21/11/2025
As the first frost has now hit, your boilers might start throwing fault codes at you. Heres some advice 👇
Helpful advice!
The colder weather often causes boilers to suddenly lock out or stop working, then they light up like a christmas tree with lots of warning lights 🫠
Dont worry, it is likely to be the condensate pipe (this is usually a white pipe that goes to a drain) causing boiler to stop working. The error code that indicates you have blocked condensate pipe depends on the make of the boiler:
Vaillant: Fault codes F28 or F29.
Baxi: Error codes E28, E53, E113, E119, or E128.
Worcester: Error code EA.
Here are some things you can try if your condensate pipe is blocked:
🔧 Check for freezing
If the pipe is frozen, you can try thawing it with warm water, a hot water bottle, or a microwaveable heat pack. Avoid using boiling water, as it can damage the pipe.
🔧 Check for debris
If the pipe is blocked by debris, you can try gently clearing the end of the pipe outside.
🔧 Restart the boiler
Once the blockage is cleared, you can restart the boiler and check for any error codes or warning lights.
If none of the above seems to work, contact your local gas safe registered engineer so they can run tests to find additional faults.
