This was a service/repair job I did for a customer today in Rotherham, S61. Ive been looking after this particular boiler since 2015.
It has been well looked after by myself, and I don’t think it had any issues up until this point.
This was part of an annual routine service, the customer complained that the boiler was leaking when the heating was on. Before my arrival I suspected that the corrugate pipe that connects between the condensate trap and the primary heat exchanger was leaking.
It turns out I was right, as it had split near where connects to the bottom of the heat exchanger. This is something I come across on these ecotec models every so often, although its not something I have to repair every day.
Having said that, there are two different versions of the condensate trap, both of which I carry as stock for repairs such as this. Carrying these parts saves me time, it also allows me to get boilers working again in as short a time as possible which is a benefit to the customer. Especially when its cold.
This problem is not uncommon on condensate traps that use this type of design. The Baxi Platinum/Duo-Tec boilers for example have the same issues. These pipes get subjected to a fair bit of heat which is probably what contributes to them failing.
This problem won’t stop a boiler from working directly in the short term. However because this corrugated pipe is connected directly to the heat exchanger, if it starts fails then it leaks flue gas back inside the boiler which is not ideal and constitutes a safety issue.
In central heating mode these boilers can produce a litre an hour or so of condensation which is slightly acidic. Besides being a safety issue, if a leak like this is left long enough it can cause of lot of damage and even destroy a boiler completely.
Because I know that failure of this component can be a problem, it is something I always check for when I service one of these appliances. You can look for signs such as the corrosion on the plate heat exchanger etc in the image below.
I am located in Elsecar, Barnsley, South Yorkshire. I provide a repair service for Vaillant boilers such as the ecoTEC Pro mentioned in this post.
I cover a large part of South Yorkshire including most of Sheffield, Rotherham and Barnsley. If you need some help or advice for your boiler please get in touch.
I have an ecotec plus 831, requires a service and it may be having problems related to the condensate system. I am located in Tickhill . Would appreciate contact with a view to a visit.
Many thanks.
Hi Mr Ormiston,
Could you please give me a call at some point to discuss the issues and I will see what I can do for you. Alternatively email me a contact number and I will give you a call. Thanks.
Kind regards
Richard Shawcross
Richard
Thanks for this it seems that you are the only one looking out for this type of issue
Is this something only a gas safe engineer can fix or could average Joe (me) do as its only the pipe that is broken? I have the new part but its attached to a new condenser
Can I just remove the new pipe from the new condenser and reattach?
Because replacing the whole unit looks like it will be a massive task
Thanks Rob
Hi Rob thanks for your question.
I don’t think you can just remove the pipe from the condensate trap I’ve never tried.
To replace the whole unit you have to remove the return pipe from the boiler.
I can’t recommend that you attempt any repairs yourself, to even remove the front cover you need to be gas safe registered and qualified etc.
One issue with the condensate pipe is that it is connected directly to the primary heat exchanger and if it is split it will be leaking gases which should be going out of the flue.
This obviously creates a potentially serious safety issue.
I hope this helps.
Thanks for the prompt reply – it was just the black condensing piping that had perished just like the photo
Everything else was ok
But like you say I should get someone qualified in
Rob
Yeah I would definitely recommend getting someone competent to fix this issue.
Aside from the safety aspect you can often cause more damage to your boiler if you’re not careful.
This weekend my Vaillant Ecotec condensation pipe had not perished but the copper heating pipe had melted through the black corrugated condensation pipe
has anyone experienced this
Can the Black pipe be purchased separately, would Vaillant replace FOC, seems to me to be design flaw ??
Hi Darren,
As far as I know the heat from the return pipe doesn’t cause the condensate pipe to melt it might just seem that way as maybe the heat from the return pipe maybe accelerates the failure of the pipe if it starts to fail in that area.
In January I had the plastic pressure sensor located next to the condensate pipe replaced by a British Gas engineer, fast forward 7 months I noticed things below my boiler where soaking wet and a month after that when the weather got cold I noticed a load dripping noise, the condensate pipe was leaking where it was touching a copper pipe very low down the pipe in the right hand side of the boiler. So my question is (I’m looking for a 3rd opinion as I have 2 contradictory opinions 1 from a family friend and 1 from BG themselves) would that pipe have been disturbed at the top when the pressure sensor was replaced therefore when was not put back correctly left touching the hot copper pipe causing it to melt?
I understand you don’t need to reply to this but I would appreciate the advice thanks in advance.
Hi Ritchie,
No one doesn’t generally need to fiddle with the condensate pipe to replace the pressure sensor located on the return pipe on the newer models.
The condensate pipe does touch the return pipe in a lot of models but I don’t think this causes it to melt, it just seems like that sometimes when they fail.
So it is probably not anything the previous engineer has done the condensate pipe does fail sometimes but it is not due to the heat from the return pipe it might accentuate the problem if it starts to fail in that particular place though.
Hi
Is it normal that when your turn the combi boiler on that outside where the condensate pipe is drips for about 10mins? I have a vaillant pro just seeing if this is normal? Thanks