On 17 Mar 2006 07:28:43 GMT, Ian Stirling
wrote:

Owain wrote:
CharlieR wrote:
Hi - I'm new to this forum but would appreciate some helpful advice.
I live in a flat and am having the kitchen refitted, which means moving
or replacing our existing boiler (Alpha Ocean Style FF - about 12 yrs
old).
I'm told that if we replace it we have to have a condensing boiler (new
building regs), but I understand that there are problems with the plume
from this type of boiler as we have a balcony roof above where the flue
would exit, and it's close to a door and a window.

Provided the regulations and the manufacturer's instructions re distance
from windows/walls are complied with there is no "problem" with the
plume - it's only water vapour - apart from aesthetically. Personally, I

And financially!

Are there any add-on units that take the exhaust down from ~80C to ~20C,
and use it to warm air to come into the house?

In effect, this is what some early UK designs of condensing boiler did
- manufacturers added a secondary heat exchanger. The trouble was
that the whole set up was not well designed to cope with the acidic
condensate and corrosion resulted; leading to a poor reputation in the
trade for condensing technology in general. German and Dutch designs
which were made from the ground up as condensing, did much better and
have been in use for many years.

The second aspect is that balanced flue boilers with no fan are not
designed to have an extended flue because they use natural draught to
bring in air and expel exhaust. Even those with a fan may not be
designed to run with a long flue since the fan may have been selected
to run with a designed and limited length flue.


--

..andy