Condensate - Plastic tray, normal practice?

[Scott_D]

Is the clear hose squashed behind the pipe in picture 2?
We can help you out on here but you need to get the installer back as there is something not right with the condensate pump

 

[snowhead]

Picture 2 the clear , pump discharge pipe, is squashed and is restricting the flow
It needs fixing in brackets otherwise it'll get damaged and start leaking.
For a temp fix try jamming some cardboard behind the vertical pipe to wided the gap and ease the clear pipe.

That pump can move 500ltrs per hr, a few drops of condensate shouldn't be a problem;
Altech Condensate Pump - Pumps

There should be a copper pipe from the boiler, Pressure relief discharge, that goes outside maybe, from the boiler?

 

[Rob Foster]

As requested, here are some photos of the setup.

So, first image shows the pump - with the plastic part that I have to empty every couple of days.

Second image shows where the plastic pipe goes under the floor, which then goes all the way to the water tank itself - I've shown where it comes back up in picture 4.

Picture 3 is just the boiler itself.

There isn't anything that leads outside in terms of the pipes, as mentioned before the harder white one goes up from the pump and into the boiler and the clear one leads back to the water tank.

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What a dreadfull installation, using home brew plastic tube with no clips and bodged up , a 5 year old could do better . How the hell did you decide to pay them !....chocklate money. Rob Foster aka centralheatking

 

[Scott_D]

What a dreadfull installation, using home brew plastic tube with no clips and bodged up , a 5 year old could do better . How the hell did you decide to pay them !..chocklate money. Rob Foster aka centralheatking

The clear hose come with the pump

 

[Rob Foster]

The clear hose come with the pump

Well done NOT ...poofix

 

[sammathias]

Thank me again

 

[eleguj]

Is the clear hose squashed behind the pipe in picture 2?
We can help you out on here but you need to get the installer back as there is something not right with the condensate pump

I've edged the clear hose up and around the pipe, so it's not squashed anymore.

Should this make some difference?

 

[fixitflav]

The installation looks poor, but in principle it should work. Presumably your last pic shows where it's bossed into a sink or similar drain. Maybe matthias's #15 is right, no hole has been cut in the pipe. If so, easy enough to correct. If the pump is wired correctly and the hose isn't kinked, I don't see a problem. Get them back to sort it!

 

[rpm]

Only have to see the different water levels in the hose to see a problem, might even be the only problem!
Is there a joint in the hose or is it lens/ light trickery?

Op, don't suppose they left the installation guide behind did they?

 

[Ben-gee]

Can it be arranged so that the clear hose goes vertically up and then flows to a drain point under gravity? I always think these work better like that, lift first. A bit like saniflo - ask RPM!

 

[eleguj]

Having moved the host so it wasn't kinked, there has been little change in the issues unfortunately.

The pump still fills up within about 48 hours and has to be emptied as it starts whirring out loudly and not working properly.

I've not heard back from the installers, I do feel they are stalling quite a bit now - I've been asking them to come out for a number of weeks now.

I asked what the alternative is to having to keep changing the pump and I've been told all they can do is put the condensate into the stack outside, but they aren't supposed to do that. Surely my only 2 options can't be to change water from the pump every 2 days forevermore or to improperly have it going into the stack outside...?

 

[rpm]

Doesn't sound like the installers will be back tbh. Time to take matters into your own hands so check out some of the suggestions given earlier or start by disconnecting the hose from the boss and running it in to a bucket to see if the pump is even discharging.

 

[fixitflav]

Having moved the host so it wasn't kinked, there has been little change in the issues unfortunately.

The pump still fills up within about 48 hours and has to be emptied as it starts whirring out loudly and not working properly.

I've not heard back from the installers, I do feel they are stalling quite a bit now - I've been asking them to come out for a number of weeks now.

I asked what the alternative is to having to keep changing the pump and I've been told all they can do is put the condensate into the stack outside, but they aren't supposed to do that. Surely my only 2 options can't be to change water from the pump every 2 days forevermore or to improperly have it going into the stack outside...?

Sounds like the pump isn't working. It should be possible to fix it. What type is it - diaphragm, centrifugal, peristaltic or what?

 

[Rob Foster]

Why is there a pump anyway, is the boiler in a basement ? Centralheatking

 

[fixitflav]

Why is there a pump anyway, is the boiler in a basement ? Centralheatking

Without trawling through all the posts again, I assume it's because the condensate outlet on the boiler is below the lowest convenient drain point.
Also noticed OP had been thinking of getting a combi but decided against. The condensate drain issue would be the same with that.

 

[rpm]

Sounds like the pump isn't working. It should be possible to fix it. What type is it - diaphragm, centrifugal, peristaltic or what?

Why is there a pump anyway, is the boiler in a basement ? Centralheatking

Centrifugal pump and doubt it is in a basement as OP said flat with limited room to run pipes that said I still stand by "Incorrectly installed".

 

[Stigster]

Centrifugal pump and doubt it is in a basement as OP said flat with limited room to run pipes that said I still stand by "Incorrectly installed".

That said, this system should still be totally workable and the pump should run and do its job properly once the issue is found and corrected.

 

[rpm]

The Grundfos and the Saniflo version of these little pumps can be wired in such a way that if the pump fails then it cuts the boiler hence I asked about the installation manual being left on site.

 

[rpm]

That said, this system should still be totally workable and the pump should run and do its job properly once the issue is found and corrected.

Agree unless the poor little thing is now buggered by pumping against a closed head.

 

[fixitflav]

Agree unless the poor little thing is now buggered by pumping against a closed head.

Could be, but most centrifs draw less power at closed valve than at duty point.
Time the OP took it to bits and investigated. We've done all we can IMO.