Condensate Boiler Pipe Frozen

andy208833

Got exactly the same problem, outside pipe has frozen but luckily heard the boiler making funny noises so disconnected internally and am draining indoors.

Looking at other peoples suggestions am going to have to come up with an internal solution i think to stop this happening again.

jue

We've had the same problem with a worcester bosch 30 cdi boiler. The condensate pipe which is 22 mm runs outside for approx a 3 meter run. It has a good fall off rate and runs into a soak away pipe from a rain gutter. It is lagged very well. It is in a relatively sheltered spot between two houses... This part of our property tends not to get icey! Have had to go out twice now in 24 hours with hot water to thaw it out. Will now look at increasing the pipe size, what else can we do? The boiler is only two 1/2 years old, never had these problems with our old conventional bolier!

BlatantFowl

Search this forum for the word "Condensate" and you will find the solution I have just posted. Sorry that I cannot post a link here as I am prevented as a new user.

Hope it help, good luck and Merry Christmas!

BARGAINHUNTER!

Instead of using a steamer to defrost it why not use a hairdryer? My cold feed into the house froze this morning so I had no water, but a 5 min burst of the hairdryer sorted it. I know its not a solution but should get it defrosted for you. Unfortunately these cold temperatures are unprecidented and I know loads of people with frozen pipes at the moment who have never experienced this before. But def get the person who installed the boiler back to do a perm fix when you can.

ic

Just been to B&Q to pick up the insulation, and got chatting to two other people who have the same problem! If the stock checker says a store has stock, but it isn't on the plumbing aisle - look around, I found all the stock of pipe insulation on two ends - one by the radiators, and another by the loft insulation. I only found it on my way out, as a member of staff looked it up on the computer and said they had none (despite the screen clearly showing 93 in stock!).

bamblolo

Mine keeps freezing but luckily i know now when it is going to happen as boiler makes funny noises. My boiler is 1 year old and is worcestor bosch 28i Greenstar. I am full of flu and have had to go out in the snow on a stepladder to pour kettle of boiling water down pipe(not very health and safety i know) I also tried hairdryer but took too long. As i am a single mum and we really need this sorting out i went to B+Q they didnt have any that was big enough. I then went to plumbing supplies who advised they were completey sold out. What i would like to know is if some one can tell me what size i should be buying. The condensate pipe is black plastic polypipe and it says it is 36mmX1.8mm EIN455. I have tried to look on some other plumbing sites but they only seem to do 35mm. Would i be able to use this as i will probably have to try put it on myself and is it relatively easy to do? Thanks for your help.

matttaylor

Had my WB 30CDi install for 5 years now and this is the first year I've suffered this problem.

The 22mm condensate pipe exists the loft at the side of the roof straight into the guttering at an angle of about 20 degrees. Unfortunately the guttering doesn't slope enough either so that just gathers, freezes and builds a stalagmite/stalactite up to the end of the pipe which freezes and eventually blocks.

Like others, I've disconnected at the source and routed the condensate into a bucket. Long term I'll probably hook up a flexible hose to an internal waste pipe like the kitchen sink. They say winters are going to be like this for the next few years.

Looking at the posts in this thread, it does seem to be mainly Worcester Bosch owners complaining though.

Arfa__

Our Worcester RD532 froze up on Monday too. Recently had it in the loft, the condensate does have a reasonable fall, but routes into guttering. Roof was covered in ice and snow, so it didn't stand much chance really. I had a fan heater going in loft and then defrosted the hose pipe to spray the roof from outside. Right PITA. Just can't get to it easily. Anyway I've got more thick insulation for the pipe work in the loft, dunno if that'll help. Probably just be the outside bit freezing up.

Did read in manual that the boiler has a condensate trap, where it collects 100ml of condensate, before releasing it, to help prevent freezing. Then after defrosting it, flashes a ᅥᅡ symbol, to indicate its filling up again, where upon it runs at a limited level for 15 mins, before running normally. Not much help here though.

I've also got a copper pipe leading off from the boiler onto roof, along side the 32mm white plastic one. What's that for?

Does such a product exist, some sort of electric element wrap for the pipe, to warm it gentle in below 0°C conditions. Might even conduct enough to warm parts of pipe further along outside?

C.C.L.

Our condensate pipe was frozen yesterday morning too, Worcester boiler.It's the 3rd time in as many weeks, but yesterday we couldn't thaw the pipe out no matter what we tried.We ended up doing what a few on here did, and cut the pipe from the boiler so it could go into a bucket.Short term soloution, but when the installer came out we asked him to fit something so we could bypass the exterior pipe in the future if the weather like this continues, and he said he will sort it so we have this option.

996ducati

Arfa__ wrote: »

Our Worcester RD532 froze up on Monday

Does such a product exist, some sort of electric element wrap for the pipe, to warm it gentle in below 0°C conditions. Might even conduct enough to warm parts of pipe further along outside?

Something like this maybe?

http://www.tlc-direct.co.uk/Products/CCPGE01.html