Common maintenance issues in Selby council houses

It is likely that your boiler has stopped working due to a frozen discharge pipe or condense trap if:

• your boiler is a Greenstar gas boiler or a 26 CDi
• the outside temperature is, or has been, below freezing
• it is displaying either an EA fault code or a flashing blue light (for 26CDi boilers you may see a flashing red light instead)

If any of these apply, try to reset your boiler. This can be done by holding in the reset button, which is usually found on the boiler control panel, for ten seconds. Once you have released the button you should wait two to three minutes to see if the boiler re-fires.

If the boiler does not re-fire and is making a gurgling sound, then it is almost certain that your condense trap is frozen. If you cannot hear a gurgling noise, you should still check your condensate pipe.

The condensate pipe will be a plastic pipe (black, white or grey), coming from the bottom of your boiler. If this pipe is less than 32mm in diameter and runs outside of the property or through a non-heated area then it should be fully insulated with waterproof lagging.

If it is not fully lagged, it is very likely that it is frozen and needs to be thawed.

You should be extremely careful at all times when attempting to identify and thaw a condensate pipe.

You should only attempt to thaw a condensate pipe that is at ground level and easily accessible to you. Under no circumstances should you attempt to thaw a condensate pipe which is at height, without the assistance of a professionally trained engineer.

A hot water bottle or heat wrap (like the ones that can be used to ease muscle discomfort) would be a suitable and safe way of thawing the condense pipe. Hold the hot water bottle or warmed heat wrap around the condensate pipe to thaw it.

Once thawed, the boiler must be reset. This can be done by holding the reset button in for ten seconds and then waiting two to three minutes for the boiler to re-fire.

Condensate is moisture gathered from the boiler's flue and allowed to run back through the boiler to a collection point. Condensate is a feature of condensing boilers. 

If your water isn't working, check with your neighbours first. If they have no interruption to their supplies, your pipes may be frozen.

You should follow these steps:

1. Check pipes for signs of a split – a burst will not occur until the water has thawed.
2. Turn off the supply using the stopcock.
3. Drain the system by flushing the toilet and opening cold taps over sinks and baths.
4. Turn off the central heating and any other water heating appliances.
5. If you don't find any damage, turn on all the taps and thaw the frozen pipe using a warm towel or hot water bottle.
6. When the pipes have thawed and you are sure no damage or leak has occurred, turn off the taps and slowly switch the supply back using the stopcock.
7. Check the pipes again now that they are under pressure and check again for signs of damage or a leak before switching on water heating appliances.
8. If you discover a leak or burst pipe call a reputable plumber immediately.

You can find more information on the Yorkshire Water website.

Condensation is arguably the most common form of dampness and can eventually lead to the growth of black mould. It forms on internal surfaces when the temperature drops below the temperature of moist air inside the property.

This is likely to happen during cooking, washing, ironing and bathing, particularly in properties that have undergone improvement works in the last few years, as they are much better insulated than properties that have not had improvement works carried out.

If left to develop, condensation can lead to an unsightly, musty property and can also trigger health problems such as asthma.

    

Signs of condensation include:

• water streaming down windows and walls
• damp areas behind furniture
• wallpaper peeling
• blackened window frames
• black mould growth

If you are unsure about whether you have damp this video by Wakefield and District Housing Limited may help you:

If you are still unsure whether you have damp, contact us. 

There are things you can do to prevent condensation, including the following: 

• try to keep the inside temperature reasonably constant for as much time as possible 
• avoid drying clothes indoors - if you have no choice, place the clothes rack beside an open window in a room with the door shut 
• do not dry clothes over any radiators
• ensure any tumble drier is properly vented or the condensate regularly emptied  
• do not supplement your heating with paraffin or Calor gas type heating 
• keep furniture away from external walls
• do not disable any extraction units
• damp, unlike condensation, usually leaves a tidemark and dependent on the causes would need treatment to the building to eliminate it

You can find out more about how to manage condensation by watching this video from Wakefield and District Housing Limited: