lagging for outside condensate

Resend

What insulation should be put on an external condensate pipe?Should it be waterproof? Not the one that goes around the pipes in the attic is it?

Thanks

heinbloed

I'm not sure if (condensate)pipes prone to freezing are legal to install.
They aren't so on the EU continent.
Read the manual of your (condensing) boiler or heat pump or whatever.

Resend

heinbloed wrote: »

I'm not sure if (condensate)pipes prone to freezing are legal to install.

aren't all pipes prone to freezing in the winter we had? manual says they should be insulated if exposed

heinbloed

Manuals say that condensate must be allowed to drain-off freely at all times.
If there is a risk of freezing (here: of the condensate pipe) the boiler is NOT correctly installed.
Insulating an exposed pipe will only delay the freezing of it. It will not eliminate the risk of freezing.
There are electric devices available which would heat the condensate pipe.
These could be used to hinder the freezing of it. Connected to the same electricity supply as the boiler (by a real electrician) and combined to a delay device (FIRST thaw the pipe and THEN start the boiler) this should be save.
But these are no amateur aproaches. Contact a heating engineer.

The boiler is best installed in a frost free room. Incl. all pipe works.

tred

Resend wrote: »

What insulation should be put on an external condensate pipe?Should it be waterproof? Not the one that goes around the pipes in the attic is it?

Thanks

Are you talking about the pipe when its outside the house or boiler unit (for external boilers) The condensate is a drip effect not a slow build up of condenstate.

A lot of manufactures ask for condense pipes to be insulated in exposed area's, so it's not illegal to fit insulation pipe, OP use the water proof stuff.

For some good info without the drama have a look at: http://www.viessmann.co.uk/etc/medialib/internet_uk/images/Press_releases/press_releases.Par.41402.File.File.tmp/Frozen%20condensate%20pipes.pdf

Micky Dolenz

We'd normally fit 1 1/4 pipe as close to boiler as possible and have a good fall to a drain. We would run condensate pipe internally where possible.

Resend

tred wrote: »

Are you talking about the pipe when its outside the house

yes

Resend

gary71 wrote: »

OP use the water proof stuff.

what is it called.? thanks

Carlow52

what size is the external pipe and is it a straight drop or what?

sullzz

Micky Dolenz wrote: »

We'd normally fit 1 1/4 pipe as close to boiler as possible and have a good fall to a drain. We would run condensate pipe internally where possible.

I'd 2nd that , we always use 11/4" Marley too , I have come across people using overflow pipe with pipe lagging which looks terrible .

sullzz

heinbloed wrote: »

I'm not sure if (condensate)pipes prone to freezing are legal to install.

was at plenty of boilers during the bad snow not working because of the condense pipe being frozen

youtheman

This is a subject that is very 'dear to me heart' as my Christmas was nearly ruined by my gas boiler condensate drain freezing up.

The drain was originally constructed of 1/2" brass pipe, and was prone to freezing. My next door neighbour had the exact same boiler and had no problems (his drain was plastic).

After talking to some plumbers I was told that the pipe should be plastic, and new regulations stipluated 1 1/4". So I got it changed out. The plumber that removed the old pipe said that an elbow on the 1/2" brass pipe was partially blocked, and this would have made the problem worse.

Can't wait for -15 degrees C next winter to give it a good testing.

And while I was at it I fitted a 'MagnaClean'm dual-action filter. Nothing to do with the condesnate drain, but I believe they are 'all the rage' within the plumbing community !!!.

tred

youtheman wrote: »

This is a subject that is very 'dear to me heart' as my Christmas was nearly ruined by my gas boiler condensate drain freezing up.

The drain was originally constructed of 1/2" brass pipe, and was prone to freezing. My next door neighbour had the exact same boiler and had no problems (his drain was plastic).

After talking to some plumbers I was told that the pipe should be plastic, and new regulations stipluated 1 1/4". So I got it changed out. The plumber that removed the old pipe said that an elbow on the 1/2" brass pipe was partially blocked, and this would have made the problem worse.

Can't wait for -15 degrees C next winter to give it a good testing.

And while I was at it I fitted a 'MagnaClean'm dual-action filter. Nothing to do with the condesnate drain, but I believe they are 'all the rage' within the plumbing community !!!.

I got a condensate pipe kit wiht the firebird, its made from plastic and speced like above i think. Its running beside the boiler and out to a drain dropping down. Its not long installed, so missed the bad frost!

CBYR1983

How many millilitres of condensate would ye reckon are produced by a 26kw boiler working flat out for an hour?

Does the waste pipe really need to run directly to a drain or would it be ok to position pipe onto concrete where there is a slight fall to drain? Hence my question re volume of water produced.

Carlow52

CBYR1983 wrote: »

How many millilitres of condensate would ye reckon are produced by a 26kw boiler working flat out for an hour?

Does the waste pipe really need to run directly to a drain or would it be ok to position pipe onto concrete where there is a slight fall to drain? Hence my question re volume of water produced.

On volumes see this as posted earlier
http://www.viessmann.co.uk/etc/media...te%20pipes.pdf


The answer to the second part is yes, no quibbles, you do know that it is an acid, sulfurous or Nitrous if I recall correctly

heinbloed

@CBYR1983:

A 26kW oil boiler working flat out for an hour has the potential to produce about 2.288 liters of condensate.
The exact volume depends mainly on a.) the efficiency of the boiler and b.) on the quality of the oil.
So with a 90% efficiency this would be around 2 liters, but again: mind the quality of the oil.

FishD

My condensate feeds into the washing machine drain, so open at the top inside.

In deciding, during the cold weather, to keep the heating on 'low' overnight the washing machine drain blocked, with the result the water went on the ground. The problem was as someone above said, the 'drip effect'. Not enough latent heat to keep the water flowing through the pipe. But no other damage occurred.

Guess i should insulate the washing machine outside drain now.