Protect Your Condensing Boiler Pipes

As the freezing  weather continues, make sure your condensing boiler pipes are protected from freezing.

In 2007 it became a legal requirement that all boilers be condensing boilers and as a result the number of households with such a boiler has significantly increased.

If the pipes that carry the waste liquid (the condensate) away freeze though it means that the condensate backs up and causes the boiler to fail and cut out.

As Martin Egan of Direct Line home insurance comments though “The problem can be resolved by effective insulation of the pipe, which homeowners can do themselves and save having to call an engineer out.

“If the plastic pipe from the boiler is in an outside area and is not insulated, it is likely to be frozen and, if isn’t already, it is likely to as the cold weather persists.”

With help from from Direct Line, here are some top tips for protecting your boiler from getting a freezing waste pipe:

• The condensate pipe is a plastic pipe (black, white or grey), coming from the bottom of the boiler. If this pipe is less than 32mm in diameter and runs outside of the property or through a non-heated area then it should be fully insulated with waterproof lagging.
• Don’t try to thaw a condense pipe unless it is at ground level and is easily accessible. If the pipe is higher up you’d be best advised to get assistance from a professionally trained engineer.
• A hot water bottle or heat wrap are a suitable and safe way of thawing the pipe. Hold the hot water bottle or warmed heat wrap around the condensate pipe to thaw it.
• Once thawed, insulate the pipe with waterproof lagging to prevent further freezing.

MoneyHighStreet comments: “With such icy conditions, it’s not just boiler pipes that could freeze, water pipes could equally do so and you could end up with burst pipes to deal with.

“It will invariably pay you to be proactive and check your water pipes and to lag them if necessary to minimise the risk of them freezing.

“Also check you have adequate home insurance in place to cover your home.

“If you are worried about your cover you may be wise to seek professional advice and discuss your requirements with an insurance broker.”

Useful links

Direct Line website – click here

Leading insurance broker, W B Baxter with whom MoneyHighStreet has partnered – click here