When gas is burnt, as well as producing heat and light, it also produces carbon dioxide and water vapor – this is the steamy ‘plume’ that can be seen from a boiler flue on cold days. As this water vapor is ejected from the flue, water droplets form on the side of the flue and runs back into the boiler. Modern boilers are designed to catch this ‘condensate’ and drain it away through a ‘condensate pipe’.
Condensate must be disposed of in the right way (into a suitable drain) because it contains contaminants that make it slightly acidic and would cause damage if left to drain onto surfaces or soil.
All new boiler installations are condensate, so it’s likely you’ll have one of these if you live in a new home or a home where the boiler has been replaced in recent years. Your boiler condensate pipe can sometimes be found protruding from the walls of your property and leading into a drain and it’ll usually be made of plastic.
In cold weather, the water that passes through these pipes can become frozen, blocking the pipe and allowing condensate to build up in the boiler. To prevent itself from flooding, the boiler will switch itself off. It’s important to get this fixed as quickly as possible to avoid your boiler switching itself off and leaving your home without heat.
So how do you know if you have a frozen boiler condensate drain connected to your boiler? One of the main signs of this problem will be that your boiler has turned itself off and left you without any heating or hot water. But before getting to that point, you may also notice a strange gurgling sound coming from your boiler and near the pipe outside your home.
Now would be a good time to try and locate your condensate pipe, helping you stay a step ahead if you do have any problems in the future. If you experience particularly cold and frosty weather, you can then carry out a quick check on the pipe to make sure everything seems to be in order – if you see water coming out, the pipe should be working.
If you do think you’ve diagnosed the problem of a frozen condensate drain, here are a few steps you could try to help clear the problem:
By doing this, you should start to notice the pipe clearing out any blocked water and functioning again. If you’re unsure whether you’ve cleared the blockage and are still experiencing problems with your boiler, contact a professional Gas Safe Registered engineer to take a look.
Any work directly on your boiler should always be carried out by a Gas Safe Registered engineer to ensure that it’s done safely and to a high standard. Ensuring your boiler is serviced annually will help to avoid these and many other problems, such as carbon monoxide leaks from your boiler.
When your boiler loses pressure it can feel like a nightmare, so here are some things to check when you think your boiler might be losing pressure, or the pressure is too high.
Boiler pressure is the balance between air and water within your sealed boiler system. To increase energy efficiency, modern heating systems rely on the water with the pipes, radiators and boiler to be under pressure. This is because water pressure squeezes the bubbles within the water, meaning there is more water (a great conductor of heat) and not air (a poor conductor of heat) within the system.
If the pressure within the system is too low, or too high, this can cause problems and lead to inefficiencies that leaves the boiler running for longer.
The boiler is equipped with safety devices that turn it off if the pressure isn’t right, often leading to “Fault codes” to be displayed.
Most, if not all boilers, should have a pressure gauge on the front of them. This will help you quickly check if your boiler pressure is getting too high or low. The aim should be for boiler pressure to be somewhere between 1-1.5 bar. This is something that you can monitor yourself, please check the manufactures instructions for your boiler for more information. If you have to regularly “top up” the pressure, this could be a symptom of an underlying fault with the boiler. Contact a Gas Safe Registered Engineer to investigate.
If you can smell gas and/or think there could be a leak, you should call us immediately on 0800 111 999* at any time of the day or night.
Problem with your boiler or gas appliances? Call a Gas Safe Registered engineer. Find one at gassaferegister.co.uk. If you have home care cover with your gas supplier please contact them directly.
Concerned with your energy costs? Contact your energy supplier for support
Issues with your gas meter or bill? Contact your gas supplier
Have a power cut? Call 105
Smell gas? Act now. Call 0800 111 999* immediately at any time of the day or night
 (1).png)
