Common Boiler Repairs

Three common things which may mean your heating doesn’t work correctly are a frozen condensate pipe, low boiler pressure, and radiators in need of bleeding. All three can be fixed fairly easily by yourself or a qualified heating engineer. B&K Electricals offer our boiler services across the North East including Newcastle. Call us on 0800 078 7461for advice and more information.

How to Defrost a Frozen Condensate Pipe

During the winter months, standing water in pipework can freeze. If your boiler’s external condensate pipe freezes it can cause your boiler to stop working. Pipe insulation and keeping the heating constantly at a low temperature as a minimum is the best way to avoid this but if it does freeze, you can defrost it by pouring tepid water over it.

The condensate pipe is the one that runs down from the centre of your boiler. It will be grey or white and usually made of plastic. This pipe will run internally or externally through the wall. If this pipe runs outside your house, it may become frozen in cold weather which will block the pipe and prevent your boiler from operating.

The pipe should be lagged with insulation which will need to be removed prior to defrosting the pipe and refitted once the pipe has been thawed. To defrost the pipe, we recommend placing a hot water bottle or microwavable heat pad around the frozen section of the pipe. Alternatively, you could pour lukewarm water over the frozen section. It is important that you do not use boiling water because this could cause the pipe to crack, resulting in more damage and expenses to fix your boiler. Also, try to be careful not to pour the water on the path because then the water might freeze and cause a slip hazard. Once the pipe had defrosted, reset your boiler using the instructions in the user manual. If you are unsure or experience any difficulties, do not hesitate to contact B&K Electricals for advice and help from a local gas safe registered engineer. Call us on 0800 078 7461.

For more information, please visit http://bkelectricals.co.uk/common-boiler-repairs/