How to stop my condensate pipe from freezing

keith_r59

andrew-b wrote: »

IMHO what is a simple issue has been blown out of all proportion via the media and it just highlights the number of bad installations out there. Plus of course the temperatures this year have been abnormally low. There are a ton of condensing boilers across the world not just in britain yet you don't hear about problems elsewhere...perhaps we should ask ourselves why?

I have to agree that all this has highlighted is that there are a lot of cowboy installers out there. I had a new Worcester Bosch condensing boiler installed a couple of years ago and the manual clearly stated that the external condensate pipe should be a minimum of 32mm, but then I did use a Worcester Bosch accredited installer and not a local plumber.

jammiev

hi, thanks all, can you buy a push fit connector to connect the current piping to a length of 40mm pipe

jammiev

aboard_epsilon wrote: »

Wonder if you could do this ..or it would work

Buy a 6 foot length of earth cable.

Remove insulation ..rap the copper conductors several times around the hot boiler outlet pipe ......direct the rest of the copper through a hole in the condensate pipe and let it dangle inside...seal the hole.

Leave insulation on the part from the hot pipe to the condensate pipe.

Theory ..copper conducts heat very efficiently right to the end of the copper wires...so puts some warmth inside the condensate pipe.

all the best.markj

anyone think this is a good idea?

crumblepie

chatty123 wrote: »

my mother had the same prob last year.
so hubby unclipped the pipe leading from the boiler indoors and put the end into a bowl underneath that will catch the escaping water..

this was seen by the gas engineers on the annual service and said this is the best way to combat the freezing probs.

Exactly what I've had to do. Seems the easiest solution. It was a new boiler and only installed a couple of weeks before the pipe froze up. I'm happy with my bucket set up as the boiler is in a room I don't use much.

roddydogs

So you've just had a new boiler installed, and have to muck about with bowls?

chatty123

roddydogs wrote: »

So you've just had a new boiler installed, and have to muck about with bowls?

Yes but at 76 years old we cant take the chance of her heating packing up. the boiler is in the corner of the kitchen with the pipe sat in an old small persil plastic container. she empties the water regularly so its not too unslightly on the worktop.

needs must

roddydogs

But why didnt you play "Merry Hell" with the installer.......I would have.

zzzLazyDaisy

Can anyone give me a link for the regulations for the size of the condensate pipe please?

Warm Front installed my boiler, it is in an upstairs room. The pipe runs vertically to the floor with a 90 degree turn and then a 6 foot horizontal run along the ground to the drainage pipe. The condensate pipe is very thin (I haven't measured it).

I have had it lagged with no effect, so I've now had the vertical length cut so the water just flows out onto the garden - not ideal as I know the water is corrosive and I have a garden pond not far from the pipe, but I am disabled and can't risk being without heating and I've already spent far too much on plumbers fees this winter (I do have a maintenance contract with warm sure, but I am told that it doesn't cover a frozen condensate pipe).

I really want them to come out and rectify the faulty installation, but need ammo to show that the pipe is not within the correct diameter regulations, if that's possible?

alanobrien

zzzLazyDaisy wrote: »

Can anyone give me a link for the regulations for the size of the condensate pipe please?

Warm Front installed my boiler, it is in an upstairs room. The pipe runs vertically to the floor with a 90 degree turn and then a 6 foot horizontal run along the ground to the drainage pipe. The condensate pipe is very thin (I haven't measured it).

I have had it lagged with no effect, so I've now had the vertical length cut so the water just flows out onto the garden - not ideal as I know the water is corrosive and I have a garden pond not far from the pipe, but I am disabled and can't risk being without heating and I've already spent far too much on plumbers fees this winter (I do have a maintenance contract with warm sure, but I am told that it doesn't cover a frozen condensate pipe).

I really want them to come out and rectify the faulty installation, but need ammo to show that the pipe is not within the correct diameter regulations, if that's possible?

Here's a link to the Defra guide assessment proceedure. (its a PDF file)
Take a look at appendix C.

http://www.idhee.org.uk/ExceptionsGuide.pdf

crumblepie

roddydogs wrote: »

So you've just had a new boiler installed, and have to muck about with bowls?

In my case yes. It's the landlords responsibility. In a way I was lucky the old boiler packed in and new one installed before all the weeks of sub zero temperatures we've had. The frozen pipe has a vertical drop on the outside wall, so I'm not sure how it managed to freeze, and apart from that I didn't have a chance of defrosting the pipe as the boiler is in a bedroom. ( I don't possess any ladders:)). The plumber suggested the bucket idea and as the snow has only just gone - he will be back to look at it again.