Gas Engineer is a monthly publication that is distributed to its 120,000 Registered Engineers.

In last month's edition, there was a feature on protecting heating systems in winter. It highlighted the issues of unprotected external condensates and how they are the most likely cause of boilers/heating systems not working when customers need them the most.

External condensates are not the problem. It is incorrectly protected ones that are !

Why is this so important ?

In the UK, 70% of homes and properties (not including flats), will not have an internal drain/soil stack. All the drains will be external, even on new homes. Every boiler fitted over the last 17 years must be a high-efficiency boiler (a condensing boiler).

Whether it is a combination boiler or a heat-only boiler with a cylinder, this boiler when operating, produces condensate water which has to be taken from the boiler to a drain. If a home or property has only external drains/soil pipes, the condensate is at risk of freezing in winter if not insulated correctly.

Frozen condensate pipes cause problems every year to thousands of homes in certain areas of the country, and every few years the UK sees countrywide freezing conditions like the one we had in 2018 ( THE BEAST FROM THE EAST)

In February 2018 we had continuous freezing conditions for over two weeks, which led to hundreds of thousands of boilers not working. Homeowners were trying to unfreeze the condensates themselves with hot water or hair dryers.... obviously this was VERY dangerous, with many not managing to unfreeze them or they were not able to physically carry out the task.

This is when the papers and media asked the Heating Industry why this was happening.

So why do many freeze ??

If a condensate pipe goes outside and is not protected correctly then it is at risk of freezing.

There are over 10 million unprotected external condensate pipes in the UK .

Either not protected (like below)

Or not protected or fitted with the right products and materials

Why has this happened ?

Yes, there will be some in the heating industry that have not bothered to protect the boilers and their customers.

HOWEVER, in the past, the professional heating engineer has not had the right materials to provide not only the correct protection, but to look right on a customer's home or property.

Many used Class O lagging, which in the past has been recommended by manufacturers and industry, The problem with this is that if it is not painted twice and recoated every two years, it will start to deteriorate and does not provide any real protection.

Even if Class O and other insulation is sealed, if it is not sealed right on joints and angles, it lets in water that then seriously reduces the protection and also deteriorates the insulation.

(A) as new... (B) is after 8 months if not sealed correctly

Industry needed a Total Solution

There are 10 key parts to making sure external condensates have the very best protection.

Condensate Pro has worked for 3 years to make a total solution that...

• provides the very best protection
• you fit once and forget about
• is UV & weather proof out of the box
• helps professionals fit in all weathers
• makes the perfect seal with our unique Bond & Seal
• can be fitted on new or retro fits
• is simple to maintain througout the life of the boiler and beyond
• looks quality on a customer's home or property

Condensate Pro is perfect for every external termination

Homeowners will not know until its too late

Usually, the customer/homeowners will not know the condensate is unprotected until it's too late.

They will not know that getting the condensate protected right the first time will make sure they're protected for when the next cold winter came

What do I need to do and how do i do it?

If you're having a new boiler fitted, make sure your condensate is protected correctly. A quality heating professional should know what's needed. Ask, when they are providing you with a quote and are looking at your boiler and system. (Cheap prices will always miss important parts like this off)

Ask them to advise and show you they're a professional.

100% get your boiler serviced by a qualified professional and they will advise what is needed.

Don't think that because you live in a warm part of the country you don't need to bother, as we have seen when we get a really cold spell it can be countrywide so you need to be protected.

If your boiler has not been affected over the years, with climate change we are going to see wetter, warmer and colder weather, so be prepared, as you want to be protected for when the next big freeze comes. It's like wearing your seat belt in a car... you don't just wear it if conditions look dangerous, you wear it all the time just in case.

Many professionals advise their customers dont want it

Protecting an external condensate is part of the Boiler manufacturer's instructions and may invalidate your boiler warranty if not carried out.

It is the professionals' responsibility to fit and service a boiler to the Standards and Regulations. Gas Safe issued a technical bulletin in 2021 after many condensates had issues ( TB155 ). HHIC also issued a guide in 2021 to advise how important condensate protection is on customers' boilers and heating systems.

