Step 1 It is possible that your boiler’s condense trap/discharge pipe has frozen if all 3 of these statements are correct:
- your boiler is a Greenstar gas boiler, or a 26 CDi
- the outside temperature is or has been below freezing
- your boiler is displaying either an EA fault code, a D5 code or is displaying a flashing blue light (for 26 CDi boilers you may see a flashing red light instead)
Step 2 If all 3 statements are true, you should try to reset your boiler. This can be done by holding in the ‘reset’ button (this can be found on the boiler control panel) for 10 seconds. Once you have released the button you should wait 2 to 3 minutes to see if the boiler refires.
Step 3 If the boiler does not refire and it is making a gurgling sound, then it is almost certain that the condense is frozen. If you cannot hear a gurgling noise you should still check your condense pipe.
Step 4 The condensate pipe is a plastic pipe (black, white or grey), coming from the bottom of your boiler. If this pipe is less than 32mm in diameter and runs outside of the property or through a non-heated area then it should be fully insulated with waterproof lagging.
How to thaw the condensate pipe
You should exercise extreme caution at all times when attempting to identify and thaw a condensate pipe.
You should only attempt to thaw a condense pipe that is at ground level and which is easily accessible to you. Under no circumstances should you attempt to thaw a condense pipe which is at height, without the assistance of a professionally trained engineer.
A hot water bottle or heat wrap (like the ones that can be used to ease muscle discomfort) would be a suitable and safe way of thawing the condense pipe. Hold the hot water bottle or warmed heat wrap around the condensate pipe to thaw it.
Once thawed, the boiler must be reset. This can be done by holding the reset button in for 10 seconds and then waiting 2 to 3 minutes for the boiler to refire.
If you are still experiencing problems then contact us.
(Once thawed, you should contact us in order to implement a permanent solution to the condense freezing).
To find out more about our services, please contact us
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