Estimate to fix stuff... (how much, houses, inspector)

[zulu400]

1. I see the boiler ignition source in the garage thats less than 18 inches from the ground. The engineer said its a fire hazard because the boiler is in the garage, and in a small enclosure, but not air tight so gasoline fumes can make it to the ignition source. A suggested remedy was to build the door to make it air tight, but then there would be no air coming from outside (probably why it was left open in the first place ) What can be done and how much will it cost approx ?

2. Duct for the dryer is discharged in the attic, my engineer said it needs to be taken out of the house.... I see its just 6 feet from the exterior wall and there is an intended hole in the wall too... , how much will the tube and installation cost ?

Thanks for all your help in advance.

[suzook]

if the boiler is on the outside wall of the garage, walls and a door could be built around it, and a vent added to the outside wall. probably about $500-$750

The dryer vent is an easy fix. $15 in material, you could do it yourself, or hire someone. Probably $150-$250.

[zulu400]

Unfortunately the boiler is on the inside wall of the garage near the interior wall of the house, just behind the kitchen actually.... so no vent possible... I'm thinking this is why they left the boiler enclosure open on one side into the garage.

Is relocation even possible ? how much will it cost ?
Maybe raising it will help with the current setup ?

[KENNY GUIDO]

it cannot be "airtight". the boiler needs air to keep the flame going. you can build walls around and put a door with vents on it like I did.

[zulu400]

Originally Posted by KENNY GUIDO

it cannot be "airtight". the boiler needs air to keep the flame going. you can build walls around and put a door with vents on it like I did.

Yeah, I know, but this is situated deep inside the garage and the inside wall is... lets say shared with the kitchen on the other side, basically no wall of the enclosure is anyway near the exterior wall of the house.

[totallyfrazzled]

I'm not sure I understand why there is a problem with the garage/heating system location. The last house I owned had the heating system (boiler/burner and hot water tank/burner) in the 2-car garage, located at an inside corner (interior walls, not exterior). The heating system was not enclosed in any way; it was completely open to the rest of the garage. Both burners were located within 18" from the floor also. Both were oil fired but I can't see where the fuel type would make a difference since both use a flame.

Neither my inspector (who is extremely knowledgable btw, in fact he was head of our regional ASHI group) nor my longtime plumbing/heating guy nor the Town ever had any issues with this configuration being any kind of a fire hazard or code violation whatsoever.

If the enclosure is causing some kind of a problem, why not simply remove the enclosing walls?

Consider yourself fortunate that the heating system is in the garage and easily accessible for maintenance or repair without workmen having to traipse through your house to get to it, and (if oil fired) no issues with a thin layer of soot continually being deposited on nearby interior surfaces. But who cares if a garage floor gets a little dirty?

[hotkarl]

I wish my burner was somewhere else...
I have a cape, so it's in that utility closet in my hallway.
Not the worst thing in the world, but I do have minor soot problems from it.
You can see a very thin black film appear every once in a while at the top of the door frame on the casing.

I know of many houses with the burner being in the garage on interior walls and whatnot, and it's never been an issue. How could it be any worse than the burner being in the basement?
Maybe your inspector just isn't very knowledgable, and is just assuming that this is a poor installation and location.
I'm not a burner expert, so what the hell do I know

[suzook]

there really isnt a problem with the boiler in the garage. This is actually quite common. I understand the inspecters comment about there being a problem. Lets suppose you have a 5 gal jug of gas stored in the garage, or even your car parked in the garage, and there is a problem with a leak. The fumes could explode if the burner turnes on with alot of built up fumes. I would just put a vent on the outside wall of the garage if you are that concerned. The risk is so low, i wouldnt worry about it.

[hotkarl]

I would be a little more concerned if it was natural gas.
Oil is very safe.
However, it is a valid point about the ventilation. Both types of heat utilize flame/spark, and in theory, if combustible fumes were to build up in the garage, it could possibly cause a fire or explosion. Also a possible carbon monoxide concern.
An attached garage should be properly vented no matter what you have in it.

[zulu400]

Thanks for your knowledgeable responses, it has helped me a lot. I think the main issue the inspector had was the height (or lack of it) of the ignition. He suggested exactly the same thing.... put the boiler in the enclosure and then vent it to outside. Now, there are 2 garages, and this is on the inner garage, so its almost in the middle of the house !

So I think if I can do this within say 6 months of moving (without parking the cars in the garage) I guess I will be fine. The inspector said it will cost something like 1500-2000 to do that (he also said its not accurate), but is this a valid point that I can use to discuss with the home owner as they have pretty much said they are not going to do anything else as far as fixing is concerned.
If you would be the seller, how would you feel about it if you have been living there without knowing about the hazard OR knowing but ignoring it all the time ?

Once again... thanks a bunch for your responses... I am repping all of you guys !!