16/12/2022
We are currently receiving a lot of phone calls regarding heating issues due to the freezing weather conditions. We have seen this post and felt that it may assist. We hope that this post may help some customers out a little.
**Please Read**
We are currently experiencing a lot of calls regarding tenants not having heating or hot water. If your boiler shows up a fault code during this cold freezing spell, check to see if you have an external condensate pipe like the picture below. Boil the kettle and by mixing with a bit of cold water so not scolding hot. Pour over the pipe which should defrost. Do not use boiling water as this will melt the pipe.
**Please do not attempt this if the area is slippy or if the area is difficult to get to.**
Your boiler will lock out if your external condensate pipe for your boiler is frozen and will no longer work.
A condensate pipe for a boiler is designed to take the water vapour away (steam) when the boiler is running at high efficiency, the water is slightly acidic and must terminate to a drain, preferably internally due to freezing or to an external drain.
It must be made of a plastic pipe, usually white/black in colour the size of 21.5mm/22mm internally and usually 32mm/40mm externally.
Fault codes for some of the popular boilers on the market.
Baxi Error e133 or e28
Vaillant Error F27 & F28
Ideal Error LF, L1 & L2
Worcester EA fault
All may relate to a frozen condensate pipe