Following the Beast from the East, when millions of boilers suffered malfunction and breakdown due to frozen condensate pipes, the heating and plumbing industry resolved that it must not happen again.

According to an article in the Daily Express, British Gas engineers fixed a record 17,000 broken boilers on 2 March 2018 alone, and the company saw calls for assistance come at a rate of 104 calls every second – 13 times its usual call volumes.

Despite risks of reputational damage and industry guidance released since 2018, a recent poll has shown that some 60% of boiler installers ‘never’ or ‘only sometimes’ insulate condensate pipes.

The self-selecting poll was conducted by @TradesTalk, a social media feed for the trade. 160 tradespeople responded.

Part of the reason much of the trade is not following industry guidance is because it is a tricky installation to carry out, mainly in terms of the angles expected to be drilled into cavity walls where the pipe passes through.

It also adds significant time to an installation, can be quite intrusive to the fabric of a home, is hard to cost up, and difficult to explain to a homeowner.

There was therefore a gap in the market for a condensate pipe protective product that is quick and easy to install, can be retrofitted if necessary, is UV and weather resistant and comes in a stockable kit form.

My experience as a boiler installer has helped produce a robust, aesthetically pleasing product in Condensate Pro, and I am now looking to expand the network of merchant distribution as demand increases for the product.

That 60% of installers rarely or never insulate condensate pipes is jaw-dropping.

To make sure it is reduced significantly, installers need to see they can increase long-term customer satisfaction, save time on installation and limit wasted resources on unnecessary call-outs. Condensate Pro ticks each of these boxes and is easy for the merchant to stock and sell.

Across the country there are millions of boilers fitted with substandard external condensate pipe protection with pipes that freeze easily and cause boiler breakdown. Effective protection for these pipes is much needed, and offers a huge opportunity for merchants.

For more details and to watch how to install Condensate Pro visit www.condensatepro.co.uk