How to best turn off the boiler at night

[Claudia Thompson]

Only a Gas Safe engineer referencing the boiler MI’s can determine if there are any issues with the install.

Thank you. I do know that this one man from the Water Department came out at one point and I showed him when I first moved in here in the bedroom that if you look to the left you can see the pipe thing coming outside from the boiler in the kitchen, and exhaust was billowing out of it by my bedroom windwo and even he said that it seed like they ought to have more of an extension on that or pointed in a different direction like UP. Its difficult though because my Landlord always wants me to show him and prove everything and it would be hard to reenact it and get it to be doing that right at the time when he is here at the house.

I mean that he probably wouldn't even send anyone out to look at it to determine it unless he knew for sure it was really like that. He would say that 'I don't see any exhaust close by the house'. Just like he did with the 'Well I don't smell anything'.

 

[Claudia Thompson]

It was great this morning not to have to wake up to the rabbit pen smell in the living room and not to have to breathe all that in my bedroom all night, since I finally got this Timeclock thing working and it automatically turned off the boiler or heat all night. Then this morning it came right on at 6:00 So at least that solves my night time fumes problem without having to turn the boiler off at the wall switch. I had been having to doing that for the last week since the Boiler Repair Man had brought the pressure gage up so high.

 

[Claudia Thompson]

Since there already is a short pipe coming out of the house from the boiler does that mean that it already has a boiler direct on it? and if so, can you get a longer one or like an extension on it, or maybe one of those elbow thing to make it point up? I am living in an upstairs flat and so that shouldn't bother anyone if it pointed upwards instead of just going straight out.

 

[dilalio]

Since there already is a short pipe coming out of the house from the boiler does that mean that it already has a boiler direct on it? and if so, can you get a longer one or like an extension on it, or maybe one of those elbow thing to make it point up? I am living in an upstairs flat and so that shouldn't bother anyone if it pointed upwards instead of just going straight out.

Let’s get you up to speed with some terminology...

The boiler uses gas and air to create a flame which heats water for your CH (central heating) and DHW (domestic hot water).
Air is drawn into the boiler from outside and exhaust from the boiler is dispelled to outside via the “Flue” - normally a white duct from the top of the boiler, which passes through a wall or ceiling.
The outside end of the flue is known as the flue terminal.
The flue terminal has to be sited according to regulations, as set out in the Manufacturer’s Instructions and details such parameters as proximity to doors, windows, boundaries etc.
If the installation has been carried out in accordance with these instructions/regulations, then your landlord is not under any obligation to have it modified/upgraded.
If there is no risk but rather a “nuiscance” from a flue terminal then a PMK (Plume Management Kit) can be installed to improve the situation, but this is likely to be at your cost and will need your landlord’s permission - unless he is overcome with a sense of generosity and agrees to pay for it as part of investing in his business and the comfort of his current and future tenants

 

[Claudia Thompson]

Let’s get you up to speed with some terminology...

The boiler uses gas and air to create a flame which heats water for your CH (central heating) and DHW (domestic hot water).
Air is drawn into the boiler from outside and exhaust from the boiler is dispelled to outside via the “Flue” - normally a white duct from the top of the boiler, which passes through a wall or ceiling.
The outside end of the flue is known as the flue terminal.
The flue terminal has to be sited according to regulations, as set out in the Manufacturer’s Instructions and details such parameters as proximity to doors, windows, boundaries etc.
If the installation has been carried out in accordance with these instructions/regulations, then your landlord is not under any obligation to have it modified/upgraded.
If there is no risk but rather a “nuiscance” from a flue terminal then a PMK (Plume Management Kit) can be installed to improve the situation, but this is likely to be at your cost and will need your landlord’s permission - unless he is overcome with a sense of generosity and agrees to pay for it as part of investing in his business and the comfort of his current and future tenants

Thank you for that. I kept wondering what everyone meant when they said CH. When I was in Texas most everyone I knew had the kind of heating and air conditioning where there were vents in the floor, and that was my idea of Central Heating. But now that I think about it I guess a boiler is the central place where heating is coming from here, and so that qualifies it as being central heating LOL! Just shows how clueless I am about this.

I am in a Housing Association rent house and I had been in 3 different places in the UK with radiators and never had this problem before, but the last place I lived was in a different Housing Association rent house and basically the same problems, even worse. So honestly, I don't believe that I would be facing anything like my Landlord being overcome with generosity. They seem to tend to just do the very minimum that they can manage to get away with.

I will talk to my Landlord and see if I can get his permission to add an extention or get a longer boiler flue. I guess the boiler flue is kind of like a chimney for a fireplace.

 

[JohnD]

A Housing Association might be inefficient, but will probably not have the pathological meanness and hatred of tenants that some small landlords display. It is likely to have some idea of keeping its stock in good condition.

 

[Claudia Thompson]

A Housing Association might be inefficient, but will probably not have the pathological meanness and hatred of tenants that some small landlords display. It is likely to have some idea of keeping its stock in good condition.

I have to agree with you there. JohnD. I remember back when I was in the USA and some of the things Landlords did. Like one thing that stands out to me is when I was living in this old house that was huge and divided up into section where 3 different Tenants were living, including me and my Partner. We were all complaining about the awful smells down coming from down in the basement. And I couldn't believe it but all he did was send someone out to hang this little car freshner like flat small 'tree' air freshner thing down in the basement. We were all saying, 'You gotta be kidding!' As far as other things besides the heating systems the Housing Associations seem really good about fixing everything else when it needs fixing. I have no complaints there at all with it. Alot of Private Landlords don't want to fix ANYTHING, but they sure are quick to complain if you miss the rent though.

