External condensate pipe freezing

External condensate pipe freezing

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Discussion

Arese

Original Poster:

21,007 posts

186 months

Friday 8th January 2010
quotequote all
Gah! The condensate pipe from my boiler runs outside, down the wall and into the drains. By a process of elimation I've worked out that it has frozen, and now the boiler isn't working frown

I'm going to go outside and try and defrost it with kettles of hot water and a hairdryer, but does anyone else have any tips? Particularly how to prevent it freezing again? Should I lag it for this cold snap? I went to B&Q last night but they didn't have any of the insulation stuff in the right size, the external pipework is 32mm I believe.

I think what I need is something like this, but like I say B&Q didn't have the correct size.



Cheers Guys

fatboy b

9,492 posts

215 months

mouseymousey

2,641 posts

236 months

Friday 8th January 2010
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Colleague of mine had the same problem. After lagging the pipe it's been fine.


FrankHovis

415 posts

203 months

Friday 8th January 2010
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I've just spent the last 2 hours freezing my bks off outside thawing out my condensate pipe grumpy. The pipe drains into the garage gutter and rather than draining away, has filled the gutter up with ice and then backed up the pipe. All done now though and bolier back to normal. Those radiators feel soooo good nowsmile

Arese

Original Poster:

21,007 posts

186 months

Friday 8th January 2010
quotequote all
FrankHovis said:
I've just spent the last 2 hours freezing my bks off outside thawing out my condensate pipe grumpy. The pipe drains into the garage gutter and rather than draining away, has filled the gutter up with ice and then backed up the pipe. All done now though and bolier back to normal. Those radiators feel soooo good nowsmile
Git! What method did you use? Kettle of water? I've tried a couple of full kettles, but I still think it's frozen. I'm considering drilling a hole at the top of the pipe, and using a funnel to pour boiling water in. What do you reckon? I'll lag the pipe afterwards so not too worried about the hole.

Fatboy, that stuff looks good. I'll venture out to B&Q/Homebase to see if they have any once I've defrosted this pipe.

Edited by Arese on Friday 8th January 10:32

lewes

361 posts

175 months

Friday 8th January 2010
quotequote all
Arese said:
the external pipework is 32mm I believe.
I doubt its 32mm. I cant remember but I think Copper tube is measured by the ID and not the OD.


Copper tube comes in 15mm, 22, 28, 35, 42, 54 and 76mm.

Overflow is either 19mm or 21.5mm depending on the manufacturer.





Dr_Rick

1,592 posts

247 months

Friday 8th January 2010
quotequote all
Had the same issue rear its head a couple of days ago, then thawed a bit and the problem went away. Now last night when it dropped to about -15C it came back. In the interim I lagged the pipe with that foam stuff from B&Q but I think there come a point where it will just freeze. Incicentally, the boiler is working just fine despite the frozen pipe; it seems to drip from a push fit joint just beneath the boiler and I simply collect the water and pour away as necessary.

Dr Rick

Arese

Original Poster:

21,007 posts

186 months

Friday 8th January 2010
quotequote all
lewes said:
Arese said:
the external pipework is 32mm I believe.
I doubt its 32mm. I cant remember but I think Copper tube is measured by the ID and not the OD.


Copper tube comes in 15mm, 22, 28, 35, 42, 54 and 76mm.

Overflow is either 19mm or 21.5mm depending on the manufacturer.
It's black plastic. I assumed it was 32mm because that was one of the sizes they had at B&Q, but to be honest it might be 35mm.

Edited by Arese on Friday 8th January 11:07

Arese

Original Poster:

21,007 posts

186 months

Friday 8th January 2010
quotequote all
Dr_Rick said:
Had the same issue rear its head a couple of days ago, then thawed a bit and the problem went away. Now last night when it dropped to about -15C it came back. In the interim I lagged the pipe with that foam stuff from B&Q but I think there come a point where it will just freeze. Incicentally, the boiler is working just fine despite the frozen pipe; it seems to drip from a push fit joint just beneath the boiler and I simply collect the water and pour away as necessary.

Dr Rick
Hmm, be careful. If the condensate can't get out then I think it will back up the pipe, hence your dripping joint. Mine is doing the same now.

BUT, I've just drilled a 10mm hole at the very top of the external pipe and it was full of ice. I've just poured a full kettle of boiling water down there and it's starting to come through the other end. I could actually see the pipe changing shape as the ice melted! There's still a bit of ice in the pipe that goes back to the boiler but I should be able to get at that easy enough.

Then I'll just bung the 10mm hole I drilled, then lag the pipe. thumbup

Munter

31,319 posts

240 months

Friday 8th January 2010
quotequote all
This is why I had mine routed inside....to replace the other one inside which someone had melted when soldering the copper joint for the outside tap.

British Gas wanted to run the new pipe outside. I got a local guy to do it inside and it go's into the drain for the sink.

The other option if insulation doesn't do it it trace heating.

