condensing boiler drain question

[Vatt]

hi everyone

i recently got a new condensing boiler fitted. it cost me 2500 pounds in all (a bit on the pricy side?) and despite a few hiccups to begin with, it has been working really well. There is one issue though, that i wanted to get some expert opinion about--

the boiler has two drain pipes--one that flows inside the flat to the waste pipe, and another that goes through a hole in the wall behind the boiler and drips down the exterior wall. the residents association at the flat has been giving me grief about this second pipe--the water drips into the communal corridor, which they say it is unsightly and unhygienic. It's a fair point--I wasn't aware that this was going to be the setup before the work started, but when I asked the guy who installed it, he told me that the waste pipe HAD to go on the outside of the house. I don't really get why it couldn't be drained internally, but if there is a good reason why it has to drain outside, i'd very much like to know it so that i can explain it to the powers that be. or am i being fed gibberish?

any thoughts would be most welcome

 

[namsag]

This pipe should not be dripping so there must be a problem with the boiler or filling loop get them back if under g`tee.
Also there is a chance that this pipe will discharge water at approx boiling point so there maybe by- laws about discharging into a communial area.

 

[Doctor Drivel]

This pipe should not be dripping so there must be a problem with the boiler or filling loop get them back if under g`tee.
Also there is a chance that this pipe will discharge water at approx boiling point so there maybe by- laws about discharging into a communial area.

The boiler discharge pipe should run down to floor level and turn into the wall using a an elbow. If a discharge of water above 100C then it does not squirt onto anyone. The man who fitted it is a cowboy!!!

Atmos boilers have their boilers discharging into a tundish, then a HepVo trap and then into the internal drains.

Look at this, Atmos have a discharge into a HepVo trap and internal drains:

"Combined Safety Discharge and Condensate Drain
This is a unique option which means that there is no need for an external copper discharge pipe, as is normally required for unvented hot water systems. The 32mm waste pipe is taken to the nearest soil pipe or internal drain connection."

Look at this:
http://www.atmos.uk.com/core_files/productDoc(135).pdf

All in colour and clearly visible with a HepVo trap and brass Tundish.

http://www.atmos.uk.com/core_files/productDoc(131).pdf

Look at the above too. There is clearly two tundishes. One for the unvented side of the combi and one for the boiler discharge (primary water). Both feed into one HepVo trap.

Atmos say:

Subject to the approval of the Local Building Inspector, the Safety discharge pipe and condensate discharge pipe may be combined into a single common discharge pipe. Atmos have provisional approval for such an arrangement (copy of letter available on request)

The pressure vessel also needs attention as it is losing its charge.

 

[gas4you]

System or combi boilers do not fall under G3 regs that stipulate that discharge pipe must be no more than 100mm off the gound.

They can discharge onto a roof, if it is wide enough or into a hopper.

 

[Doctor Drivel]

System or combi boilers do not fall under G3 regs that stipulate that discharge pipe must be no more than 100mm off the gound.

They can discharge onto a roof, if it is wide enough or into a hopper.

If you are attempting to say that a discharge pipe in a common passage dripping on passers-by is correct, you are totally and utterly wrong. Look harder.

Who is mentioning G3? Atmos discharge their CH into a tundish and then a HepVo trap.

 

[kirkgas]

if it is the blow off it can discharge at any height but it should be turned back to the wall so that if it does discharge the water will flow onto then down the wall safely rather than on top of someone, although i have seen many in flats where the boilers are all vertically in the same line with the blow off from the flat above right in line with the flue

 

[JPC]

who was asking about atmos....r u paid to advertise them ?

I'm no corgi but i have never been told to fit a blow off all the way to ground. but if people might walk under it, ie down a passage then, yes but a bend in it and move it the left or right.

Does the pressure remain the same ? i take it you must be filling/topping it up ?

Either way, the installer should come round and check and if under guaranty get the manufacturer to come out and fix it

 

[Doctor Drivel]

who was asking about atmos....r u paid to advertise them ?

Did you read what was written? Did you get the point?

 

[Vatt]

thanks for your thoughts guys.

I wish i'd known about that boiler that doesn't ned a discharge pipe beforehand. now i'm just hoping that they're not going to make me replace the new ariston boiler!

you are right in that the discharge pipe isn't really dripping--it's actually the steam discharge overhead that is condensing on the ceiling to drip down onto the communal passageway. but the residents association don't seem to have noticed this. the copper discharge pipe itself is only about 1m off the ground, and is curved back so that any spillage would run down the wall. it does look ugly, and they might try to get me to get rid of it even if there is no drip--so can this be connected up to the drains internally, rather than outside? if not, why does it have to be outside? is it a safety issue? any reason i can give to explain the setup will hopefully help in pacifying my neighbours...

about the drips from the steam vent--i guess i need to look into getting a 'coaxial extension' (?) pipe to carry it over past the passageway. i'm hoping that i don't get complaints about that being unsightly, in which case i don't really see what can be done about it apart from getting a new non-condensing boiler or relocating the current one to another part of the house.

cheers

 

[The Baker]

Hello Vatt, is there any chance of a few pictures of the relevant bits as some pictorial aids could enable the trusty team to offer you advice based on what they see, not what they think you have seen.

Tim

PS it is so very windy up here in the North West that its woken me up

 

[Vatt]

thanks for the suggestion tim--i'm afraid i'm not at home at the moment, and it will take a few days to get any pictoral aids up. but in the meantime, i did find the following picture on the internet, which is pretty much the same set up as mine:

http://www.gas-safety-group.com/boiler2.jpg

you will see that the copper pipe on the extreme right goes into the wall and drains outside. my main question at this point is--why does the pipe have to drain externally? why can't it be drained inside the house?

pls let me know if there are any inclarities.

cheers again

 

[The Baker]

Think I am correct in saying that the pipe on the right hand side of the boiler in your picture is the pipe that leads from the system over pressure valve.

It should not dribble.

The pipe is meant to exit where it will not cause harm.

Some one else has asked about the system pressures, both hot and cold.



Post up more pictures as and when.

Tim

 

[cowley]

Hi forget the pipe which is a safety discharge pipe and nothing will be coming out of it except in a fault condition, you should be lookig at getting the flue extended to where it won't condense on the underside of the walkway or see if the manufacturers do a plume kit for your boiler.

 

[Vatt]

thanks for the pointers guys.

will duly look into getting a horizontal plume kit for the steam discharge, and hopefully the absence of a puddle in the walkway will pacify the residents association...

but i have one last question in case there are complaints about the aforementioned safety discharge pipe being 'unsightly' (not beyond their pettiness!):

-can the safety discharge pipe be repositioned internally (connected to the drains in the house or some such)?

they might argue that the walkway needs to be clear of protrusions for health and safety reasons, and if the discharge pipe has to stick out of the wall (like the installer said), i want to be able to cite an indisputable reason why it can't be otherwise.

it really doesn't help that none of the other flats in my block have a discharge pipe coming out through their walls... could it be that they have their emergency discharge pipes connected to their internal drain pipes?

 

[cowley]

The discharge pipe needs to be visible so you can tell if something is wrong so outside turned back to wall , need only be a few inches in length so won't be a health & safety issue as long as it discharges onto wall a not straight out.