In a cold Liverpool winter, the most common reason a condensing boiler stops is a frozen condensate pipe — and the good news is you can usually fix it yourself.
Signs of a frozen condensate pipe
- A gurgling noise from the boiler or the pipe outside
- An ignition error code (such as EA on a Worcester or F28 on a Vaillant)
- It happens after a few nights below freezing
How to thaw it
- Find the thin plastic pipe running from the boiler outside to a drain
- Slowly pour warm (not boiling) water along it, especially over bends and the open end
- Reset the boiler
Stop it happening again
Lagging the pipe, widening it or re-routing it inside usually solves the problem for good. We check this on every annual service.