I can only think the reason why a customer would not want to have their condensate protected correctly once and for all, is that they have seen photos of lagging which has been tie wrapped and is hanging off, that has put them off.

From the photos of condensates that have been protected with Condensate Pro, I am sure they would all say that the problem has now been solved.

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Gas Engineer is a monthly publication that is distributed to its 120,000 Registered Engineers.

In last month's edition, there was a feature on protecting heating systems in winter. It highlighted the issues of unprotected external condensates and how they are the most likely cause of boilers/heating systems not working when customers need them the most.

External condensates are not the problem. It is incorrectly protected ones that are !

Why is this so important ?

In the UK, 70% of homes and properties (not including flats), will not have an internal drain/soil stack. All the drains will be external, even on new homes. Every boiler fitted over the last 17 years must be a high-efficiency boiler (a condensing boiler).

Whether it is a combination boiler or a heat-only boiler with a cylinder, this boiler when operating, produces condensate water which has to be taken from the boiler to a drain. If a home or property has only external drains/soil pipes, the condensate is at risk of freezing in winter if not insulated correctly.

Frozen condensate pipes cause problems every year to thousands of homes in certain areas of the country, and every few years the UK sees countrywide freezing conditions like the one we had in 2018 ( THE BEAST FROM THE EAST)

In February 2018 we had continuous freezing conditions for over two weeks, which led to hundreds of thousands of boilers not working. Homeowners were trying to unfreeze the condensates themselves with hot water or hair dryers.... obviously this was VERY dangerous, with many not managing to unfreeze them or they were not able to physically carry out the task.

This is when the papers and media asked the Heating Industry why this was happening.

So why do many freeze ??

If a condensate pipe goes outside and is not protected correctly then it is at risk of freezing.

There are over 10 million unprotected external condensate pipes in the UK .

Either not protected (like below)

Or not protected or fitted with the right products and materials

Why has this happened ?

Yes, there will be some in the heating industry that have not bothered to protect the boilers and their customers.

HOWEVER, in the past, the professional heating engineer has not had the right materials to provide not only the correct protection, but to look right on a customer's home or property.

Many used Class O lagging, which in the past has been recommended by manufacturers and industry, The problem with this is that if it is not painted twice and recoated every two years, it will start to deteriorate and does not provide any real protection.

Even if Class O and other insulation is sealed, if it is not sealed right on joints and angles, it lets in water that then seriously reduces the protection and also deteriorates the insulation.

(A) as new... (B) is after 8 months if not sealed correctly

Industry needed a Total Solution

There are 10 key parts to making sure external condensates have the very best protection.

Condensate Pro has worked for 3 years to make a total solution that...

• provides the very best protection
• you fit once and forget about
• is UV & weather proof out of the box
• helps professionals fit in all weathers
• makes the perfect seal with our unique Bond & Seal
• can be fitted on new or retro fits
• is simple to maintain througout the life of the boiler and beyond
• looks quality on a customer's home or property

Condensate Pro is perfect for every external termination

Homeowners will not know until its too late

Usually, the customer/homeowners will not know the condensate is unprotected until it's too late.

They will not know that getting the condensate protected right the first time will make sure they're protected for when the next cold winter came

What do I need to do and how do i do it?

If you're having a new boiler fitted, make sure your condensate is protected correctly. A quality heating professional should know what's needed. Ask, when they are providing you with a quote and are looking at your boiler and system. (Cheap prices will always miss important parts like this off)

Ask them to advise and show you they're a professional.

100% get your boiler serviced by a qualified professional and they will advise what is needed.

Don't think that because you live in a warm part of the country you don't need to bother, as we have seen when we get a really cold spell it can be countrywide so you need to be protected.

If your boiler has not been affected over the years, with climate change we are going to see wetter, warmer and colder weather, so be prepared, as you want to be protected for when the next big freeze comes. It's like wearing your seat belt in a car... you don't just wear it if conditions look dangerous, you wear it all the time just in case.

