Boiler Shutdown - Warning

[Chris Allman]

Good morning to all - just returned from outside and minus temperatures. We have a Condensing Boiler and it shut down this morning - panic - no heating or hot water - now what - finally traced the reason, the condensate pipe had frozen where it enters the outside grid - grid was blocked with ice and had blocked the pipe up too. Cleared the ice from the grid and the pipe - went back in, reset the the boiler and away it went, heating and water back on, yippee. So just to give you a heads up if you have a Condensing Boiler and it shuts down, check the Condensate Pipe outside for any blockages will save any call out fees etc from the boiler guys and also get you back on probably quicker than they can get to you. Happy Days.

[Jim Brady]

Good advice that Chris,that pipe should be lagged by the way.
Regards.
Jim.B.

[Keith Tindell]

Chris, ubelievable, as your post came through on the computer, i was talking to my mate, and that was exactly what he was telling me had happened to him this morning. He called out his lad who is a plumber, and he was saying that the pipe that is blocking should be 1.5 inch, but in his case is 19 mm, so is being replaced, kt

[robpage]

according to the regs , minimum is 22mm , and over 4m long must be insulated

[cappy]

Good morning to all So just to give you a heads up if you have a Condensing Boiler and it shuts down, check the Condensate Pipe outside for any blockages will save any call out fees etc from the boiler guys and also get you back on probably quicker than they can get to you. Happy Days.

this has been a prob for a while ...thought all the boilers were on a call back for reputable plumbing companies who had put smaller outlet pipes on ...happened to a mate of mine two to 3years ago in shields cappy

[Chris Allman]

Checked the measurements of my condensate pipe and its within the regs - it was the grid grill that caused the problem, it had iced up over a couple of dead leaves sealing the end of the condensate drainpipe - I have cleared everything and adjusted the pipe so that it wont happen again. Mind you the grid and pipe were open to the strong wind and of course the minus temperatures, so they all combined to give me some grief which I can do without at my age.

[Jim Brady]

Chris my condenser is not much more than a meter long it is plumbed into the dishwasher waste.It can be plumbed into sink waste or washing machine waste (outside).
Regards.
Jim.B.

[Keith Tindell]

Just hope we don't get this severe weather again, my boiler has been on tick over all night for the last couple of nights. In my case i have a magna clean filter on the input side of the boiler, and i have 11 radiators on the system, and when the boiler is serviced annually there is signs of one radiator breaking down from the inside, no idea which one, so song and a prayer that it kept going until the weather warms, kt

[John Callon]

There was an item on the ITN lunch news today about the problems with condenser boilers. It would appear that what Chris and others experienced with the boiler is quite common.
Regards
John C

[Chris Allman]

Thanks John, I have looked it up on the web and you are right, it is a common problem. However, until it happens to you, you don't really know about it, having never had a condensing boiler before, its all new to me, we only got it last year. There are videos on the web showing you how to defrost the pipe with hot water bottles and warm water etc, but before this morning I never knew the problem existed, so I am much wiser now. Amazing isn't it, you learn all these things in life, then you die ........... what a waste of experience and knowledge.