condensate problems

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jay01

i have reacently visited a home and a previous plumber has installed the condensate pipe into a surface water gully buthe has put limestone chippings into the gully to ac as a neutralizer is this legal bit of a grey area for me other plumbers say it is ok because he has reducer the ph levels please help the customer is getting concerned thanks guys 😕
 
if he put the condensate drain into a soakaway then u add the limestone chippings to neutralize the acidic effect of the condensate. U can also add an inline condensate neutraliser now to allow discharge into the drains. the condensate is slightly acidic and in my own place I have 4 condensing boilers all draining into one old victorian manhole and after 3 years since these were installed, the cement in the manholes pipework has dissolved away leaving the water in the drain now finding a new route out. prehaps I should add a condensate neutraliser to all the boilers, or as I am doing sell the place a then come back and advise the new owners what needs doing? a chaps got to plan ahead to earn a living
 
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Can I just check this, oldplumber? client of mine has 2 or 3 lpg condensing boilers, I dont do gas, but all condensates run into a septic tank, I said to him I thought it should go through limestone or neutralizer of some sort. Does it eat away at cement, kill friendly bacteria or both? THe inline joby? any good?
 
Man flu, wasn't it. Must be over that by now, or are you dragging it out? sorry still recovering.
 
This is really for OLD PLUMBER

If I read all this right are u saying that the condensate water
from a condensing boiler is not neutral water - ur saying its acidic.


I have never considered this - so is it fit to discharge to the
foul sewer system, soakaway, or off main drain sewage systems ?


Please let me know ur thoughts


centralheatking
 
yes condensate is acidic, why do you think it needs to be run in plastic? it will eat a copper pipe in about 6-8 months, especially on a horizontal run. there are specific methods of termination of cendensate which are documented in the boiler MI's and BS documents, best you have a look through them
 
its only as acidic as tomato juice, your not talking "alien",acidic!
so can go to drain,rw gulley
 
its ok to put in main sewage system as the bulk of water there will dilute any acidic effect, however over time in an old drainage system in a home, it can eat away and destroy any cement joints as I have sen happen in my place. so limestone chippings and in line neutralizers are a good idea.

As to the other queries, feeling better thanks, just been and replaced a halsead ace he 35 fan after it broke at 2 years old. Noted that there are no burner chamber seals availalbe fm halstead or merchants at present, makes life easy!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! and that a halstead fan costs around £180 plus vat!!!!!!!!!!! poor old custgard had to fork out almost £400 to repair his boiler, could have almost bought a new boiler for that. And it only had a 600x600 rad on the heating as they had put in any central heating yet, but they had that rad in the airing cupboard, and the heating on all the time, the poor old boiler was cycling on/off almost constantly, no wonder the fan burnt out. Wanted to take a photo of his diy plumbing but he was looking over my shoulder to much. Still the apprentice with me spent a happy 10 mins counting the cock ups.
 
It has the same PH level as lemon juice as i keep telling customers when i see a horizontal terminal on the front of there property pluming over there nice shiny motors....🙄
 
Of course it is acidic. About the same ph as vinegar/lemon juice so will eat away at things eventually. There are rules to follow for discharging it. The basics are given with any boiler mi's you care to read but BS6798 gives detail which should be followed.
You should know this 🙄
 
i thought vinegar was alkaline, may be wrong, years since i failed chemistry alevel
 
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