With the cold weather freezing up the condensate drain outlets, is there any particular reason why they are installed to an external drain? Its only water so why not drain it into an existing sink/bath waste pipe.
Boiler Condensate Drain
- Thread starter Doug99
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Must admit my condensate drain is internal the actual outlet runs into an internal sink waste drainage system.
What ****es me off is the numptie installers who run a plastic condensate drain externally but make no attempts to insulate it? given present weather conditions UK wide, never mind what Scotland tends to endure yearly this practice is crazy? --- no insulation Etc, even worse, is when some house proud owner removes any applied Insulation , because, " The colour of the Insulation clashed with the paint colour on my window"??? Seriously I have had that discussion???
What ****es me off is the numptie installers who run a plastic condensate drain externally but make no attempts to insulate it? given present weather conditions UK wide, never mind what Scotland tends to endure yearly this practice is crazy? --- no insulation Etc, even worse, is when some house proud owner removes any applied Insulation , because, " The colour of the Insulation clashed with the paint colour on my window"??? Seriously I have had that discussion???
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Although the condensate is slightly acidic it can be plumbed internally to waste ,and is now probably the preferred method. When condensing boilers were first introduced ,not much thought was given to freezing up in the UK.
I think most installers would rather use an internal drain option where practical it saves drilling through a wall for one. Not always possible though. Should be in 1 1/4" Outside minimum anything less is just lazy.
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I unblocked my neighbours one today, 1.5 m of 22mm horizontal pipe work. They have cover with BG but can not come out until next Wednesday.
Andy
Andy
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That your good deed for the day Andy ,or did you offer to match BG's price with a quicker service thrown In free 
regards terry
regards terry
shoddy installers.
She's a good neighbour , she takes in all of my deliveries.
Andy
Andy
A possibly cautionary tail?
The neighbours upstairs have a Condensing boiler, the condensate drain has frozen, nothing unusual there then??
BUT??
the The boiler is sited in an Un-Heated room, the drain is completely internal, no pipework exposed to the somewhat stiff breeze at -4C at present.
Worth considering how to avoid the above? especially in say a Garage??
Ken.
The neighbours upstairs have a Condensing boiler, the condensate drain has frozen, nothing unusual there then??
BUT??
the The boiler is sited in an Un-Heated room, the drain is completely internal, no pipework exposed to the somewhat stiff breeze at -4C at present.
Worth considering how to avoid the above? especially in say a Garage??
Ken.
Pipework/equipment can freeze anywhere if it gets cold enough, being inside is no guarantee. I remember in my apprentice days, a bungalow managed by a trust my Dad was involved with was left empty, pending a new tenant, so Dad went in and drained the pipework and heating system.
A Decorator was employed to give the place a lick of paint, he turned the water on (he claimed briefly) to wash his brushes. We were in there a week later fitting a new boiler as it had frozen and was wrecked....
A Decorator was employed to give the place a lick of paint, he turned the water on (he claimed briefly) to wash his brushes. We were in there a week later fitting a new boiler as it had frozen and was wrecked....
Fortunately, we do not get this type of low temperatures across the entire UK too often.
Could be that in unheated areas thought should be given the installing trace heating wrapped around the Condensate pipework the trace heating element controlled by a stat set to say + 5C ??
Could be that in unheated areas thought should be given the installing trace heating wrapped around the Condensate pipework the trace heating element controlled by a stat set to say + 5C ??
It can do no harm, provided it is checked and maintained. (No good waiting until its -4 outside and finding the trace heating isn't working!) It is fitted a lot on emergency showers, where chemicals are present, to ensure the shower will function at all times in the event of a chemical spill.
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