Frozen condesate pipe

[Filo]

The condensate pipe on my combi boiler has frozen solid, the plastic pipe from the boiler looks like it`s 22mm but when it comes out of the wall from the house it`s a 32mm elbow, it then has a 6ft run to the downpipe from the guttering. I`ve pulled the 32mm pipe away from the guttering and the downpipe from the guttering is frozen solid from the snow from the roof i presume, so i left the 32mm pipe from my boiler disconnected from the down pipe and spent the last 3 house trying to thaw that out with kettles of boiling water, some ice slid out after a bit but the boiler is still gurgling and switching itself off, I suspect it`s the elbow that comes out of the house wall thats still frozen, anyway i`ve give up for the night now as i`m f**king freezing. Any ideas how to get this elbow de iced anyone?

[Big Fat Daddy Heartbreaker]

Have you tried using a hairdryer.  Pointing it into the elbow on the hottest setting

[Filo]

I think it`s a solvent weld elbow, so i`m not sure i can split it, i`m going to try using a hair dryer in the morning on the outside of the elbow, i`m glad we`ve got an electric fire though, but we have no hot water at the moment

[donnyproletarian]

Having same problem.In my case ive had a 15 ml plastic pie fitted which runs about 6 foot externally to an elbow into a drain.Cowboy who did the job should have fitted a 22ml pipe at least.I have to defrost it daily using kettles even though its lagged.Luckily i can re ignite the boilerOnly solution is to build a sump /soak away and do away with the external pipe which ime going to do myself.Problem is i would loose my guarantee.However Wosester bosch will not accept responsibility even though the guy who fitted it was approved by them so cought in no mans land .Going to take atrip to trading standards when i get the time.

[Filo]

donnyproletarian wrote:

Having same problem.In my case ive had a 15 ml plastic pie fitted which runs about 6 foot externally to an elbow into a drain.Cowboy who did the job should have fitted a 22ml pipe at least.I have to defrost it daily using kettles even though its lagged.Luckily i can re ignite the boilerOnly solution is to build a sump /soak away and do away with the external pipe which ime going to do myself.Problem is i would loose my guarantee.However Wosester bosch will not accept responsibility even though the guy who fitted it was approved by them so cought in no mans land .Going to take atrip to trading standards when i get the time.

Worcester Bosch recommend external runs to be at least 32mm pipe, somewhere under my floorboards upstairs the 22mm from the boiler up-sizes to 32mm before going through the wall. I thought these combi`s where the bee`s knees? we never had this problem with the old glow worm back boiler!


I`ve got British Gas Homecare cover for the boiler, i`ve tried ringing them up but it`s nigh on imposable to get an answer due to the high volume of calls they are receiving!

[BLIR]

Filo wrote:

I`ve got British Gas Homecare cover for the boiler, i`ve tried ringing them up but it`s nigh on imposable to get an answer due to the high volume of calls they are receiving!

I had a similar contract with British Gas and had the same problems with them. They were terrible, rude and unhelpful. I cancelled as soon as I could and am still awaiting a response from the letter I sent in complaint (although it was a few years ago now and I'm not expecting much).

I wouldn't give BG the steam off my piss, I changed suppliers as a way of a small protest.

Good luck with the boiler mate

[Filo]

Boiler now sorted after standing on a step ladder for over an hour with the hairdryer on hot and pointing at the elbow joint coming out of the house wall, radiators nice and hot and got hot water again now :-)

[scarbrook]

Went to a job other day, boiler not working while stripping it down i noticed all internal parts were full of water so a new boiler was required and this was due to a blocked condensate so beware,The guys boiler was only a year old and this isnt covered by the warrenty.

[DN5Rover]

Just suffered a similar problem managed to sort it by using a gas blow torch held at a reasonable distance from the pipe. Have got a bit of discolouration on the plastic pipe but who cares house is warm. I did take the condense pipe of the boiler and put a bucket under it while I carried out the defrost outside.

[Filo]

DN5Rover wrote:

Just suffered a similar problem managed to sort it by using a gas blow torch held at a reasonable distance from the pipe. Have got a bit of discolouration on the plastic pipe but who cares house is warm. I did take the condense pipe of the boiler and put a bucket under it while I carried out the defrost outside.

Apparently not a wise idea, the condensate trap in the boiler is there for a reason, and that is to stop poisonous gasses from the flue entering your property

[DN5Rover]

The condensate trap is still in place I have disconnected the drain pipe about 2 ft below the boiler. So I am hoping that will be OK . Many thanks for pointing this out though.

[scarbrook]

Correct if the trap fails(which can happen) you'll get carbon monoxide coming out of it.

[donnyproletarian]

Git fed up with pipe freezing after defrosying every day so i sawed it off and stuck a bucket underneath.Touch wood its been okay since.In the unlikely event that my house blows up and rovers get promoted to the promised land i would like to donate my freeby season ticket to my lad