[Thunder Chicken]

I have a Triangle Tube Prestige Solo 250 wall-mounted boiler for indirect hot water and baseboard heating. This is a condensing boiler and has a drain line that passes through the wall of the equipment room to the outdoors.

Today I went into my equipment room and found that the drain line was backed up and water was dripping onto the equipment room floor. The drain line was blocked with ice on the outside due to the cold snap we have had the last few days.

This doesn't seem to be fatal as it isn't a lot of water and it doesn't seem to be affecting the boiler operation, and the floor is just dirt and concrete so I am not too worried about pH issues. I'm just wondering a) is this *really* a non-issue, and b) if it is an issue, how can I remedy the drain icing in cold weather?

Thanks! :thumbsup:

 

[hvactech126]

Heat tape can be used to keep it from freezing. You could also drain into a condensate pump and pump it to a drain (this is not legal in some locations; check your local code).

 

[Thunder Chicken]

There isn't a drain available. The problem is really in the last inch or so of the drain line that penetrates the wall. The condensate drain is 1" corrugated plastic line that sticks out of the wall only about 1/2" but it is far enough such that the water in the last inch or so of the line freezes. The condensate is warm liquid except for the last inch of the drain.

A heat tape for pipe would work but would be major overkill, and I don't know how I would connect it. I need a tiny 2 inch heat tape that just turns on when it gets much below 32 F for long periods of time.

Bottom line - is this potentially going to cause problems? The drain line is backed up as far as I can see into the bottom of the boiler. It is overflowing somewhere so I assume that it isn't going to snuff the flame, but still.

 

[hvactech126]

it is supposed to be able to drain, so yes, it is a problem