 

[Alec_t]

When you next contact your landlord, try mentioning 'Health and Safety Regulations'. That should help to concentrate their minds. The Housing Association has a legal obligation to ensure you are not at risk from fumes.

 

[Claudia Thompson]

When you next contact your landlord, try mentioning 'Health and Safety Regulations'. That should help to concentrate their minds. The Housing Association has a legal obligation to ensure you are not at risk from fumes.

Alec,

Thank you. I will do that. I should think that fumes causing breathing difficulties wouldn't be thought of as some sort of a 'luxury', or something that I wanting as 'extras'.

My problem though is that when I first moved here I noticed that the pressure gage was set almost to barely onto the green part. And I mean just barely. It makes me wonder if they did that purposely because they knew that if it were turned up to normal then the different smells in here would be much stronger. Because why in the World would a qualified Boiler and Heating Man have set it like that in the first place? And then now that I am saying something about it, they are claiming they have to smell it themselves? Well it is hardly doable for me to make it just happen to be smelling like that when they decide to drop by. And if I call them they aren't going to just drop everything and come running over here either. I am trying to do all that I can to minimise the smells. but I would have to purposely try to set everything to where it smells the worst and leave it like that till they came by here. And even then, it its anything like where I used to live, they would just claim it may be coming from something else. So to me it seems like they would be required to have to do tests and clean the radiators or flush them regularly, just as a standard procedure.

Also to me, it seems so ridiculous to have these exhaust flues so close to the house anyway, why cant they make the things longer and on the top floor why not put an elbow thing on it so that the exhaust is pointed upwards? I don't know anything about this but to me that would just make sense. To me, that should just be standard regulations. I mean, if the wind blows any, it just blows right into my window.

 

[polesapart]

if you look to the left you can see the pipe thing coming outside from the boiler in the kitchen, and exhaust was billowing out of it by my bedroom windwo

Could please post some photos, from window and from the outside.

 

[Claudia Thompson]

Could please post some photos, from window and from the outside.

Hi, Unfortunately, I don't have any kind of a camera. But when I read your comment, I went into my bedroom again to look out the window and noticed something that I had never seen before. Just below the exhaust pipe that goes out of my own kitchen window is the downstairs neighbor's exhaust pipe, and it extends out as normal but then it has this really long pipe extension on it that goes way up towards my own window and the a smal elbow on the end to make it point outward. So it's like I not only have the exhaust from my own kitchen window but also the neighbor's ... and its no wonder I smell all of that in my bedroom. Ever since the other day I adjusted the Timeclock for it all to turn off at hight from 10:00PM till 6:00AM in the morning, no more smells at night! And the neighbor's downstairs just moved out about a month ago, so of course, no fumes from them.

Also, today I got to try turning on the hallway and bedroom radiators to see whether or not bleeding them helped get rid of that chemical smell, but I just turned them from zero to the little asterick looking symbol on them. So I had turned them back to normal alot earlier in the day today because I couldn't smell anything, but guess what? When I just went into the bedroom there was that chemical smell again! That hadn't been in my bedroom for months ever since I had decided along time ago to just turn them off. So this is going to be really really difficult for me to try to get the Landlord to come by right when it smells.

Not wait a minute, I just went and looked again and the neighbor's exhaust pipe does NOT extend out as mormal... just barely, and then it goes long and straight up towards my place.

 

[Claudia Thompson]

See the picture of the boiler flue on this page next to the 1. 2. 3. through 10? That is what the boiler flue looks like right below me a little to the left when I look out below my bedroom window from the neighbors below me. See here:

http://gasboilerguide.com/gas-boiler-flue-regulations/


Then I have also got my own boiler flue from the kitchen that I see right to the left of me as I look out my bedroom window too. So I am getting exhaust fumes, I believe, from both places into my bedroom. And for the last couple of nights I have yused my timerclock to turn my boiler off between 10:00 and 6:00 in the morning and the neighbors moved out about a month ago and for the first time I am able to just sleep at night without getting gassy taste in my mouth and waking up to that.

 

[dilalio]

Claudia... with all due respect, you will have to follow procedure and involve different bodies/organisations to determine if (a) it’s legal and, if so (b) you have any recourse via nuisance and right to enjoy your own home legislations. If (b) your complaints will need to be assessed and decided upon by others (environmental health) and upheld... likely a drawn-out process.
Ultimately, you are powerless without input from the appropriate authorities.

Report to environmental health, Take photos, keep a diary and build your case.

 

[Claudia Thompson]

Claudia... with all due respect, you will have to follow procedure and involve different bodies/organisations to determine if (a) it’s legal and, if so (b) you have any recourse via nuisance and right to enjoy your own home legislations. If (b) your complaints will need to be assessed and decided upon by others (environmental health) and upheld... likely a drawn-out process.
Ultimately, you are powerless without input from the appropriate authorities.

Report to environmental health, Take photos, keep a diary and build your case.

dilalio,
Would a diary help if I can't really prove any of it? I mean what happens to make the various smells come and go etc?

Also, since I have only been here about 6 months and I signed a year long lease, and I can't remember what you call it but the first year is like a sort of 'probationary' time then after the year is up they determine where or not I can stay there.... would they be able to use that against me if I went to Environmental Health and so forth?

 

[heatservice]

Hi Claudia, have you not got access to a smart phone as photos or a video of the plumeing taking place around your window could only strengthen your case, but its more likely to be seen when the weather is colder just like a car exhaust is. The system pressure has absolutely nothing to do with the products of combustion coming from the flue terminal, you might have a small weepage from a radiator valve or fitting and the system most likely has a chemical corrosion inhibitor added this might be the cause of your chemical smell as it evaporates away when your radiators/pipework get hot, higher system pressure might make it leak faster but I would expect to see your system pressure drop over time if you had a leak.