If a condensate pipe is teed into the kitchen waste, is there some sort of gizmo that can be fitted to prevent backup? A non return valve? This locked out the boiler in my son's flat during the cold spell and, although I awarded myself brownie points for pointing to the condensate pipe, the freezing weather wasn't to blame, at least not directly. Thanks for any suggestions
Um, why should it back up unless the drain is blocked?
Tim
Not sure it would help. If the waste blocks it would simply seal off a non-return valve, and the boiler would still lockout.
You can get a Condensate Bypass Valve which allows the condesate to be drained into a bucket or similar in emergency if the pipe blocks/freezes.
Interesting, thanks.
A family member recently had the heating guys in to sort her boiler and they re-routed the condensate pipe (that I believe joins into the sink waste) in such a way that she now can't fully close her cutlery draw! ;-(
I was interested in the idea of the 'Boiler Bouy' as at least it would allow her to get her heating back online quickly herself, if it should block again?
Cheers, T i m
I had a freeze up and solved it by insering an upward pointing Tee into a horizontal run - after rising about 2 inches it then has bends to bring a pipe dowwards into our airing cupboard where there is a small bucket to catch water. It hasn't been needed for 4 years - but it gives peace of mind. All I need to do is check the bucket if we have a real hard freeze.
Unless there is 'standing water', what is going freeze? There shouldn't be water in the waste pipe or the condensate pipe- that which is there doing operation is warm (hot) enough not to freeze and thus should run away.
Our condensate pipe is T'eed into a waste (from a utility area) - the connection is on top of the waste, on a sloping section. There is no way water can 'hang around' unless there is a blockage down stream.
I don't have much fall. the boiler is in the loft = only about 10" above the ceiling joists - in the centre of the house. Therefore it can lead to a trickle.
Neat. A condensate weir. ;-)
Quite.
Or hope that it can evaporate faster than any frozen blockages can fill it. ;-)
Cheers, T i m
Thanks everyone. Sounds like the waste was blocked, but possibly not sufficiently to be obvious. As this is a rented flat, one wants to avoid unnecessary callouts
Just wondering if it is a true T - that is, a right angle connection. If so, the pipe it joins need to be near as damn it vertical otherwise you can end up with a slight down slope into the T which can gradually fill it up and reduce the flow.
I would have thought something like a 45 degree downwards connection would be better to guarantee a clear flow out of the junction, with the additional benefit that the flow down the main waste might help to draw any liquid from the condensate branch.
Cheers
Dave R
I'd have thought most waste connections are swept tees ...
I think we're going to go with Andrew's suggestion of a bypass valve, not l east because it would be a quick way to eliminate the condensate pipe from ones enquiries in the event of another lockout. We'll have the engineer fit one at the next service (if he can find a convenient place for it)
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