Dodgy condensate pipe?

[klbarnes]

My neighbour had his boiler re-sited upstairs in 2012. The condensate pipe comes out of the wall, bends directly down vertically and ends about an inch above the lean-to over his drive - our drive is adjacent to his drive. The condensate then rolls about 10ft down the lean-to and into a gutter which overhangs the fence between our two drives.

I recently has a gas-safe engineer round to give me a quote and he made a comment about the "dodgy condensate pipe" next door - he said that condensate was mildly acidic and could damage car paintwork. My neighbour's car is safely under the lean-to but my car is parked directly underneath the point at which the condensate rolls into the gutter. I spoke to my neighbour and mentioned the condensate pipe to him. He looked surprised and went off to ring the bloke who installed his boiler (apparently a mate of his dad's who "did it cheap for him" - no idea if he's gas-safe!). Apparently the fitter said that the installation was fine and he had to install the condensate pipe like that as there was no other way he could do it!!.

At the moment I am squashing my car at the end of the drive as far away from the pipe as I can (which isn't far as my drive is small).

Can anyone let me know if the pipe really is a problem and whether the condensate can damage my car. If so, can anyone give me some pointers as to how to handle my neighbour and get it sorted.

 

[Billy Bob Bob]

sounds rubbish work IMHO,They should not be terminated in gutters anyway

 

[Whl4852]

Car cover? Sorry couldn't resist

 

[Destroyer2813]

Pic"s ?

 

[Howsie]

It's is about acidic as tomato juice and would damage paintwork over time. It should be terminated properly and sounds like it isn't.

A picture would be helpful.

 

[herp_lee]

Acidic as tomato juice? not the last time i had it on my hands lol.

 

[Howsie]

Or orange juice, I can't remember. It's not bad but not good for your car.

 

[dancinplumba]

lemon juice ?

 

[lame plumber]

its very good at eating concrete so nice laquer and water based paint, dont park near it

 

[herp_lee]

yes i have seen the damage from condensate and i also recommend you dont park near it. Idol installer im afraid.

 

[Howsie]

lemon juice ?

Not that bad I think. I'll get my pH paper out tomorrow and give it a dip.

 

[erpkid]

When it gets cold your neighbour will have to have it fixed as it sounds like it will freeze and stop his boiler working, not the best answer I am afraid might be worth having another word and point out afterwards in writing his liability for damage to your vehicle.

 

[Howsie]

Or stick a cork in it

 

[erpkid]

Not that bad I think. I'll get my pH paper out tomorrow and give it a dip.

Carbonic acid has a pH of 6ish so only mildly acidic whereas lemon juice is 2ish making it very acidic.

 

[SafeGasInstall]

Not that bad I think. I'll get my pH paper out tomorrow and give it a dip.

dont know its ph level but does eats a cooper pipe

 

[Howsie]

Carbonic acid has a pH of 6ish so only mildly acidic whereas lemon juice is 2ish making it very acidic.

Four or three at worst from memory.

Even mildly acidic will eat through anything if there is enough of it flowing. Condensate pipe is perfect for it.

 

[erpkid]

True you don't want it dripping on your motor, the actual pH will be influenced by pressure. The carbonic acid in a pop bottle is much more acidic nearer to four as you say.

 

[kozak1968]

Condense is 3 - 5 PH (acidic)

 

[SimonG]

I'd been told it was as acidic as lemon juice. Great at eating concrete and old mild steel flue terminal gaurds that don't get changed when the boilers converted to condensing.

 

[kozak1968]

Condense is 3 - 5 PH (acidic)

 

[GrahamM]

The condensate should terminate into a proper waste water drain or into a soak-away under ground level to comply with regulations.
There are many means at the installers disposal and it would be unlikely a proper method of complying with regs would not be available to the installer. He is just being lazy/incompetent/negligent.
As mentioned the condensate solution is normally in region of 3-5 pH and my car would not be anywhere near this.

 

[TBServices]

It can be damaging.

I once saw a flue project out of a side wall on a small terrace, directly onto a steel lamppost about a foot away. It had eaten a huge hole out of it. This is essentially the same stuff (in liquid form) that had eaten away the lamppost. Tell your neighbour to get it sorted.