Neigbor Installed Pipe That Blows out Fumes
 

My neighbor house installed a pipe that blows out fumes that directly is angled towards my basement bedroom window. At this point we cannot determine what fumes are being expelled, whether it could be a kitchen ventiliation or dry cleaning vent etc. At this point it appears this is illegal? (without proper building permits) as the installation of the pipe is angled towards my house. My understanding is that pipes that expell fumes should never be angled towards another person home.

Is this a plumbing heating related because I noticed the neighbor ripped out their hot water tank and dumped it in their backyard.

Does anyone know what this is? I am going to file a report with city bylaws as this raises safety issues and enjoyment of my home, as I cannot open my windows without inhaling this fume.

Images below.

https://imgur.com/a/lzs1crq

Since you said they ripped out the hot water heater I bet they installed a new direct vent tank which uses a fan to push the exhaust out that PVC pipe as opposed to venting up into a chimney etc.

So yea, it’s probably an exhaust vent

Honestly it’s probably far enough away it’s not really a concern

My understanding fume ventilation should be expelled upwards out chimney or aimed low to the ground. Don't think inhaling furnace fumes is something that I would enjoy for my health.

Have you considered knocking on your neighbours door and asking what it is, then proceed to ask if they can add more piping to direct it up to the roof/soffit area?

Can't because they lock their front gate. Only way is jump the side fence, at that point it'll be trespassing.

That looks like it's just gonna channel a bunch of rain in lol. The vents on the side of my house don't look anything like that.

Looks like a furnace or tank flue pipe

Very common to be pumped out the side of their building

The gas code states minimum clearances to adjacent structures, and this can be used to have it removed / moved, assuming the code is in violation.

If you want to stir the pot, call Vancouver

If you like your neighbor, knock on his door and tell him what's up

@underscore, if it's a condensing furnace, then rain going in will not matter

If everything checks out, a heating contractor can tell you what is spewing out with a combustion analyzer. Right at the vent, and at your window.

Riiight... cuz there's no doorbell or other way of requesting contact. Since after all they never get mail, don't use Amazon, Skipthedishes, etc.

Just talk to your neighbors, jfc - your first move doesnt always need to be war.

-Mark

Tape a note on the locked gate saying that you want to talk. :rukidding:

That's System 636 gas venting used for high efficiency/condensing appliances. With the old hot water tank removed, they probably replaced it with a tankless water heater.
While gas code and the manufacturer would want the exhaust to be expelled away from any openable windows and intake, it's usually impractical/impossible due a) to the close proximity with neighbouring properties and b) there's going to be windows on all side of the house!
If you don't like your neighbour, you could call the city and tell them your neighbour is blowing exhaust fumes into your property after a new gas appliance installation, or be neighbourly and tell them exhaust is bothering you and have the bring back the contractor to extend the gas vent up the wall closer to the roof.
Chances are the home owner doesn't even know it's affecting you but I bet the contractor knows it the exhaust is creating a big fog of smoke in between the two properties.

HKS PWR is correct. I looked at the piping, it has a System 636 label on it. When the furnace kicks in, this cloud of white smoke just blows directly towards my house windows.

Those that tell me just walk over and talk to the neighbor. For the record the neighbor gate is locked (can't walk up to the door and knock without passing the gate), "no soliciting or trespassing" sign on the front. The house doesn't even have a house # on their front, they don't receive mail or accept delivery services or whatnot. It's just an old lady (the daughter) that takes care of the place that comes back time to time (the parents passed away that owned the home). Should I put a chair outside and sit there until the lady comes back to visit the house?

CoV report already filed, they will take care of it.

On a rainy day, open your second story window and spray water into the fan/duct. It's like the game at the PNE.

Lol Jesus Christ.. you’re really gonna “stick it to!!l that old woman who just wanted hot water.. come on.

Buddy's neighbor was like that. A second friend accidentally went into their yard and got locked in. I guess the gate was ajar, and friend closed it behind them. The neighbors were confused how someone got in. They though we broke in I guess? As that was during the multi year issue with my buddy and the neighbors fence.

