Log burner flue height.

[RicksAlfas]

It seems my neighbour has installed a log burner with a low level flue. I think it might be where an old cooker hood extractor used to be. We are getting smoke smells into our house because the smoke is going past our upstairs windows.

Presumably if you use a wall exit for a log burner you still need a chimney to go up to roof height?

I get on well with him so just want my facts straight before I chat to him. Thanks.

[MDT]

this should help you in the first instance.

https://stovefitterswarehouse.co.uk/pages/regulati...

[Mr Pointy]

You'll need to read Document J pages 31 & 32 & maybe the low level section on page 27.

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/combust...

[bobtail4x4]

the usual thing is they are burning damp wood and shutting the vents down to stop using so much wood,

[RicksAlfas]

Thanks all. Diagram J is a good representation of the problem. Through the medium of MS Paint I have shown our windows (red) and their flue (green). It just sticks out of their wall like a boiler flue. No vertical chimney at all.

[MDT]

As ever a picture is worth a thousand words.......

yes this is not really the way to do it. it should extend up pas the gutter, but this I suspect might put it in line with your upper window?

but as mentioned it might also be worth seeing what they are burning, there is almost no visible smoke from our log burner once it's going.

[netherfield]

It isn't the visible smoke that's the problem i'll bet, it's the smell.

We've three properties locally all burning wood at times, all claim it's properly bought dried stuff, but it still stinks.

[RicksAlfas]

Yes, it's the smell. We'd cracked open the bathroom window for some ventilation and a few minutes later I was panicking that something was on fire! I will report back...

[biggiles]

RicksAlfas said:

Thanks all. Diagram J is a good representation of the problem. Through the medium of MS Paint I have shown our windows (red) and their flue (green). It just sticks out of their wall like a boiler flue. No vertical chimney at all.

That looks totally dodgy, though I'm not an expert in which regs it falls foul of. This is a bit of a summary of the approved doc, but I don't think it's ever OK to have a flue come out horizontally from a wall and stop. https://www.labc.co.uk/news/chimneys-and-flues-don...

Having had a few wood burners installed, I think it would be hard to get a proper insulated flue pipe into a kitchen extractor pipe. And the wood burner really won't burn very well without a proper vertical chimney. Perhaps your neighbour is about to add a big vertical pipe as "phase 2", which adheres to the regulations?

[tim0409]

This sounds like a nightmare as you really don’t want to be breathing in smoke from a wood burning stove, especially if the neighbour is burning damp wood. It’s also a fire risk.

I suppose the first move would be to ask the neighbour if the installation is finished and does he have a warrant/informed building control….it would take a complete moron to exit a wood burning flue and terminate it horizontally but there are plenty morons around. I suspect he won’t have informed building control before starting work and clearly he wouldn’t have used a HETAS approved contractor to do the work. If your neighbour is being uncooperative your next move would be to inform your local building control department.