Boiler Condensate pipe leaking - Advice needed

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Hello,

I have a dilemma. We moved house last year and had to call out the heating engineer as my Vaillant boiler had a leak. This turned out to be a plastic pipe inside that was cracked and leaking. This was fixed but the engineer noticed that my boiler was also leaking from the condensate pipe. The engineer blew air down the pipe and said that he could feel water sat in the pipe. He suspected the pipe fixings had come loose under the floor and the pipe was sagging and potentially causing the backup in condensate waste.

The boiler is situated upstairs in the hallway airing cupboard and the condensate waste pipe drops downstairs along the chimney breast and under the wooden floors in the lounge and across the tiled kitchen floor and out the front wall into the drain. To complicate things further, we have wet underfloor heating downstairs so presumably, there is concrete screed under the floor etc.

So I think it's safe to say that fixing this sagging pipe is not an option.

The heating engineer suggested that I lifted my nice oak floor upstairs and run a new pipe along the hallway and out the wall of the front of the house, down the wall and into the drain. I really don't like this option as the floor is immaculate and runs into the bedrooms etc. It would be a shame to ruin it... The other option I come up with is using a 'scalemaster condense master' filter to neutralise the acidic waste and run the pipe through my fitted wardrobe and out the back of the house and down the wall and drain naturally under my decking (no drain nearby).

This was looking like the best option as I plan to clad the house at some point anyway so the ugly pipe shouldn't be a real problem, but then I read about the pipe freezing and then stopping the boiler from working...... Now I don't know what's the best option.... I've also read that the external pipe shouldn't be longer than 2.5 metres.

The current external waste pipe is 21.5mm and I've read that external pipe should be at least 30mm.

If I did need to insulate the pipe, I've seen this Armaflex pipe insulation recommended.

Any ideas/advice please, I'm a bit stuck on this one!
 
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I'm not sure if a pump is required, I can get a slope through my wardrobe and out the wall but then I'm concerned about freezing on the external pipe. I see that trace heating seems to be an option here. My next concern is, if I do clad the house and then the trace heating breaks, how do I fix.....
 
The pump would be (hopefully) instead of an external run - you can pump it to a soil stack within the house. Is there a soil vent going through the roof somewhere?
 
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The pump would be (hopefully) instead of an external run - you can pump it to a soil stack within the house. Is there a soil vent going through the roof somewhere?

Oh, I see. Hmm, the next problem is that attic is 100% boarded, floors and roof, (not sure why) so I can't even see if there is a soil stack. I will investigate though.
 
If the pump is an option, can somebody recommend something suitable? I typically aim to buy quality so I haven't got to replace in 6 months time.
 
The boiler is situated upstairs in the hallway airing cupboard and the condensate waste pipe drops downstairs along the chimney breast and under the wooden floors in the lounge and across the tiled kitchen floor and out the front wall into the drain.
Jeez.That is a long awkward run...Can you not just take it straight out and make a soakaway?
 
Such an awkward place having a condensing boiler in a hall cupboard in the centre of the house if the floor can't come up or a noisy condi pump is unfavourable.
If nothing else just to run the flue is a PITA (never like punching through a sealed roof, you often see some nightmares), never mind finding a route for the condensate.

I would always try to relocate if at all possible.
 
Such an awkward place having a condensing boiler in a hall cupboard in the centre of the house if the floor can't come up or a noisy condi pump is unfavourable.
If nothing else just to run the flue is a PITA (never like punching through a sealed roof, you often see some nightmares), never mind finding a route for the condensate.

I would always try to relocate if at all possible.


Yes, I agree. If we ever have building work done, I will look to relocate.

Apologies, what does this mean 'If nothing else just to run the flue is a PITA (never like punching through a sealed roof, you often see some nightmares), never mind finding a route for the condensate.
 
Yes, I agree. If we ever have building work done, I will look to relocate.

Apologies, what does this mean 'If nothing else just to run the flue is a PITA (never like punching through a sealed roof, you often see some nightmares), never mind finding a route for the condensate.

Actually, just re-read, your saying a flue up through the roof is a pain in the ass :)
 
Such an awkward place having a condensing boiler in a hall cupboard in the centre of the house if the floor can't come up or a noisy condi pump is unfavourable.
Wouldn`t say that a pump is that noisy if set up correctly.
 

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