what to do with this odd boiler vent setup redirecting the vent into the old chimney?
This is how it was set up when decades ago we bought this building that was once heated with coal fired stoves and grates. For the boiler in the basement heating the ground floor they built a terra cotta lined cinderblock chimney outside the wall and then connected it to the original 4 flue chimney. Is this legal? Was it ever? No clue. If you're wondering why the chimney doesn't continue down to the 1st floor, I think it was removed in a 1950s renovation.
In recent years there's been condensation on the outside of the chimney causing the cinderblocks to spall. I think it's time to do something else. Do I have options other than a 50' double walled stainless vent pipe up the entire side of the building? Can a liner be fed through this mess?
Comments
-
doesn't seem right to have the old chimney supported on floor joists.
1 -
Well, who's to argue with at least 65 years of success? Sadly, this old place is a teardown when they take me out of here feet first. The lot is worth far more scraped and redeveloped than these funny old weird layout apartments with sagging floors, baseboard heat from a DHW tank and cracking horsehair plaster walls.
0 -
Not the first chimney I've seen supported on floor joists. Not the best idea in the world, but so long as the joists are undamaged and old wood, and have a good connection to the walls, at least it won't fall down. Was it legal? Did anyone check? Probably not on both counts…
Now is it wise to use it for a modern appliance? Is it even possible to line it? It might be possible — but it's going to be a job, and the material costs will be at least comparable to running a nice new double wall flue up the outside of the building, and the labour costs should be less. Which is what I would do.
Br. Jamie, osb
Building superintendent/caretaker, 7200 sq. ft. historic house museum with dependencies in New England1 -
or replace the boiler with a mod con and vent it out the side wall if it is a hot water system and the boiler room isn't half asbestos.
1 -
Did you see that the boiler is in a basement nearly completely below grade? And I don't want a mod-con, I'd never recover the purchase cost and maintenance in efficiency savings. My yearly gas bill is $1500.
0 -
will you recover the cost of building a new vent?
0 -
The new vent will not cost me >$500/year in maintenance. The last time I asked a "Pro" to come in Sept for seasonal maintenance on a steam boiler in another property, he quoted me $$$$. And yes, he's a member here.
0 -
Hi, Dare I say "heat pump"? 🙀
0 -
That CGi (i=Induced Draft) boiler could be sidewall vented bypassing the chimney all together using AL29-4C listed SS vent pipe by Heat-Fab, Fas-N-Seal, Z-Vent or others.
0 -
Please explain how I would cost-effectively replace hydronic heating for my four bedrooms, kitchen, dining room, living room, and basement with a heat pump? And that doesn't even get into the fact that I'd probably have to replace my underpowered electric service.
0 -
I didn't think that was legal to do for anything but a ModCon. Can you explain? Isn't there regulations about how far from windows etc?
0 -
powervented cast iron boilers typically vent through a sidewall with UL listed stainless steel vent pipe, its a normal thing. yeah there will be local codes that regulate where your vent is located but I'm not entirely sure the current situation is entirely "up to code" either?
2 -
I hope this link works. If not, let me know. Yes, there are requirements regarding how close the vent terminal can be from windows, doors, fresh air intakes, etc. It's in the install manual for the boiler that I could send if you need.
1 -
@Karl Reynolds is right .
Sidewall venting the CGI is the way to go. M
anual attached see venting on pg 14
1 -
Hi @Jells , To me it's simply part of the brainstorming process. Might be crazy, but you seem to be running up against problems whichever way you look, so I thought it might be worth looking at the costs of mini splits or some air to water approach to see if it might possibly make sense and give a long term solution.
Yours, Larry
2 -
or put a power venter on your current boiler.
probably don't actually need to clean a mod con every year if you choose the model wisely and apply it correctly.
conversely the safeties on any fuel burning appliance should be tested annually, not that most people do that.
1 -
I said in my OP that I was dubious about legality of the current setup! I have a chimney & vent contractor coming Thursday, hopefully he will give me some good info.
0 -
Thanks, but that PDF was already in my PC! So the issue is how to work within these guidelines.
I was hoping to move it off the side of the building where cars park, but the window and door around back do not provide the 4' clearances. I can put it as in the figure on the left where the current masonry flue is. The bottom of the 1st floor joists are 12" above grade. I guess I would also need to install a couple of vertical 3" steel pipes in the ground guarding it from a sloppy parking job! At least my kids are out of the house.
Still seems weird when what I googled about vents previously said they had to run above the roofline. It could be the reason it wasn't done like this to begin with was there was also a DHW on the vent. When I had the CGi replaced like 15 years ago, the vent was blowing out the WH hood! I resolved this by replacing the WH with an indirect tank. I love the nonexistent maintenance on that piece of equipment.
We'll see what the chimney contractor says on Thursday.
0
Categories
- All Categories
- 87.7K THE MAIN WALL
- 3.3K A-C, Heat Pumps & Refrigeration
- 59 Biomass
- 430 Carbon Monoxide Awareness
- 129 Chimneys & Flues
- 2.2K Domestic Hot Water
- 5.9K Gas Heating
- 121 Geothermal
- 170 Indoor-Air Quality
- 3.8K Oil Heating
- 79 Pipe Deterioration
- 1.1K Plumbing
- 6.6K Radiant Heating
- 396 Solar
- 16K Strictly Steam
- 3.5K Thermostats and Controls
- 56 Water Quality
- 51 Industry Classes
- 51 Job Opportunities
- 17 Recall Announcements