Condensate pipes in the winter

It’s December and as we start to celebrate the festive season, with it comes the cold weather. The majority of us will simply turn on the heating and enjoy a cosy home no matter what the temperature outside. Because of this, it’s hardly surprising that boilers have to work harder than any other time of year.

But what happens if your boiler’s pipes freeze?

As you may recall, last winter there were numerous problems with the condensate pipes on boilers freezing, thereby stopping the boiler from working. For those of you who were affected, hopefully any problems you have experienced have been resolved by upgrading the system on your boiler.

However, with temperatures already dropping to near freezing already, it is important to have a Gas Safe engineer check that everything is in full working order before the cold weather really hits. For example, has the condensate pipe been fitted properly? Is any insulation still in place?

The way a boiler discharges its condensate is crucial to the risk of the liquid freezing. Some boilers are designed to discharge regular drips of condense, which are more prone to freezing. Other boilers have an internal store with a syphonic discharge, which empties itself when full. This larger volume of condense is far less likely to freeze than individual drips.

The pipe can be run in various ways to discharge the condensate. The best method to avoid the condensate freezing is to run internally to a connection into the waste system. If this is not possible and the pipe has to be run outside, it must be no longer than 3m of 22mm diameter for a boiler with a syphon system and protected with insulation. Any pipework from a boiler without a syphon needs to be in 32mm waste.

In the event of the pipe freezing, the preferred method of thawing is to use hot water from a kettle, assuming you can get to the pipe safely. The next step is to book a visit from your local Gas Safe engineer to solve the problem professionally.

However, it is important to remember that in cold weather, Gas Safe engineers get very busy. Therefore, if you believe your pipework may be at risk, get it checked and the boiler serviced as early as possible. This will ensure that it is in good working order when you need it most.