Condensing boiler.

Discussion in 'Plumbers' Talk' started by sootylum, Feb 20, 2009.

  1. sootylum

    sootylum New Member

    Just out of curiosity how much condensate should come out of the waste pipe of a newly fitted Gloworm condensing boiler. From what I can tell nothing at all comes out of mine. Is this normal ?

    Cheers
     
  2. imran_

    imran_ New Member

    Which pipe are you checking??? (where, material)??
     
  3. sootylum

    sootylum New Member

    Its a plastic pipe about 30mm in diameter comes from underneath boiler goes out through the wall and down to an outside drain. Guy that fitted boiler said the condensate was slightly acidic and was a waste product from the burning of gas.
     
  4. imran_

    imran_ New Member

    You should be getting a couple of litres a day, but not a steady trickle or anything. Could be that the pipework is ****** and flowing uphill somewhere, so it's filling the pipe...???

    Otherwise get the installer back.
     
  5. Easy Life

    Easy Life Member

    The boiler has an internal reservoir, once this is full the water empties by symphonic means, it only take a few second to empty, so its unlikely that you will see it, if there was a problem the boiler would either shut down or you would have water coming out of the base of the boiler. The boiler will produce more condensate in hot water mode than CH, if the discharge end of the condensate pipe is not connect to any other pipe work ie. it runs to a drain you could place a small vessel under it that would fill and over flow the next time it empties. I would not place a bag or anything over then end of the pipe.

    Jacen
     
  6. sootylum

    sootylum New Member

    Thanks for replies. Checked today and nothing coming out of the pipe at all.Tried to contact fitter and guess what..... no where to be found. ah well.

    cheers
     
  7. tackleburger

    tackleburger New Member

    Sound ify. But some boilers you have to pour water down the flue first to fill the trap. Give it a day or two and see what happens. If it starts to discharge that may be why thier was a delay.
     
  8. imran_

    imran_ New Member

    Never seen such a BIG trap And the commissioning engineer should have filled it already.

    Am I guessing that you had it installed on the cheap by a non-qualified person (otherwise you could go straight to CORGI if you can't get hold of him)???
     
  9. jmtphs

    jmtphs New Member

    would corgi get involved here ? its surley got nothing to do with the gas so what is there arguement if any ?

    before you all start shouting at me im asking a question
     
  10. Easy Life

    Easy Life Member

    if your boiler is working ok and not leaking water / condensate etc. then there is no where else for the condensate to go other than through the condensate pipe.

    check the dischage pipe as i already said.

    Jacen
     
  11. Corgi would get involved as it is illegal to install or work on a gas appliance unless corgi (at the moment soon to be gas safe)registered If he is not registered (Check on corgi website)SHOP HIM
     
  12. imran_

    imran_ New Member

    Well, CORGI are responsible for gas appliances - including any non-gas parts of such appliances. In many boilers, the lack of water in the trap will allow waste combustible gas to flow through the open trap. i.e. enter your home.

    Remember condensate is condensed waste gas, so will flow from the flue into the waste trap. If he hasn't done this right, what else has he not done right. Maybe the boiler is under-gassed, flue in wrong place, etc.

    I think that is actually an EXCELLENT example of why people need to be properly trained to install gas appliances.
     
  13. mad.max

    mad.max New Member

    As I've said before, I am not current on boilers, and don't fit the these days. However, it occurs to me that if condensate is being produced, it must be going somewhere. I find it difficult to believe that even an idiot couldn't connect the pipe properly (without it being visualy obvious). Is it not likely that the system is not commissioned preoperly, and the boiler is never working in the efficient condensating mode, and therefore not producing condensation?

    Just a thought
     
  14. Easy Life

    Easy Life Member

    imran where you state "In many boilers, the lack of water in the trap will allow waste combustible gas to flow through the open trap. i.e. enter your home"

    Not with Natural Gas as its Relative Density to air is 0.56 (0.56 - 0.60 variations) it would exit via the flue, it could with LPG which has a Relative Density of 1.5, however it would then flow down the discharge pipe etc.
    Condensing boilers are room sealed.

    Unless you have a fault or leak you will not get any undesired gas as you have described, in normal operation it will not happen.

    Mad.max "it occurs to me that if condensate is being produced, it must be going somewhere."
    You hit the nail on the head, that's what i was saying, the condensate has to go some where if its not leaking out of the boiler then its going down the condensate pipe, other than filling up the combustion chamber there is no where else for it to go.

    Jacen
     
  15. sootylum

    sootylum New Member

    Thanks again everyone.
    I have checked the corgi number on the invoice he gave me and its factitious, the b***d. I have a Co detector above the cupboard where the boiler is and it hasn't activated so no worries there. I've had a look at the plumbing and joints etc and all seems ok.Im going to get Gas board in to check installation asap. If you wander why I picked the guy to fit it he was working in a large house renovation where I was doing the solid fuel fire and stove installations, I have warned the owners of that house about false gas fitting credentials. Also going to put the word round local merchants etc.
     
  16. ThreadJacker

    ThreadJacker Active Member

    Sounds like you've picked a bad'un mate, to install gas boilers unregistered means he's thick as ** aswell. ;)
     
  17. sus

    sus New Member

    put up his details name address
     

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