Each duplex side in New Westminster generally needs its own boiler, with vent spacing coordinated between the two units.
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Quick answer
A duplex in New Westminster is typically two separately owned or rented halves of one building, and each side almost always has, or should have, its own boiler rather than one system trying to heat both households. The main planning consideration is spacing each side's vent termination correctly from the other's vent, windows, and doors, particularly on the city's narrower, established lots where the two units often sit close together. Whether the property has a shared or separate gas meter also affects how the gas line sizing for either boiler needs to be calculated.
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Most duplexes in New Westminster function as two independently owned or rented halves, each with its own living space and heating needs, which means each side benefits from its own dedicated boiler rather than sharing one system across both households. A shared boiler ties one household's comfort to the other's usage and complicates any future separate sale or refinancing of either half.
A dedicated boiler per side keeps each unit self-contained and avoids one household's heating habits affecting the other's comfort or costs.
New Westminster's older, established lots are often narrower than newer suburban subdivisions, which means both halves of a duplex can end up with their boiler vents relatively close to each other, whether on a shared wall or facing walls across a narrow side yard. Each termination needs to clear the required distance not just from its own windows and doors but from the neighbouring unit's vent and openings as well.
Some New Westminster duplexes, particularly older conversions of a single-family home into two units, still have one gas meter serving both sides, while others have been fully separated with independent gas services. If the meter is shared, gas line sizing needs to account for both boilers' combined demand along with any other gas appliances on the property.
Confirming which setup applies to your duplex is a starting point before assuming either side's boiler can simply be upsized without checking the overall property's gas capacity.
Where a duplex is under two different owners, boiler work on one side sometimes requires coordinating access, timing, or shared infrastructure with the other owner, particularly if the gas meter or service line is shared. This is more of a logistical consideration than a technical one, but it is worth addressing directly rather than assuming the other owner is already aware.
Duplexes under single ownership avoid this coordination question but still need each side treated as its own heating system rather than one combined household.
Even where both sides of a duplex are similar in floor plan, actual household size, radiator or baseboard layout, and daily routines can differ between the two units, particularly in an older character duplex where past renovations may have affected each side differently. Sizing each boiler to its specific side's heat loss, rather than assuming both sides need identical equipment, gives a more accurate result for each household.
A technician assessing one side should still ask about the other side's setup, since shared infrastructure like the gas meter affects what capacity is available for either unit's system.
Safety note
Boiler installation on either side of a duplex must be performed by a Technical Safety BC licensed gas fitter, with vent placement checked against both units' openings and each other's vent terminations. If you smell gas on either side of the building, leave the area and call FortisBC at 1-800-663-9911 from a safe distance.
It is technically possible but uncommon and generally impractical, since it ties one household's comfort to the other's usage. Most duplexes have, or should have, a dedicated boiler for each side.
It can be, since narrower side yards typical of the city's established lots leave less room between the two units' vent terminations, which still need to clear required clearance distances from each other.
A licensed gas fitter can trace the service line during an assessment, or you may be able to confirm it by checking the meter itself. This affects how gas capacity is calculated for any new or upsized boiler.
It is not required, but if the gas service is shared, coordinating timing between the two units can simplify the work. It is worth discussing with the other owner before scheduling independently.
It depends on each side's actual heat loss, radiator or baseboard layout, and household size, so there is no assumption that both sides need matching equipment.
The owner of the unit having work done is generally responsible for pulling the permit through the City of New Westminster and hiring a Technical Safety BC licensed gas fitter, regardless of the other side's plans.
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