03 March 2023 , 10:50
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A heating expert has explained how a DIY fix costing just £1 could help prevent you from facing a hefty bill from a broken boiler.
The UK has not yet made it to spring, and forecasts predict some frosty weather next week with some parts of the UK possibly seeing some snow.
As temperatures fall, Toolstation warns that insufficiently insulated condensate pipes are likely to freeze up and cause boilers to stop working.
Lorenzo Giove, a heating engineer at Seven Heating says this issue can be "widespread" and during December was contacted over 100 times by customers facing this issue.
He said: "The condensate pipe is the external pipe which carries acidic water waste from the boiler out of the house to an external drain.
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"When it becomes blocked with ice, your boiler stops working.”
Like with many other things, Lorenzo says prevention is better than cure, and preventing this can be relatively "cheap and easy".
He added: "In the first instance, the easiest way to prevent a frozen condensate pipe is to lag the pipe.
"With particularly cold weather expected until Thursday this week, I’d recommend doing this as soon as possible.”
"Lagging" simply means wrapping your water pipes in insulation to help delay the start of freezing.
To insulate your pipe you can use long foam tubes with a hollow middle, and these are known as "pipe lagging" and according to Toolstation, they can cost as little as £1.
They are available in most DIY shops and are available in different widths; so you will need the appropriate size for your pipes.
A spokesperson from Toolstation said: "A metre length of our most affordable insulation wrap costs just 99p and its thick foam cuts heat loss by up to 70%, protecting against frost and freezing.
"All you need to do is wrap some insulation around the pipe. You may like to use cable ties to ensure it’s fastened on tightly.”
However, if you are caught out and your condensate pipe has frozen over, you may be able to fix it and Lorenzo says a kettle should be all you need.
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He explained: “Generally speaking, a boiler will flash up a fault code if the condensate pipe has frozen and caused an issue. Head outside and locate the waste pipe coming from the exterior wall.
"Cover the pipe in something like a tea towel and pour over several rounds of boiling water.
"The towels will help retain the heat from the hot water and you will start to hear the cracking of the ice. Hopefully, all being well, it will get things moving and working again.
"Hot water did the trick for most people who contacted me when it was cold in December.”