Important Winter Boiler Advice
We want to ensure you and your home are reliably warm this winter and that’s why we have some important advice regarding your boiler.
All modern boilers, including the one fitted in your home, work by condensing waste air. This transfers additional heat which would otherwise be lost to the outside and converts it into useable heat for hot water or central heating. This is a real positive for homeowners and the environment, as the condensing process boosts the efficiency of your boiler, helping to reduce gas bills and reduce carbon emissions.
Frozen Pipes can affect boiler efficiency
From our hands-on experience taking care of our customers and their boilers, we have identified that freezing conditions can affect the latest high efficiency ‘condensing’ boilers, regardless of brand. In particular freezing conditions can cause problems when a condensate pipe goes to an outside drain or soakaway. If it freezes it may cause your boiler to stop working. You might hear a gurgling noise and if your Worcester Bosch boiler has a digital display, you might see an ‘EA’ error code.
Guidance states that condensate pipes should ideally be routed to an inside drain, but it is worth noting that sometimes it is not possible or practical to route your condensate pipe internally. If your condensate is routed internally you’re unlikely to encounter any issues caused by freezing conditions. If however it’s routed externally, there are a few simple steps you can take to reduce the chance of any issues.
Minimising the risk of frozen condensate:
How to safely thaw a frozen condensate pipe:
Remember to be especially careful carrying hot water if it’s icy outside. And if it’s still very cold, any water you spill on the ground is likely to freeze so be mindful of new icy patches.
Watch our video on how to safely defrost a frozen condensate pipe:
