Low temperatures bring condensing boiler failure warning
Posted by Sue Hopson
The low temperatures seen in recent days could make having buy-to-let insurance in place particularly important for landlords at the moment.
Cold weather can potentially cause a variety of problems for properties, one of which could be the condensing boiler failing due to external drain away pipes freezing, Direct Line has warned.
If landlords have properties with this type of boiler, they will have to be able to repair it quickly in order not to leave their tenant without heating or hot water during the current cold snap.
Having landlord property insurance in place will help them recover the cost of repairs should such a problem occur.
Direct Line noted that the number of households with a condensing boiler has risen significantly in recent years since it became a legal requirement that all gas boilers must be condensing in 2007.
A frozen pipe can stop the waste liquid from draining away leading to it backing up and causing the boiler to fail and cut out.
However, if the tenant or landlord wants to avoid calling out and paying for an engineer, in some cases it might be possible for them to tackle the problem themselves.
"With the arctic weather hitting the UK, we are predicting an increase in boiler failures due to condensing drain away pipes freezing," said Martin Egan, national property claims manager at Direct Line.
"The problem can be resolved by effective insulation of the pipe, which homeowners can do themselves and save having to call an engineer out," he explained. "If the plastic pipe from the boiler is in an outside area and is not insulated, it is likely to be frozen and, if isn't already, it is likely to as the cold weather persists."
However, Direct line warns that you should only attempt to thaw a condense pipe if it is at ground level and easily accessible to you, otherwise a professionally trained engineer should be used.
Social media