Electrics and gas
What did the visit record about a room-sealed condensing boiler, about the plume, and about a terminal pointing at the neighbour's door?
The visit recorded a room-sealed condensing boiler, the plume from it, and a terminal pointing at the neighbour's door. A room-sealed boiler takes its air from outside, and the plume is the visible vapour a condensing boiler gives off. The direction of that plume and the place the terminal points were seen. The survey did not test combustion, did not measure the plume, and has not decided that the terminal is wrongly placed. It has described a boiler and where the outlet points. It has not safety-checked the appliance.
Last reviewed 24 October 2026. Written for buyers in England and Wales unless this answer says otherwise. No named surveyor has signed this page. It is general guidance, not a report on your house, and not legal advice.
What is the fuller explanation?
Condensing boilers produce a wet plume, especially in cold weather, and a terminal close to a door can blow that vapour at people using it. That is a siting observation. It is not a test of the burner, the condensate drain or the flue seals. Room-sealed means the case is supposed to separate the burner from the room air, which the surveyor cannot confirm by watching steam outside. The neighbour's door is a landmark for where the terminal points. The visit recorded those three facts and stopped.
Ask a Gas Safe registered engineer to check the boiler and the terminal position. The home survey has not done that and is not a gas safety record. Tell the solicitor the plume was seen pointing at the neighbour's door, so the siting is a question, not a proved nuisance and not a clearance. Do not move the terminal on the strength of the note. The survey has not decided the boiler is faulty. It has recorded where the outlet faces.
What should you ask your surveyor?
- How close did the terminal sit to the neighbour's door, in the terms you could see?
- Was the plume blowing at the door on the day, or was the terminal only aimed that way?
- Was the condensate pipe from the boiler seen, or only the flue terminal?
What are the typical next steps?
- Treat the boiler, the plume and the terminal direction as seen, not tested.
- Ask a Gas Safe registered engineer to check the appliance and the outlet.
- Tell the solicitor the siting was observed and not ruled on.
Costs vary with the building and with who you instruct. Where this page does not cite a published figure, ask the surveyor, a relevant specialist, or your solicitor for a written quote. Do not treat a forum average as the price.
Also asked about this
Is the plume a sign the boiler is burning badly?
Not from this visit. The plume on a condensing boiler is largely water vapour, and the survey did not test combustion. It recorded the plume and a terminal pointing at the neighbour's door. A Gas Safe registered engineer has to check the burner. Do not read steam in cold air as a failed test the survey never did.
Does the neighbour's door make the terminal unlawful?
The survey has not said that. It recorded where the terminal points. It did not apply a siting rule and did not decide a dispute with the neighbour. A Gas Safe registered engineer can check the outlet. The solicitor can be told what was seen. The report itself has not found the terminal unlawful or acceptable.