Boiler condensate

[MrFoolish]

DAK how much water should come out of a boiler condensate pipe? I never see more than the odd drop coming out of mine. I captured it the other day when the central heating was on and I reckon it produced about a whisky shot in an hour. Not very scientific I know!

I'm just a bit paranoid that it isn't working efficiently, because the radiators take a while to warm up. But the hot water on demand is hot enough.

I've never had the pipes de-sludged, or whatever.

Is there a way to assess these things?

Thanks.

[Mike4]

DAK how much water should come out of a boiler condensate pipe? I never see more than the odd drop coming out of mine. I captured it the other day when the central heating was on and I reckon it produced about a whisky shot in an hour. Not very scientific I know!

I'm just a bit paranoid that it isn't working efficiently, because the radiators take a while to warm up. But the hot water on demand is hot enough.

I've never had the pipes de-sludged, or whatever.

Is there a way to assess these things?

Thanks.

No condensate proves your boiler is not condensing the water vapour in the flue gas so is running at about only 80% fuel efficiency.

Depending on the size of the boiler (i.e. heat output), when condensing a typical domestic boiler would be passing about two drops of condensate per second. It will only do this though when running fairly cool, e.g. at or less than 56 degrees C (IIRC).

Most condensing boilers spend most of their time not condensing, in my opinion. The whole thing has been a sham foist upon us for political reasons.

[MrFoolish]

Thanks Mike. I might just live with the 80%. The last time I got it serviced, the guy managed to break it. Though he claimed there was an existing leak (probably true) which got into the fan when he was looking at it.....

[Mike4]

Thanks Mike. I might just live with the 80%. The last time I got it serviced, the guy managed to break it. Though he claimed there was an existing leak (probably true) which got into the fan when he was looking at it.....

Servicing isn't going to change anything. Its how you, the user, are using it! Turn the temp control on the front down low and it will prolly start condensing. And also not heating the rads so well....

What make and model is it?

[MrFoolish]

It's a Remeha Advanta Plus. Very simple 2 digit display and some nondescript menu buttons.

The service guy didn't know how to operate it himself and spent ages on the phone with it running full blast. Then he was complaining there was too much of a drop in the gas line and he got BG (or whoever) out to make an adjustment at the meter. It broke down with an error code about an hour after he left.

I ended going with Domestic & General who know about these boilers, and they fixed it. So I've stayed with them on their insurance.

[DrFfybes]

Thanks Mike. I might just live with the 80%. The last time I got it serviced, the guy managed to break it. Though he claimed there was an existing leak (probably true) which got into the fan when he was looking at it.....

Servicing isn't going to change anything. Its how you, the user, are using it! Turn the temp control on the front down low and it will prolly start condensing. And also not heating the rads so well....

What make and model is it?

Our engineer kept turning our own when he serviced it and we'd turn it back up when he left. Eventually he explained that it was more efficient at lower settings, and as long as the HWC got over 55C to kill off the Legionella then it was fine. Of course you need to run it longer at a lower setting.....

Paul

[midgesgalore]

My old condensing boiler used to make quite a bit of condensation fluid. In fact when BG installed it they were not very particular where they ran the pipe to the water waste pipe - reducing the useful volume of some previously valuable storage space.
Anyway for a while the plastic pipe was leaking and eventually I realised the base unit holding my utility room sink was quietly crumbling away with the condensate and I was only alerted that something was wrong by the smell in that room. So there must be quite a lot of condensation produced in that BG rebadged Wolseley boiler.

Naturally I found this problem in the final run up to Christmas when it was as cold and damp a winter as one can get.

Araldite came to the rescue and a good few hours with no heating until the pipe repair (the plastic pipe bend joint) was watertight. I have a another new boiler now and the repair to the pipe is still holding - and BG were not involved in any more new work.

midgesgalore