Many professionals advise their customers dont want it

Protecting an external condensate is part of the Boiler manufacturer's instructions and may invalidate your boiler warranty if not carried out.

It is the professionals' responsibility to fit and service a boiler to the Standards and Regulations. Gas Safe issued a technical bulletin in 2021 after many condensates had issues ( TB155 ). HHIC also issued a guide in 2021 to advise how important condensate protection is on customers' boilers and heating systems.

I can only think the reason why a customer would not want to have their condensate protected correctly once and for all, is that they have seen photos of lagging which has been tie wrapped and is hanging off, that has put them off.

From the photos of condensates that have been protected with Condensate Pro, I am sure they would all say that the problem has now been solved.

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Since the launch Of Condensate Pro, Vaillant Group have supported and approved all the products and tools we have designed and made.

Condensate Pro has also made changes to make sure all our products have what is needed to comply with Vaillant and any other boiler manufacturer's instructions.

This is why you may have noticed that our Connection Kit and Combo Kit have changed to Connection Kit 2 and Combo Kit 2, to provide the products needed to insulate through the wall as required

The original Condensate Pro Connection kit and Combo kit can still be used... you would just omit using the PipeSnug and core a 65mm hole to take the insulation all the way through the fabric of the wall.

Over the last 12 months, Vaillant have also changed their manufacturer's instructions to provide more information on what is required of the Professional installer when installing a new boiler/system or replacing the boiler only

Below is the information for condensate protection in the Vaillant manufacturer's instructions for all their range ( You will also find the same or similar in their other Brands, like Glowworm ) showing what is required

Over the last 12 months, Vaillant has alsCondensate Pro has all the products, and also solutions, for all termination scenarios that Vaillant's manufacturer's instructions require. We wanted to provide the professional Installer with a total solution for condensate protection

Condensate Pro is the only product that complies with manufacturer's instructions, BS6798 , HHIC Condensate Guide 2.1 Feb 2021 and the Gas Safe TB155

Customers will not know if their Condensate is protected until it's to late and find out there is not and left without heating to then try to unfreeze themselves wich can be very dangerous, Or contact a professional for their help wich, in turn, is very dangerous travelling in subzero conditions

Condensate pro provide the very best protection for the customer and the boiler/heating system, complies with all standards and regulation and look quality on the customer's home or property

Frost protection / condensate protection on a boiler is something homeowners only find they don’t have when it is too late and their boiler stops working just when they need it the most.  Many then try to defrost it themselves which can be very dangerous.

What they don’t know is that it is not only a Regulation and British Standard for the heating installer to make sure all new boilers have the correct protection to stop this happening, but also part of all boiler manufacturer’s installation requirements.

However, frozen condensates and boiler breakdowns have continued to be a very serious issue every year in several areas of the UK.

Sometimes, like we have seen in the past and this February, we see temperatures drop across the whole country. This highlighted just how many boilers there are with either no protection or incorrect protection when its needed.

Climate change we have been warned, will become more frequent with very hot summers, rain causing severe flooding and extremely cold winters.

With this, condensate protection becomes a very important part of the boiler and heating system. Professional heating installers need to have the right products and tools to help protect their customers. In the past this has been a problem for them as what was available was either not fit for the job or was very hard to fit in in the different weather conditions the installer has to work in.

This is why the team at Condensate Pro worked for over 3 years to find the total solution for installer, homeowner and industry.

We wanted to provide all the Condensate Pro products and tools to help installers provide max protection and quality looks on their customer’s homes and properties.

Condensate Pro also understand that Boiler manufacturers need to be protected, as they provide the boilers with 8,10 and now 12 year manufacturer’s warranties.

If a boiler stops working, the homeowner/ customer will think they are covered by the boiler manufacturer’s warranty, however, this only covers the boiler and not the installation, meaning many boiler manufacturers are inundated with warranty calls that are nothing to do with the boiler itself but other parts of the installation.

