The weather is expected to turn early next week with some parts of the UK predicted to have snow. And as temperatures fall, experts have warned homeowners of a particular issue that could affect their central heating.
Heating Engineer at Seven Heating, Lorenzo Giove, says he gets ‘called and texted nearly 100 times’ by customers with the exact same issue whenever there’s a cold spell.
But according to Toolstation, there’s a really easy and affordable DIY way to fix it - and prevent it from happening again.
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The hardware store says insufficiently insulated condensate pipes are likely to freeze up and cause boilers to stop working.
Lorenzo explained: “The condensate pipe is the external pipe which carries acidic water waste from the boiler out of the house to an external drain. When it becomes blocked with ice, your boiler stops working.”
The heating expert said the ‘easiest’ way to prevent a frozen condensate pipe is to lag the pipe - in other words, insulate it.
He added: “With particularly cold weather expected until Thursday this week, I’d recommend doing this as soon as possible.”
Insulating the pipe is a quick, easy and cheap fix, with pipe insulation available for less than £1.
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 per cent, 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.”
You can also buy lagging from B&Q, Wickes, and even Amazon.
But, if it's already too late and your pipes have frozen - a kettle is all you need to resolve the issue, as Lorenzo explains.
“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.”
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