I know what you mean and I understand the suggestion but it’d have to go across the landing into the bathroom. According to posts on Facebook lots of people have suffered frozen condensate pipes today and yesterday. It seems putting the pipe outside it very common. Obviously it’s unusually cold at the moment hence all the freezing. I doubt it’s usually a design fault.
Unreachable condensate pipe
- Thread starter HilaryTip
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it is.
putting it outside is not good practice. An outdoor pipe has to be large, with a good slope, and thickly insulated, and can still freeze. The large number of people with frozen outdoor pipes demonstrates how bad it is.
And this is not even a very cold winter, just a few degrees below freezing.
putting it outside is not good practice. An outdoor pipe has to be large, with a good slope, and thickly insulated, and can still freeze. The large number of people with frozen outdoor pipes demonstrates how bad it is.
And this is not even a very cold winter, just a few degrees below freezing.
For the future, do some research into 'trace heating'.
John
John
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Many "plumbers" ignore the very real risk and consequences of a condensate pipe freezing
Lagging an external run of condensate pipe wil NOT prevent it freezing, it can only delay the freezing, hopefully that delay is long enough that ambient temperatures rise above freezing before the pipe becomes blocked by frozen condensate.
If there has to be a long external run then either trace heating or a means to defrost should be installed when the boiler is installed.
A small pipe for the condensate inside a larger dry pipe then the dry pipe wrapped in insulation. If the condensate does freeze then warm air can be blown along the outer dry pipe to warm and melt the condensate
There is doubt about the merits of using a larger diameter pipe. Larger diameter means more surface area to dissipate heat, but also more volume to store liquid when the pipe does freeze up. More volume on the pipe delays the point at which the sump begins to over flow and shuts down the boiler.
I’ve read up on trace heating - very interesting and I think a relatively inexpensive way of preventing future issues given the location of the pipe. Facebook is currently littered with posts from people who have frozen condensate pipes so it’s clearly a big problem.
I finally got a picture of the offending pipe (bit tricky when I’m in Newcastle and the house is in Sheffield). It’s still frozen of course. I’m hoping they can borrow ladders today to defrost and apply new protection. Fingers crossed
I finally got a picture of the offending pipe (bit tricky when I’m in Newcastle and the house is in Sheffield). It’s still frozen of course. I’m hoping they can borrow ladders today to defrost and apply new protection. Fingers crossed
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Every man should have a double ladder and every woman should have a hair dryer.
Andy
Andy
You can see someone has had a half hearted attempt of lagging the thing......at the very least it should be fully lagged and secured with cable ties - until the diameter can be increased and the trace heating fixed.
John
When you mentioned that it was your son's first house and 'they' moved in 8 weeks ago, I thought 'they' meant boyfriend and girlfriend.
If your son does not have a ladder then now is the time to go and buy one.
If your son does not have a ladder then now is the time to go and buy one.
And a hacksaw and an electric drill and a decent set of screwdrivers and.............
When my son moved out to his own home, the first thing I bought him was a DIY manual and a tool kit to avoid him borrowing my own.
Stereo types do not apply here. Not very “son” is interested in DIY. Had they been closer I’d have fixed it by now. I’m still tempted to drive down ..... They’re in a queue for someone to come out but not considered a priority.
When I posted here it was in the vain hope there’s another way of unfreezing the pipe. There’s not and that’s fine. I’m grateful for all the ideas especially those that will lead to a longer term fix.
I’m surprused at the lack of local community support in Sheffield. No residents association or neighbourhood watch. No Facebook groups. In Newcastle I’d have got ideas and even been loaned ladders within a couple of hours.
When I posted here it was in the vain hope there’s another way of unfreezing the pipe. There’s not and that’s fine. I’m grateful for all the ideas especially those that will lead to a longer term fix.
I’m surprused at the lack of local community support in Sheffield. No residents association or neighbourhood watch. No Facebook groups. In Newcastle I’d have got ideas and even been loaned ladders within a couple of hours.
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Installing the pipe outside is the last resort, even when done properly it's more risky
This is in pretty much the same way that installing a macerator toilet is a last resort. Even when done properly it's more risky.
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