Do you have a Gas Condenser Boiler

[SICKASAGULL]

Last night our Boiler shut down without any previous signs,efforts to restart failed,tried again noted that pressure showed o,should be between 2 & 3,followed instructions to increase pressure which had the desired effect however boiler would not restart.
I contacted Westdenes local Central heating man who advised me that he already had a dozen similar cases and told me to warm the outlet pipe which runs to the drain with a Hairdrier.The pipe has a six foot run so I used a heater which helps to strip paint and within five mins a strip of ice dropped into the drain followed by an amount of water.
On following the restart instructions within 15 minutes the boiler was working satisfactorily.
This very cold spell is expected to last for a further few days and my experience could spare others the worry and cost of calling out an engineer who might not arrive for some days due to other work and condition of local roads.The main worry of course is that without heating you could suffer frozen pipes.

 

[Papa Lazarou]

Yup - had the same problem yesterday... once the ice melted I got a fountain of water spraying out of a joint in the downpipe. The pressure build up must have been quite high.

 

[kingcole]

Exact same problem. Noticed boiler had conked when went to bed at 10pm. Woke up at 4am and could see my breath, so wsas outside pouring kettles over the pipe.

Ours is lagged and protected a bit as its in our car port so it was deffo brass monkeys!

 

[Rowdey]

Thats why condense pipe should be opened to 32mm waste pipe on the external run..

 

[supaseagull]

Got a Worcester boiler and mine went last night also...Put 2 kettles of boiling watch and the wife's haridryer on the outside pipe for 10 minutes and it's working again.

 

[Gwylan]

We had exact same problem - fortunately one of our neighbours is a heating engineer who couldn't get to work today, so I collared him to fix it.

 

[Deleted member 2719]

Good advice chaps hairdryer/kettle on standby.





I wish i had the full 32mm orifice.

 

[Dorsetgull]

Thats why condense pipe should be opened to 32mm waste pipe on the external run..

Absolutly correct, any external condense pipework should be in 32mm but if not it should be lagged, it must also run downhill all the way with no horizontal runs or drooping pipework.it is very easy to replace as there is no pressure or need to drain the boiler etc but of course I can't recommend working on a gas appliance unless qualified.Two posts this year, I better get out more.

 

[Rowdey]

Absolutly correct, any external condense pipework should be in 32mm but if not it should be lagged, it must also run downhill all the way with no horizontal runs or drooping pipework.it is very easy to replace as there is no pressure or need to drain the boiler etc but of course I can't recommend working on a gas appliance unless qualified.Two posts this year, I better get out more.

It is not illegal to work on your own gas appliance of course. And as you state, uprating the condense pipe to 32mm is easy (and cheap too)

 

[reigate]

Is it advisable to keep the heating on at a low temp overnight to prevent pipes freezing/bursting, if you have a combi boiler?

 

[Rowdey]

Well i have mine on 24hrs, just cos it's flippin cold..!

Most at risk are outside taps, tanks in lofts and any external pipes.

If putting it on will keep your mind at rest, then go ahead, it will do no harm at all.

There is a strong argument that's it cheaper to have the heating ticking over than to have it on-off-on-off anyway.

 

[Dorsetgull]

Thats why condense pipe should be opened to 32mm waste pipe on the external run..

It is not illegal to work on your own gas appliance of course. And as you state, uprating the condense pipe to 32mm is easy (and cheap too)

Right again, I can work on my own gas appliance, I am fully gas registered.