Boiler Problems: How To Fix a Frozen Condensate Pipe

BlatantFowl

The bad weather is bringing us all problems but just in case any of you have a boiler that is not working then there may be one simple thing you can do to fix it yourself and save the expense (and the wait) of getting an engineer to look at it.

I work for Worcester Bosch, a manufacturer of heating systems in the UK and one problem that is affecting all condensing boilers no matter what make or brand in this bad weather is a frozen condensate pipe.

It is the small pipe (usually 32mm diameter) that comes out of the back of the boiler and through the wall of your property and usually points downwards running down the wall into a drain. Sometimes this pipe stays internal or is really well lagged by your installer as per the manufacturer's instructions but if it isn't then the condensate can freeze in the pipe and stop the boiler.

If you think this has happened to you then follow the instructions in this YouTube video link below remembering to remain safe at all times. If you live in a flat and the pipe is high up the wall then please take extra care or leave it to a professional.

Sorry, as a new user I have not been allowed to post a link but please instead go to YouTube and search for.....
How to unfreeze a frozen condensate pipe
and it is the first video you will see.

I hope this helps somebody out there. Good luck and Merry Christmas!

Moneybot

This would have been useful yesterday!
Thawed out pipe with hair dryer not sure how safe that was.

Freddie_Snowbits

Here is the link

How to unfreeze a frozen condensate pipe


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cggwnZhvTPk

neilmcl

If you work for WB then you'll know the standard condensate pipe is usually 22mm, not 32mm as you suggested. If it was 32mm then you'd have less chance of a frozen pipe. I've already posted the video a number of times now.

BlatantFowl

neilmcl wrote: »

If you work for WB then you'll know the standard condensate pipe is usually 22mm, not 32mm as you suggested. If it was 32mm then you'd have less chance of a frozen pipe. I've already posted the video a number of times now.

Yes agreed Neil it would have been better for me to say the ideal diameter rather than the usual.

I searched first and did not find your earlier posts but thanks for trying to spread the word about this issue already.

jemjem48

Hi
I have a baxi back boiler,was working this morning have come home tonight and got no heating, does not appear to be a pilot light, have tried lighting no joy, is it lieky to be boiler or frozen pipe? have water
Help!!!!!!

BlatantFowl

I am sorry but that could be any number of things. I'd suggest calling Baxi support to see if they can talk you through it.

ollski

This is always worth a try but I have had 4m lagged lengths of 40mm freezing solid right along the length. Get someone in to either reroute or, if not possible, fit a good trace heater. Mucking around in snow and ice with kettles of hot water can't be preferable. The other problem with the reactive solution is the damage done when the condensate backs up. On many models it can leak into the combustion chamber and corrode the case, flood gas valves and fans etc at several hundred pounds each. I've seen loads as these are now 80% of my day!

saver_1_2

I was thinking of replacing our 15 year old boiler next year for one of these all singing all dancing condensing boilers. I have since been reading about them and just about everyone has had this frozen pipe problem. A work colleague had one fitted last month with the pipe running out his back wall for about 4ft into his waste pipe 2 weeks later he has cut this off and got a very short pipe coming out near his downfall pipe so only about 1ft is on the outside wall.
What worries me about getting one is i don't fancy standing out side at silly o'clock with a kettle several times in the winter months. I have even read reports of lagging does not stop the problem, don't ask me how it's only what i have read.
Whats the solution it has beaten me eather get our old one serviced and keep on paying more or get a condensing boiler and be prepared to boil the kettle more time than you have to. Confused

Swipe

A simple way around this is to get the installer to route the condensate pipe internally to an inside drain if possible

Pincher

Swipe wrote: »

A simple way around this is to get the installer to route the condensate pipe internally to an inside drain if possible

No. Force at gun point.

I had two condensing boilers in two different properties put in this year. In both cases I told them I wanted internal routing.
They totally ignored me, and it's only by checking on progress every few hours and physically stopping them that I got what I asked for.

In one case, the sink waste pipe was right next to the floor standing boiler, but the RGI had farmed out the piping work to another guy, who was "working towards qualification". Obviously the message didn't get passed on, so he was going to drill the hole on auto-pilot. This other guy was also going to leave the flue sticking out of the wall by 40cm, blocking half the side passage, because he wanted to make the installation "safer"! Both of them didn't realise the boiler didn't have a circulation pump, so they had to desolder some pipe work to put it in.

In the second case, "I only have a 40cm masonry drill bit" was the other RGI's reason for doing what he always does, i.e. run the condensate pipe straight out. I went and bought a 1 metre masonry drill bit, did the diagnonal 25mm hole myself, with a 15 degree slant, inserted the 22mm white plastic pipe, and watched him connect it to the sink waste pipe before he gets any more labour saving bright ideas.