Frozen condensate pipe

[elisa123]

Our condensate pipe goes outside. Yesterday we put some bubble wrap round the pipe but there was a 10 cm icicle hanging on it this morning. There was also some ice in the pipe which melted after having used warm water from a kettle on it. All the nearby shops are out of proper insulation material and I put some different insulation round the pipe for now. Hopefully will get some proper pipe insulation tomorrow. Should we extend the pipe with a downwards bend? We are in a block of flats there is no way of having the pipe draining inside. The boiler is working.
Thanks for your help.

 

[Mottie]

Shouldn’t that be a bigger pipe if it goes outside the house?

 

[ETAF]

when i had my boilers fitted (had 2 in different properties), i was told the condensate had to go either into a sewer drain or a special soak-a-way for boiler condensate - not just empty onto the ground
I remember because that caused all sorts of extra pipe work run within a room , and very inconvenient at the time , ended up going around 2 walls - through a wall and into the stackpipe, very unsightly

 

[elisa123]

The boiler was fitted 3 years ago before we bought the flat. We had 2 annual boiler services done and nobody commented on the pipe.

 

[terryplumb]

The boiler was fitted 3 years ago before we bought the flat. We had 2 annual boiler services done and nobody commented on the pipe.

They probably didn't even look at it.

 

[Sonic70]

Not a plumber but I'm sure the condensate pipe shouldnt be installed like that.

 

[SandyLyon]

Ideally the 22mm plastic condensate pipe work should be connected internally (soil stack, sink waste pipe etc), if not possible then externally it should be increased to 32mm and insulated to discharge into a gully or suitably constructed soak away.

The HHIC states that: ‘When fitting a new or replacement boiler, the condensate discharge pipe should be connected to an internal ‘gravity discharge point’, such as an internal soil stack, internal kitchen or bathroom waste pipe such as sink, basin, bath or shower waste. Where there’s no other option than to run the pipe externally, the pipe needs to be increased to at least a 30 mm inside diameter and insulated to help prevent freezing.’

 

[JohnD]

The boiler was fitted 3 years ago before we bought the flat. We had 2 annual boiler services done and nobody commented on the pipe.

You ought to know that condensate is acidic and eats through concrete, mortar and most stone.

God only knows what incompetent halfwit ran the pipe like that.

How far away from the boiler is your kitchen?

 

[Madrab]

Totally wrong ... that pipe should be increased to 32mm when it comes through the wall and then (as suggested) run to a downpipe/gulley/ soakaway with lime chips. It is not correct that it is just allowed to run outside like that and whoever left it like that should be shot

As far as Gas Safe is concerned they wouldn't really be concerned ... it's more a building regs/BS thing. If it did cause an issue though and it backed up into the boiler and damaged something, it could be enough for the manufacturer to invalidated the warranty as it's not been installed as per their MI.

 

[elisa123]

Thanks for all your comments. All the points raised are in the instruction manual which the installers didn't read or weren't interested in. The company was sold some months ago (just our luck).
The boiler is in the kitchen but not near the sink. There is a gas cooker and electric oven between the boiler and sink. Outside there is a drain but I don't know how easy it would be to route the pipe into it. The flat is leasehold and we would need written consent from the freeholder for digging up the ground outside (including a soakaway).
I am going to get a proper insulation kit now.

 

[Madrab]

Condensate pump and run the pipe through to the sink waste would be the best solution in that instance IMO.

 

[Nige F]

A competent plumber could run the condense pipe round the back of the units and connect into the sink waste. Your freeholder probably wouldn't be impressed with the brick blown outside + parged with dark ready mix sand/cement. It's all par for the course though. Unfortunately

 

[Harry Bloomfield]

The boiler is in the kitchen but not near the sink.

If the sink is on the same wall, it would be an easy task to run the pipe behind ovens and units, to a proper drain.

My condensate goes out through the wall, elbow down, then into a 32mm pipe, open at the top - which slopes down at an angle to a gulley. It has never frozen in 13 years, despite no insulation.

 

[Madrab]

Whilst I rarely disagree with the other pro's on here, not sure I'd run a condensate pipe tight along the back of a working oven unless it's guaranteed it didn't get hot that is if there was enough space at the back of it, IME they are usually pretty tight to the wall if the opening and oven are standard depths. There's also the possibility of a gas pipe running up to the hob to get round too.

A nice bendy 10mm plastic condi hose would be run to the sink waste in no time.

 

[Harry Bloomfield]

Whilst I rarely disagree with the other pro's on here, not sure I'd run a condensate pipe tight along the back of a working oven unless it's guaranteed it didn't get hot that is if there was enough space at the back of it, IME they are usually pretty tight to the wall if the opening and oven are standard depths.

My double gas oven, runs quite cool at the rear and I would assume most do likewise. There is also a decent gap at the rear for pipes.

The problem with a flexi is you cannot arrange a continuous fall, so in time, they would tend to clog up with debris.