The balcony kit is just the plastic exhaust not the metal air intake?
Hello again scott_d,
Sorry for the delay in responding I was having a late Dinner.
Baxi and other Manufacturers Fanned Flue Boiler Flues are now often Plastic for both The Air Intake and for the Exhaust - because of the condensate the Exhaust is not a metal pipe.
Older Baxi Fanned Flues [E.G: Baxi Solo`s] were Metal construction for both the Inner and Outer Pipe - Aluminium or an Aluminium Alloy.
The `Under Balcony & Under Eaves` Kit is just a Plastic Exhaust extension pipe which attaches to the Boiler Flue Terminal - the `normal` Air Intake is fine taking Air from the Terminal position.
The point that I am making is that the `
Plastic` Air Intake outer skin of a piece of Baxi Multifit Flue pipe is not going to rust because it is not metal.
Even Boiler Flues that do have a Metal outer skin for the Air Intake are made from Aluminium or an Aluminium Alloy - which again will not rust.
Most Boiler manufacturers have realised that there cannot be a `Rust Risk` on Flue pipes Years ago - otherwise We would be finding loads Boiler Flues where the underneath of the Flue pipe adjacent the wall where drips form was rusted away forming a hole.
We do come across this sometimes on the less well known brands of Boilers / Boiler Flues where the Manufacturers have used a somewhat `Inferior` metal material or jointing system - but I have not found it on any of the `Main Brands` of Boilers for many years.
Member Jay Jay states that the Plastic outer skin should not be exposed because it is `Not UV protected`.
I would dispute that on the basis that a `Plastic` material does not have to be
outside of a building to suffer `UV degradation`.
IF the Plastic outer skin of the Boiler Flue was susceptible to UV Degradation it would not be suitable to be installed in any position where Sunlight / UV rays could fall on it.
I have seen many examples of `UV Degradation` happening inside a Building - including in my own Home:
I have 3 TRV`s on my Heating system where the Heads have discoloured / faded from UV rays - they not in `direct sunlight` but the Sun / UV rays do shine upon them for a period of each day.
When I was doing some refurbishment works to my Home there was a period of time when I had taken down the walls and door to my Cylinder cupboard this exposed the Hot Water Cylinder spray on insulation foam to Sunlight from a Hall window for a period of about 7 months [I had a delay on the Building works] - the UV rays degraded the foam insulation as it was never designed to have Sunlight / UV rays shining upon it.
IF the Baxi / any Manufacturers Flue pipe outer `Plastic` skin was NOT supposed to be exposed to UV rays the Flues could not be fitted anywhere where Sunlight / UV rays could be shining upon the pipe or it would be susceptible to `UV Degradation` just as in the examples that I described above.
Although we might `know` that UV rays are stronger outside a Building they are still able to degrade Plastics and other materials inside a Building as I described above.
Chris
