During the winter, you may find your home needs repairs more quickly. There are some things you can do in your home yourself to help address common issues.
In freezing temperatures, your boiler’s condensate pipe can freeze. This often happens when part of the pipe runs outside your home. If this pipe freezes, your boiler may stop working and you could lose heating and hot water.
What is a condensate pipe?
The condensate pipe is a small white or grey plastic pipe that carries waste water from your boiler to a drain. It usually runs outside through a wall. If the water inside freezes, it can block the pipe and stop your boiler from working.
Signs your pipe may be frozen
- Your boiler may stop working during very cold weather
- You might see an error code on your boiler such as F28 or F29 on Vaillant boilers
- You may hear gurgling or bubbling noises
- The boiler worked fine before the cold weather started
How to thaw a frozen condensate pipe
You can usually fix this yourself.
- Find the pipe
Look for a white or grey plastic pipe coming from the bottom of your boiler and going outside. The frozen part is usually at the end of the pipe or where it bends outside. - Thaw the pipe
Pour warm water over the frozen section using a jug or watering can. You can also hold a hot water bottle against the pipe. Keep going until the ice melts and water starts to flow again.
Do not use boiling water as this can crack the pipe.
- Restart your boiler
Once the pipe is clear, reset your boiler using the instructions in your boiler manual.
How to stop it freezing again
Insulate the outside part of the pipe using pipe insulation or pipe lagging from a DIY store.
Keep your heating on a low setting during very cold weather, especially if you are away from home.
When to get help
If your boiler still does not work after thawing the pipe, contact us for help.