FrankHovis

415 posts

203 months

Friday 8th January 2010
quotequote all
Arese said:
FrankHovis said:
I've just spent the last 2 hours freezing my bks off outside thawing out my condensate pipe grumpy. The pipe drains into the garage gutter and rather than draining away, has filled the gutter up with ice and then backed up the pipe. All done now though and bolier back to normal. Those radiators feel soooo good nowsmile
Git! What method did you use? Kettle of water? I've tried a couple of full kettles, but I still think it's frozen. I'm considering drilling a hole at the top of the pipe, and using a funnel to pour boiling water in. What do you reckon? I'll lag the pipe afterwards so not too worried about the hole.

Fatboy, that stuff looks good. I'll venture out to B&Q/Homebase to see if they have any once I've defrosted this pipe.

Edited by Arese on Friday 8th January 10:32
I chiselled the ice out of the gutter rolleyes and then used a hairdryer. The pipe is only a couple of feet long and as soon as it started to warm, the ice started to slide out in one piece. I just had to keep breaking an inch at a time off as the gutter was in the way! It was lagged in the first place but I think its the gutter freezing which has caused the pipe to block and freeze. Its the first time its ever done it. It is bloody cold though.

lewes

361 posts

175 months

Friday 8th January 2010
quotequote all
Arese said:
lewes said:
Arese said:
the external pipework is 32mm I believe.
I doubt its 32mm. I cant remember but I think Copper tube is measured by the ID and not the OD.


Copper tube comes in 15mm, 22, 28, 35, 42, 54 and 76mm.

Overflow is either 19mm or 21.5mm depending on the manufacturer.
It's black plastic. I assumed it was 32mm because that was one of the sizes they had at B&Q, but to be honest it might be 35mm.

Edited by Arese on Friday 8th January 11:07
Its more likely to be 32mm (or 1.1/4") Waste Pipe then.

You may need to go to a plumbers merchant and get some 35mm pipe insulation and cable tie it or go to a Sheffield Insulation (SIG) and see what they can offer.

Arese

Original Poster:

21,007 posts

186 months

Friday 8th January 2010
quotequote all
lewes said:
Arese said:
lewes said:
Arese said:
the external pipework is 32mm I believe.
I doubt its 32mm. I cant remember but I think Copper tube is measured by the ID and not the OD.


Copper tube comes in 15mm, 22, 28, 35, 42, 54 and 76mm.

Overflow is either 19mm or 21.5mm depending on the manufacturer.
It's black plastic. I assumed it was 32mm because that was one of the sizes they had at B&Q, but to be honest it might be 35mm.

Edited by Arese on Friday 8th January 11:07
Its more likely to be 32mm (or 1.1/4") Waste Pipe then.

You may need to go to a plumbers merchant and get some 35mm pipe insulation and cable tie it or go to a Sheffield Insulation (SIG) and see what they can offer.
Cheers Lewes. I've just been to Homebase, Wickes, & B&Q and none of them stock the right size stuff, or have any of that Thermawrap.

So, I've wrapped the pipe in a sleeping bag and tie-wrapped it hehe

Ferg

15,242 posts

256 months

Friday 8th January 2010
quotequote all
FrankHovis said:
I've just spent the last 2 hours freezing my bks off outside thawing out my condensate pipe grumpy. The pipe drains into the garage gutter...
yikes Into a rainwater drain!!!

911DM

4,270 posts

186 months

Friday 8th January 2010
quotequote all
Ferg said:
FrankHovis said:
I've just spent the last 2 hours freezing my bks off outside thawing out my condensate pipe grumpy. The pipe drains into the garage gutter...
yikes Into a rainwater drain!!!
eek! What's wrong with that? Ours runs into a rainwater soakaway!

Ferg

15,242 posts

256 months

Friday 8th January 2010
quotequote all
Unless it passes through some sort of renewable neutralising cartridge it's, frankly, illegal. Since the Condensate plumbing is notifiable under building regulations that makes the whole installation illegal. Make the installer do it properly.
On the benchmark certificate did he tick the box that confirms " The condensate drain has been installed in accordance with the manufacturer's instructions" ?

911DM

4,270 posts

186 months

Friday 8th January 2010
quotequote all
Our house was only built 2 years ago so I should hope complies with all new building regs!

Ferg

15,242 posts

256 months

Friday 8th January 2010
quotequote all
To be honest, in theory ANY condensate pipe that freezes is also illegal since it's the responsibility of the installer to make sure it doesn't freeze!

Arese

Original Poster:

21,007 posts

186 months

Friday 8th January 2010
quotequote all
Ferg said:
To be honest, in theory ANY condensate pipe that freezes is also illegal since it's the responsibility of the installer to make sure it doesn't freeze!
Interesting scratchchin

So if my boiler was installed in March 2007, and the condensate pipe has frozen, do I have recourse if anything bad happens to my boiler?

Ferg

15,242 posts

256 months

Friday 8th January 2010
quotequote all
Just the first instructions I found....