Worcester Condensate Pump Issues?

[David_J]

Hi all,

New to the forum and google searches brought me here so please be gentle.

My mother has a Worcester boiler which was fitted by BG around 18-24 months ago. It has a BG WR1 which I know is a re-badged Drayton Digistat and condensate pump which is fitted to an external SVP. The boiler is serviced annually by BG.

The past 2 days the condensate pump is running for an eternity when it comes on. It usually comes on for say 10-20 seconds but it is running for close to 20 minutes a time and the noise is very off-putting. Sounds like normal pump operation with no odd noises but the constant running is noisy. I mention the Drayton unit in case it is part of the problem. The red light has been on I've noticed but the stat is working with boiler operation normal and usual green light when adjusting temperature.

I've read online that the unit may have an anti-frost and / or overrun feature but I'm not sure and I don't have the manuals here unfortunately.

Have you seen or experienced this before at all? Could be a faulty sensor? PCB? Float switch? etc
Any help would be greatly appreciated. Waiting for BG to come out but as you can imagine, in current weather conditions, they might not get here today and I'd like to have an idea of likely culprits to discuss with their engineer when they arrive.
With thanks
David

 

[rochdalegas]

More than likely that wherever the condenaste pump is pumping to is frozen en route.

 

[David_J]

More than likely that wherever the condenaste pump is pumping to is frozen en route.

Hi and thank you for your reply. I've checked the outside pipework and it's the larger diameter 42mm stuff going into the external SVP. Having taken the condensate piping off it's not frozen so I'm stumped and thinking it might be more related to the pump itself?

 

[rochdalegas]

The condensate pipe going into the condensate is unlikely to be frozen. Has it got a clear hosepipe type pipe running off could be worth bowing down that is likely any frozen part. It may have been blocked or have a jamming float valve. Tbh as its working would just leave to bg to sort as and when they get to it.

 

[David_J]

Hi again. Yes it has the smaller diameter clear hosepipe type coming from the pump, into the larger 42mm plastic diameter tubing, through the cavity, outside the house and on a downward diagonal angle into the external SVP. I've checked the entire run of the smaller clear pipe by accessing the external 42mm diameter plastic tubing and there is nothing frozen or blocked hence me suspecting the pump.

Absolutely I'm not going to mess with the pump as it's not my game (aero engineer rather than gas) but I just wanted to pop a post on here and see what you guys may have though the issue was so I can at least raise some of the ideas with the BG engineer when he turns up.