Year 1: we have a normal BBQ in the back yard, neighbors glare at us through the window, in between their rounds or mah jong. We BBQ and go inside to watch movies.
Buddy tells us the neighbors garage was broken into 2 days later, and the complained to him that his 'no good friends' (us) were suspected. Bear in mind. We're 130 lb Asian university students in the late 90s when this whole thing started.
Buddy reports that the neighbors put up barb wire on their fence. .ONLY on the side facing buddy's house. It's a hack job. Zip tied wooden stick to the fence, barb wire tied to stick with string
Year 2:
We BBQ, laugh at the shitty barb wire topper on the concrete fence. Neighbors glare at us though the windows between rounds of mahjong again.
A month later, friend reports barb wire supports have been upgraded to metal ones.
Year 3:
BBQ. We're amazed the neighbors went to the expense of having aluminum barb wire holders professionally made and installed. Neighbors glare at use again via windows.
I joke that next year they'll upgrade to Razer wire.
Year 4.
BBQ time. New friend to the group accidentally goes into to front yard of the house and closed the gate behind her, which locks. She refuses to jump the fence like I told her.
."no time to explain, jump the fence, the neighbors hate us!"
She decides to ring the doorbell instead and they let her out. Neighbors think we broke into their yard.
Buddy reports that they upgraded to coils of razor wire.
Year 5.
BBQ. Neighbors glare at us.
Year 6.
Buddy says he can't understand his neighbors. The took down the Razer wire, decorated the fence with random bits of tile and put the Razer wire back up.
BBQ time. It turns out, the random bits of tile are actually chunks of glass that they embedded in concrete. The neighbors just randomly used concrete like glue and stick chunks of glass in it. It seriously looks like something you'd find in the 3rd world.

Friend moved back to Asia, so BBQs at his place stopped. His family still owns the house, the Razer wire came down years ago, but the holders are still there last I asked.

It's been a month, So what did CoV do to the old lady?

CoV buddy...request is still in the queue Kappa :troll: :whistle:

For reference, the relevant section of 2019 City of Vancouver Building By-Law https://bylaws.vancouver.ca/consolidated/12511.PDF

"3.6.5.9. Location of Exhaust Vents in a Building Containing not more than Two Principal Dwelling Units

1) In exhaust vents serving heating and air conditioning equipment and similar appliances, other than direct vented fireplaces, shall be directed

a) vertically through the roof of a building, with the discharge located at least 1.5 m away from any property line, or

b) horizontally through an exterior wall which faces a street, with the discharge located at least 3 m away from any property line"

So they're violating condition b) in both the fact that it's less than 3m from the property line AND not an exterior wall facing the street.

Update - I got hit by a train (Covid), MIA last little while. GLOW is correct, shit is in queue LOL. I won't get into too much details, but it took awhile to get someone to review. No one has physically gone to site yet LOL. CoV has acknowledged there were no legal permits for the piping to be installed, and the installation is also illegal. Looks like this will be a 2023 work in progress to resolve (at this rate it'll be summer and fumes will be irrelevant for summer LMAO).

In a sunny day scenario, should a licensed HVAC tech/company known these by-laws and not have performed the work like they did in Euro7r's situation?

In a realistic scenario, did they possibly know and just not give a damn and hope that nobody narcs on them? (Looking at your Euro7r.) :D

It's impossible to know all regulations, act, and code.

The books sit in your truck, and are rarely brought out, only when you know there is going to be an inspection.

And even those, are a joke, dude shows up, asks you three questions and looks at two things, and leaves within 5 minutes. 20 minutes on larger commercial installations.

In reality, if someone knew code/act/regulation by heart and enforced it: 95% of installs would fail the first time around, and probably 50% the second time around.

Just because a company/staff is licenced, it means nothing to the quality of work and if there will even be a permit submitted

Job look good enough, and will operate for at least a year? Onto the next one Kappa

Even licensed techs will ask you if you want to pull permits, you can say no, and they will still perform the work usually to code.

Looks like these guys didn't bother asking, installed it incorrectly and illegally, and didn't care about meeting code. Most guys will not remember code by heart but will have done it enough times to generally know what will and will not pass.

I’m sure in this case it wasn’t a question of code or not

It was whether or not grandma wanted to tear down 30 feet of ceiling to create a new vent.

Bump for update.
So has the old lady been out of hot water for over a year now because of you?

Looks like I didn't update what ended up happening. As with the usual CoV, took them forever to "move their ass" to do anything. I ended speaking with the supervisor that was handling my case, which shortly got one of his team member finally going to site. They confirmed everything is illegal, so the home owner had to remove the piping and properly redo it. Not quite sure what the tech was thinking when they did the install was thinking the 1st time. But the 2nd time they routed the piping across the house in the basement, and cut another hole on the other side of the house, then routed a long as PVC pipe up to the roof.

For the record those that think I'm sticking it to an old lady. This old lady was a bitch when I moved into the neighborhood. One time my car was partially in front of their house, and then they give me shit "do not park in front of my house", like they own the city road. So I don't give a shit about them if they go under hot water for illegal work. (Mind you, they don't even have a fucking car, so why the fuck does it bother someone partially parking their vehicle in front of your home - makes literally zero sense).

Typical boomer behaviour for the parking thing. They need to get used to it, it's only going to get worse and all those dumbass street parking reservers should take their buckets and shove it.