Move on! And stop adjusting that flue!

 

[stevetheplumber]

easy enough to fix get a gsr to bring it down to the same level as your flue with the owners permission of course who ever fitted it has done what he would assume to be the right thing by raising it above the parapet to minimize nuisance without knowing the distances involved he may be inside the area he is allowed regarding the velux windows which would also be cured by lowering it

 

[newcastle phill]

Wow. Must operate like a submarine periscope and turn around by itself - especially as the neighbour doesnt have access.

That is a 1st....

 

[Riley]

Ha ha

 

[Riley]

Quite clearly tampered

 

[Riley]

Hmm no response

 

[Dotty]

Think probably best we leave it there now.

 

[Dotty]

Reopened on basis of pm.

Hi croppie.
I've just got in to find you've closed the thread.
It seems the flue being "tampered with" has beeen put down to me, This is not true. In fact it was the neighbours efforts to deal with the complaint.
The neighbours originally had it pointing at right angles to the wall dischsarging over mide garden. I complained. They then pointed it at 45 degrees away from the window but still discharging over my garden. I complained. They then pointed it over their property. I complained agasin as it still came in the window. Since then have moved it at least once probably because of their roof opening. I would appreciate if you would open the thread again so that people can know the truth.

This is going to be one of the few times!

 

[Riley]

I am struggling to understand why there appears to be a reluctance to getting a gas safe engineer in on this. Nobody should be touching that flue whether it's you or the owners. I appreciate from reading the rest of the thread that you've done a lot of homework but a gas safe engineer would be able to tell you A. specifically If there is any risk, B if there is any installation fault and C what potential costs would be involved to sort the situation. There have been a couple of suggestions made as to how this situation can be remedied however this still really need to be carried out by a gas safe engineer. We just appear to be going round and round in circles here. I maintain my three options from earlier as this would appear to be your landlords problem as he agreed to it he can't just ignore the problem