Possible Problem with Condensate Pipe New Combi Install

[eimaj12000]

Hi,

The washing machine upstand is being used by the washing machine and a dishwasher (it's always been used in this way since we moved in). It has a u-bend but there is no other seal I can see i.e. the waste pipes from both machines are just shoved inside the plastic upstand pipe. Could this cause issues elsewhere ? Things are developing now and they will be coming back out. The water temperature is varying i.e. it will be hot i.e. 50-60 degrees but then go to 20-30 degrees and back again. The only way I can get constant hot water is to turn the tap well down (to a near dribble). Upstairs it's much worse - the water is just not warm enough for a usable bath, yet the shower seems fine ? Also, the water from the hot tap is cloudy ?

I read somewhere else that in Scotland (where I'm located), it's best practice to use thermostatic mixer sets for the bath etc. is this correct (since the kitchen and bathroom taps are of the basic mixer type) ?

One thing that may be important here is that after checking and cleaning the washing machine upstand pipe (and hearing the 'hiss' noise as mentioned before), the bathroom upstairs did not seem to smell quite so bad for a while ? It's back to normal now though and neither the washing machine or dishwasher have been used.

The guy in charge is going to speak to the installer to check with him how things were done etc.

One thing I'm still not clear on after checking the recommended condensate routes for Worcester boilers - should the condensate line be going under the floor, angling upwards, dipping down, then up again etc. ? Just as from the manual they seemed to clearly show a downward angle along the full length of the pipe ?

Thanks for the assistance as this has been causing sleepless nights and from talking to this guy it's going to be a battle to get anything done.

 

[eimaj12000]

Just wondering - after looking at another diagram I've jotted down... am I right in thinking that my kitchen sink trap is basically overloaded now with possible sources which could cause a vacuum and empty traps ??? The reason I say this is that if I've had a sink connected then to a single upstand (from what I've read it should really be a double upstand with two u-bends for this) then could adding the condensate pipe have tipped the balance and now what's happening is somehow a trap/u-bend is being emptied thus leaving a clear line to the sewer ?

The only thing that puzzles me is why it's the upstairs bathroom and not the kitchen sink that is the source of the smell ? Or perhaps the 'line to the sewer' somehow bypasses the sink but is leaving the upstairs bathroom waste clear ??? Just a thought - I'd be interested to know how you guys would view the washing machine setup in light of the fact we now have two appliances, a sink and a condensate pipe setup all fixed to the one pipe going to the soil stack ?

Again thanks for everybody taking the time to reply as it's a big help.

 

[solutions]

Hi eimaj,
There is no way in my mind that the smell you are experiencing is a result of the condensate pipework from your new boiler.
The condensate pipe work should have a constant fall from the connection at the boiler to the point it enters the waste pipe. The angle of fall can vary, but the pipe has to allow the collected condensate to run away from the boiler to the drain. As your observations indicate this is not the case, the condensate pipework should be altered to insure it has a constant fall and nowhere for the condensate to pool.
The issues you are experiencing with regards to the temperature of the hot water to your bath may indicate an issue, however it may not be a fault with the boiler or its instalation.
Combi boilers heat cold mains water as it passes through a component inside the boiler, the temperature of the water you get out of the boiler and to youre hot taps will be affected by the temperature of the incoming cold water and the pressure and flow rate that the cold water is supplied at.
I have known 28kw combis need the bath taps flow rate to be turned down in order for the water to reach the appropriate temperature.
Has the new boiler replaced another combi or did you have a hot water cylinder before? Unfortunately if you had a hot water cylinder before you may well notice a difference in performance when it comes to filling a bath.
Is the cloudy ness of the water constant?
If you fill a bath is the whole bath water cloudy or does it appear cloudy for a short time before clearing?
I Hope your engineer can attend to your concerns. Please do let us know how you get on.

 

[eimaj12000]

Hi,

Just a note to say how things are going. The installers came out and the guy saw straight away that the condensate pipe was going up and down instead of on an incline and changed this to give it a straight run. When he cut the pipe he was quite surprised at the amount of water sitting dormant in the dip in the pipe. He still didn't think this was the source of the smell but strangely the smell seems to have lessened/went away since his visit - time will tell I suppose.

After checking around the bathroom area and having a look at other possible areas of concern incase the smell returns, I've noticed that the large cold water storage tank in the loft is filling up still ? Just a bit surprised by that since I'm 99.99% sure that the original installers had said that this along with the old immerser heater tank (this is 100% removed). Can I just check - SHOULD this cold water tank (the large 'coffin' type with the ballcock in) still be plumbed in or is this another issue ???

Oh, also the guy did something which seems to have solved any water temp issue.

Thanks to all who took the time to read this thread and help - it's greatly appreciated.