One fault they receive calls for help is a frozen condensate that stops the boiler; In winter, boiler manufacturers get many calls regarding boilers that have stopped working due to frozen condensates. This is highlighted when we get a severe winter such as the one experienced this February, it was nothing like 2018 as that lasted a few weeks, but we did have the same freezing temperatures that caused thousands of boilers to stop working due to frozen condensates. Many boiler manufacturers added a recorded message like the one below. Customers calling for help thinking their boiler was under warranty were advised that frozen condensate issues are not covered on the warranty and to call their installers or to try to unfreeze this themselves.

It is not only very dangerous for homeowners to start pouring hot water on a frozen pipe in freezing conditions, but also for the heating engineers travelling to try and help in very risky driving conditions.

Intergas has been one of the boiler manufacturers to see Condensate Pro is a quality solution to the problems we have seen ever since high efficiency boilers become mandatory.

They knew that asking installers to fit condensates internally was impossible for 70% of properties in the UK as they do not have an internal drain / soil pipe.

Intergas invited Condensate Pro to come for a meeting and present not only their products but also their findings from over the last 3 years working to provide every termination solution.

Intergas then spent 6 months looking at the products and scenarios we presented. They looked at what impact this had on them as a manufacturer as well as the installer, to help them install maximum protection to the Standards and Regulations required,  while also looking aesthetically pleasing on a customer’s home or property

Condensate Pro is proud that Intergas have not only endorsed Condensate Pro products and tools but also supported an installation technique that not only helps installers on the installation but also helps take the condensate away faster to keep the heat in the condensate water to termination.

Intergas sent the endorsement below and advised that Condensate Pro will be the only   condensate protection they recommend and will be mentioned in all the installation instructions on their full range of boilers.

As heating professionals know, Manufacturer’s instructions are updated when a new boiler is produced and there will be existing boilers in circulation that don’t have the updated Manufacturer’s instructions.

Intergas endorse and support installing Condensate Pro to all their boiler range that are in stock at your chosen merchants, now and in the future.

Condensate Pro main aim is to make frozen condensates a thing of the past, protecting homeowners, installers, boiler manufacturers and industry.

We are proud to announce that Ideal Heating have issued a product bulletin endorsing all our Condensate Pro products and tools for their range of boilers.

Ideal Heating has the full range of Combi/System and heat only boilers, and each boiler type has different products to suit the customer and professional installer.

Ideal Heating released this bulletin on the 17^th Feb 2021 to advise installers of the best measures to take when condensate waste pipes have to be taken outside, whether straight from the boiler to the outside or to another waste pipe that then goes to the outside. They have evaluated that when fitted, the Condensate Pro range of products and tools will provide the best protection and comply to the installation instructions on all their boilers.

We know as professional heating engineers that condensates are best terminated inside, however 70% of homes and properties don’t have an internal drain and many new homes still only have external drains.

For the professional heating installer, Condensate Pro provides the best solution on the market to protect the boiler and their customer while looking quality and complying with Ideal Heating’s installation and servicing instruction.  

It also helps to upgrade the millions out there that are not protected to the standards they should be.

For the home-owner, please make sure you listen to your professional heating installer on any new boiler replacement or boiler service as is it does need protecting. They want to provide the best and protect you/your boiler and its warranty.

The industry has learnt from 2010 and 2018 when tens of thousands had no heating due to frozen condensates, and also the weather we have seen over the last few weeks in 2021 was yet another wake-up call, it was nothing like we’ve experienced in the past but many did still have problems.

Ideal Heating have evaluated Condensate Pro and found it a quality solution to help make frozen condensates a problem of the past.

Condensate Pro is the ONLY product ‘out of the box’ that complies to Ideal Heating’s installation and service instruction, British Standard 6798 and the new HHIC condensate guide 21 which they released in February 2021.

Why is this so important ?

In the UK, 70% of homes and properties (not including flats), will not have an internal drain/soil stack. All the drains will be external, even on new homes. Every boiler fitted over the last 17 years must be a high-efficiency boiler (a condensing boiler).

