Vent termination and soffit roof vents?

Simply Rad_2

I turned on a boiler yesterday and never realized how big the soffit was (5') and the vent is about 12" below. Well I am going to extend the vent pipe out past the soffit on monday BUT I am concerned about the lovely family over the weekend. I watch the vent plum and it is a cloud under the soffit. The flue gas is not recircualting back into the air intake. I know some it getting into the roof vents and I am concerned about flue gas in the attic. The attic does have soffit and cross vents. Should I turn off the boiler until Monday when I extend the vent? The home owner doesn't see any concern but I never want to hurt anybody especially little ones.
Thanks Jeffrey

bob young

safe not sorry

PRobably it will be o.k. but maybe it won't. think you answered your own question. . when in doubt ----shut it down . once you are dead,thats it.

brucewo1b

Do you have a CO detector ie combustion analizer, never hurts to take a few reading when in dought.

Unknown

Simply Rad

Assuming this is a gas appliance, your consideration about flue gasses is certainly good. But the real concerns here are excessive heat and the moisture level of the flue gasses and the possibility of building damage from them. Power vented gas boilers can terminate 4 feet below a window and Direct vent gas boilers can terminate 1 foot below a window. Although discharging below a window is acceptable by codes, I discourage doing it because it is an annoyance to the home owner to see that flume of water vapor rising up in front of the window. Provided the combustion byproducts are normal, most of the byproducts will be Carbon Dioxide, Water Vapor and Nitrogen. All of these are in the air we breathe every moment.

Glenn Stanton

Manager of Training

Burnham Hydronics

U.S. Boiler Co., Inc.