Cold weather condensing boiler breakdowns x 2 Frozen condensate pipes

[Peter Johnson]

snip

Not long before I reading this yesterday one of my sisters, resident in Humberside, reported on Facebook that her ch had packed up. Reading this, I rang her and suggested that she checked the outlet. She phoned a few minutes ago and said that she hadn't been able to sort it out last night, it was too dark and getting too cold, but this morning, after removing the right-angle bend from the end a plug of ice fell out, so she had the heating back on before the plumber she'd phoned yesterday turned up. He said that he had seven more similar calls to attend to after hers. [Sister had had this problem before but didn't know what had caused it.] So thanks from brother in Leicestershire for the tip that helped sister in Humberside.

[Andy Dingley]

My last CORGI used acid spray flux as a cooldown spray, and leak detector. You can imagine the corrosion appearing later (even on gas).

[Tim W]

Andrew Gabriel wibbled on Monday 21 December 2009 10:50

I've had that problem with lead free joints. By the time I've heated it enough to see a visible ring all round, there's usually a blob on the bottom.

However, it looks neater than that after I've wiped a damp rag over it.

It's surprising how much can remain inside. I'm fairly liberal painting heat activated flux on my water pipes joints (gas is obviously a special case demanding much more care and much less liberalism!) and it shows on the first flush out with water.

[The Medway Handyman]

Ashford's a bit far away, or I might :-)

Whenever Operation Stack is used (part of the M20 is closed & used as a giant lorry park when the ferries/tunnel is out of action) many local entrepreneurs' spring into action and do just that. As well as a few ladies of the night alledgedly.

[cynic]

I posted in the hope that the information would possibly help others. As it happens I am also in Humberside or to give its correct name East Yorkshire in my case. John (who has a pre-condensing type oil fired boiler with a Riello burner and it runs just fine)

[tony sayer]

Well if ever there was an example of "supply meeting demand" thats got to be it;!...

[Pete Verdon]

I'm vaguely planning on replacing my (non-condensing) boiler in the next few years. The condensate drain is definitely going inside!

Pete

[YAPH]

Sounds like a bit of a bodger to me :^)

Heh! One of my customers called me up with no heating or hot water (combi) after Brutish Gas had been and done their annual service. Turned out they'd left the gas emergency control valve off after doing a tightness test. Sorted over the phone, though I suppose I should have gone over and checked the test nipple.

[Heliotrope Smith]

British Gas! Service??? Tightness test???

Since when??????

[Doctor Drivel]

Sounds like a cowboy.

[Doctor Drivel]

A disgrace. Elbows everywhere. Professionals only use elbows where needed.

[Doctor Drivel]

It should not ice up. Get it sorted.

[Doctor Drivel]

In the past few days I saw a lump of ice stuck to the pavement about 1.5 inch thick. I was dangerous. Above was a dripping condensing boiler flue. The flue was fitted incorrectly and facing down giving a constant condensate water drip.

I have also seen this with dripping pressure discharge pipes, where the homeowner just changes the dial back up to 1 bar by turning the filling loop tap. Sealed boilers can be a nuisance and also condensing boilers. They are a nuisance in blocks of flats where our Eastern European friends and the average Corgi (Gas Safe) cowboy has been at work.

In modern flats with high insulation values they only fit electric heating, and quite right too, as all these pipes and flues look a mess on the side of blocks.

[Doctor Drivel]

Get rid of the pipe and fit an internal condensate pump.

[YAPH]

I wish people wouldn't tar all BG installers with the same brush. Whilst I enjoyed Stephen Fry's likening of BG, as an organisation, to a pelican[1], they do have a huge number of engineers working for them and inevitably there will be a range of competence amongst them. A few years ago I had the good fortune to be present while a more senior engineer took a less experienced one through doing a landlord's gas safety on a boiler, and I was impressed (and learned a thing or two) by how thoroughly they did it.

At one point they discovered that the foam casing seal had been augmented with silicone to get it to seal properly and the senior guy remarked that "that would have been X" (where X was another BG engineer who had done the inspection previously).

[1] they can both stick their bills up their arse :-)

[Bob Eager]

I agree. Some years ago we had a full CH/plumbing contract with them, and the ball valve failed completely on the cold tank in the loft. Young guy came out, fitted a new one that had a longer thread on the 'outside', and tilted the whole connection sideways. A few hours later we noticed water dripping through the ceiling.

They sent an older guy out who said a few rude words about the younger one, then proceeded to do the whole thing properly. Trimmed the pipe, fitted isolation valve, and TESTED it!

Unfortunately they are all retiring...

[dennis]

This wasn't about two weeks ago? There is a house about two miles away from me that exploded.

[geoff]

In message , Doctor Drivel writes

Yes, we know you were ...

in possession of a hacksaw

[Jon Fairbairn]

I don't think age has much to do with it. As I mentioned in this saga:

the ones who found and mended the real fault were at the young end of the scale. I suspect that the employee selection methods BG uses are unreliable.

[Doctor Drivel]

Maxie, did you sneak this ice there? Your turned down wellies must great in this weather. Fantastic Maxie, fantastic.