Whether it is a combination boiler or a heat-only boiler with a cylinder, this boiler when operating, produces condensate water which has to be taken from the boiler to a drain. If a home or property has only external drains/soil pipes, the condensate is at risk of freezing in winter if not insulated correctly.

Frozen condensate pipes cause problems every year to thousands of homes in certain areas of the country, and every few years the UK sees countrywide freezing conditions like the one we had in 2018 ( THE BEAST FROM THE EAST)

In February 2018 we had continuous freezing conditions for over two weeks, which led to hundreds of thousands of boilers not working. Homeowners were trying to unfreeze the condensates themselves with hot water or hair dryers…. obviously this was VERY dangerous, with many not managing to unfreeze them or they were not able to physically carry out the task.

This is when the papers and media asked the Heating Industry why this was happening.

So why do many freeze ??

If a condensate pipe goes outside and is not protected correctly then it is at risk of freezing.

There are over 10 million unprotected external condensate pipes in the UK .

Either not protected (like below)

Or not protected or fitted with the right products and materials

Why has this happened ?

Yes, there will be some in the heating industry that have not bothered to protect the boilers and their customers.

HOWEVER, in the past, the professional heating engineer has not had the right materials to provide not only the correct protection, but to look right on a customer’s home or property.

Many used Class O lagging, which in the past has been recommended by manufacturers and industry, The problem with this is that if it is not painted twice and recoated every two years, it will start to deteriorate and does not provide any real protection.

Even if Class O and other insulation is sealed, if it is not sealed right on joints and angles, it lets in water that then seriously reduces the protection and also deteriorates the insulation

There are 10 key parts to making sure external condensates have the very best protection.

Professionals then need products to help them not only comply but also help them to fit and look quality

Condensate Pro has worked for 3 years to make a total solution that…

• provides the very best protection
• you fit once and forget about
• is UV & weather proof out of the box
• helps professionals fit in all weathers
• makes the perfect seal with our unique Bond & Seal
• can be fitted on new or retro fits
• is simple to maintain througout the life of the boiler and beyond
• looks quality on a customer’s home or property

Condensate Pro is perfect for every external termination

Straight in to drain

Rainwater termination

Soil pipe termination

Soakaway termination

Homeowners will not know until its too late

Usually, the customer/homeowners will not know the condensate is unprotected until it’s too late.

They will not know that getting the condensate protected right the first time will make sure they’re protected for when the next cold winter came

What do I need to do and how do i do it?

If you’re having a new boiler fitted, make sure your condensate is protected correctly. A quality heating professional should know what’s needed. Ask, when they are providing you with a quote and are looking at your boiler and system. (Cheap prices will always miss important parts like this off)

Ask them to advise and show you they’re a professional.

100% get your boiler serviced by a qualified professional and they will advise what is needed.

Don’t think that because you live in a warm part of the country you don’t need to bother, as we have seen when we get a really cold spell it can be countrywide so you need to be protected.

If your boiler has not been affected over the years, with climate change we are going to see wetter, warmer and colder weather, so be prepared, as you want to be protected for when the next big freeze comes. It’s like wearing your seat belt in a car… you don’t just wear it if conditions look dangerous, you wear it all the time just in case.

Many professionals advise their customers dont want it

Protecting an external condensate is part of the Boiler manufacturer’s instructions and may invalidate your boiler warranty if not carried out.

It is the professionals’ responsibility to fit and service a boiler to the Standards and Regulations. Gas Safe issued a technical bulletin in 2021 after many condensates had issues ( TB155 ). HHIC also issued a guide in 2021 to advise how important condensate protection is on customers’ boilers and heating systems.

I can only think the reason why a customer would not want to have their condensate protected correctly once and for all, is that they have seen photos of lagging which has been tie wrapped and is hanging off, that has put them off.

From the photos of condensates that have been protected with Condensate Pro, I am sure they would all say that the problem has now been solved.