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ModCon Intake inside okay?

G Bell
G Bell Member Posts: 7
in THE MAIN WALL
Our gas fitter is in the process installing a TriangleTube Prestige gas boiler in our house. We had our old 1950's oil boiler removed and the TriangleTube boiler installed in the same boiler room. What was supposed to happen was the gas fitter was to use our chimney flue as a raceway for a PVC concentric ventintake, however it appears that he has vented out the chimney with a single PVC pipe and the intake is just from the room itself. I am unsure if this is a good system, especially since the boiler room isn't very large (7' x 9') and no good ventilation in that room. I gather that the chimney flue was not large enough for the concentric vent. Should I be concerned?

Comments

  • tim smith
    tim smith Member Posts: 2,807
    Run the intake out the wall, they do not have to exit at

    the same point on the Triangle tube boiler prestige.
  • Unknown
    Unknown
    I`m with Tim,

    that`s how I did mine, chimney as raceway to roof, intake at ground level.
    To quote an old friend, "you`ll LOVE that boiler!"

    Dave
  • Kal Row
    Kal Row Member Posts: 1,520
    doesnt anyone read the manual anymore??...

    The overwhelming majority of sealed combustion devices like modcon boilers, 90+ furnaces, even some non condensing types, have pressure switches that prove out combustion air flow, by measuring air pressure differential between the intake and exhaust, if not enough, then the fan is considered dead, and if too much, then the intake or exhaust is considered blocked, so if the intake and exhaust are far apart – a wind gust can give you an ignition lock-out especially on a device greater than 399kbtu that by asme rules only allow 1 trial for ignition!!

    This is why they recommend that the intake and exhaust be going to the same atmosphere, but be far enough away that they don’t suck in their own exhaust (typically 15”) they should be protected from birds and debris (ie above the snow line and with screens) and should never be facing into the wind hence the reason for the 2 elbows at the top to face it down – which keeps it free of rain and junk, and the prevailing winds move across the face of both and wont affect the pressure differential,

    so com’on people, read the manual, it costs real time and money to produce, – and those people really really need their jobs
  • tim smith
    tim smith Member Posts: 2,807
    Kal, you may want to get informed yourself. The TT Prestige

    boiler, as questioned in this thread is approved for an imbalanced flue. 40ft on the discharge, 10 ft on the intake or none for that matter. Before you accuse people of not reading manuals, you may want to make sure you are informed first.
  • Kal Row
    Kal Row Member Posts: 1,520
    having installed/serviced a bunch of prestiges...

    and a having read the manuals, - i stand by my sealed combustion flue rules!!! I just rechecked the manuals especially the vent supplement and could not find your number, if anything it confirmed my rules, and a search through the pdfs for “40” as in your “40ft” came up with nothing like you mention – so which manual are you talking about?

    Besides I said “overwhelming majority”, not all, there are a few others out the that make the same claims, – they use wider set pressure switches, or real air flow measuring devices, the new "sync" boiler coming out from Lochinvar will be one of those

    Ps this is in no way disparaging to the prestige boiler, it’s my second favorite after the Lochinvar knight!!!
  • tim smith
    tim smith Member Posts: 2,807
    Kal, check in TT vent supplement, pg 17, 18, 19 for this.

    And my response was because the specific question on this thread was regarding a Triangle tube prestige. Tim
  • G Bell
    G Bell Member Posts: 7


    I have since reported my concern to my gas fitter. He is now going to intake from the front out the house (outside) and vent up the chimney. I feel this is the better way to go.

    Thanks for all your input everyone! I'm pretty excited with our new heating system. We will have a TriangleTube Prestige for our radiant heating as well as a Bradford White indirect hot water tank for our DHW needs.
  • Glenn E Sossin_2
    Glenn E Sossin_2 Member Posts: 8
    Outside

    You should be pulling combustion air from outside of the building envelope. If you pulled it from indoors, you would be creating a negative pressure zone, increasing infiltration and heat loss.

    Remember, all the hot air that comes out of that exhaust pipe has to come from somewhere. If you had the air coming from inside, its like having a vacuum cleaner sucking air from inside your house and pumping it outside.

    While I agree with Kal where practical, it isn't always possible to pull from the same location as the exhaust.

    Just don't pull from inside the house - it will cost you more money in fuel.

    My $.02
    Glenn
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