Condensing boiler drains - what are the rules please?

[aargh]

Hi all!
We had a new condensing boiler put in about 5 years ago. It is upstairs, so the drain pipe goes down the outside wall and finishes at the edge of our patio, where it just runs out over the flagstones right by the house wall. When it was installed, the fitters said that as only a small amount of water comes out, it was OK to just let it run over the flagstones and soak into the ground in between the stones or at the edges where there is exposed soil. So they didn't link it to a drain as there was not one close by.

Since then all was fine so far as we could tell. But this week I had a visit from our neighbour who's also just had a condensing boiler fitted. He says that HIS fitters told him that the pipe needs to go to a proper drain, or at least go further from the house, or it could damage the foundations. Apparently, some of the water from our drain is also running down to his patio (which is not far from the drain, and lower than ours...) and close to his house walls, so he is concerned that it could cause damage to his foundations (and ours!).

So - please can someone tell me whether this is right and what the regulations are - and whether our fitters told us porky pies?

Thanks for reading!

 

[Aquaheat]

Should terminate to drain or to a soakaway located at least 500mm from property.

 

[Paul Barker]

in your situation, but with the proviso someone like us would realy need to visit to advise properly, a soakaway sounds best.

If you go to a plumbers merchants and ask for a condesate soakaway and a bag of lime chippings the instructions for positioning are within.

It is probably the long external pipe run is in overflow pipe should be lagged but should ideally be in waste pipe AND lagged. And in a perfect install would come through the wall in waste pipe only use overflow pipe internally.

In reality not a huge problem but contravenes regs and neighbour involved. Good fences make good neighbours. put it right for peaceful life. Minor cost.

Absolute minimum lag external pipe fit proprietory soakaway as per manufacturers instuctions. When I was buying them trade they were £12 plus vat thereabouts bag of lime chippings about £3. If you have a nearby quary lime chippings are vertually buck shee they can't get rid of them.

Rather late in the day to report installer to corgi or gassafe inspection and get installer back. Wouldn't be expensive to just put it right and use the energy you would emply chasing up the issue relaxing or devoted to whatever your hobby is. Fix it quick forget about it and enjoy your life again.

Unless of course you have a miserable life anyway. in which case I am sure there are other forums more appropriate.

 

[aargh]

Thank you both, especially for the detailed info on the soakaway!

I think you are right, that is what we will have to do as there is no drain nearby. How big a hole do they need roughly? Hopefully we can fit one in somewhere not too far from the house (tho over the 500mm limit) so we don't end up with a huge long pipe sticking out.

Would be very satisfying to give the installer a good kicking, but as you say it's probably not worth wasting the energy given that it was several years ago now! I just hope it has not caused any damage already, do you think that's likely?

 

[Paul Barker]

You put the pipe to it underground aswell.

It is made out of 110 mm soil pipe I would dig a hole which you could fit a b and q bucket into fill soakaway device with lime chippings put it in bucket hole to depth on instructions, pipe up to it, fill around with chippings and stones top soil on top layer. Holes where water oozes out face away from your house wall.

There was a craze where installers drilled down with core drill sank the soakaway job done in a few minutes. problem is you could drill through something important. Safer to do it the manual way.

 

[gas4you]

There was a craze where installers drilled down with core drill sank the soakaway job done in a few minutes.

Never thought of that, I've always struggled with a trowel

 

[Paul Barker]

British Gas don't allow their installers to core drill downwards for health and safety and compensation claim reasons.

 

[leakydave]

The condensate is very good at keeping weeds and moss away!