Bizarre leak - totally confused.

[theplayer]

For the past few days when I have come downstairs there appears to be a wet patch on the living room carpet as you walk into the kitchen. The kitchen also has a few puddles of water in it.

The thing is after it has been cleaned up, it doesn't reappear until the following morning. I have checked the washing machines, dishwasher fridge and none of them are leaking any water. Even coming in at 3am last night there was absolutely no water anywhere to be seen, yet by 8am it had happened aagin. I've also checked light fittings for any leaks coming through there and nothing.

The bathroom/storage tank are above the kithcen, but they get used all day long and no problems. The only thing I can think of is that the hot water is coming on at 6:30am.

What on earth is likely to be going on between 3am - 8am every night ?!? The water is clean, no odour and the downstairs floors are ashphalt.

I'm probably missing something obvious here, but usually if something is leaking wouldn't it just leak all day ?

 

[Agile]

Set the alarm to 5 am and go and see the water leaking.

Mains pressure can get very high during the night, storage tanks overflow etc.

Tony

 

[gasbanni]

Look at the ceiling !!!!

 

[Boilerman2]

What time does the CAT come in??

 

[theplayer]

Don't worry I have eliminated the cat - the water is odourless and the cat is usually outside at night anyway!

I think the only way to be certain as you say is to set the alarm and go down and see what is going on.

I have checked the celing though and there are no wet patches, signs of damage. We have had the bath overflow before now and it is very obvious where it is coming through on the celiling if that is the source.

 

[bengasman]

Cylinder heats up, water expands, tank overflows.
Adjust the the bath tank filler so the level in the cold water tank goes down an inch and see what happens the next moring.

 

[theplayer]

Can you just clarify a few points for me on this (not massively familiar with central heating systems)

- What exactly is the "Bath tank filler" ?

- We have a cylinder, and then two tanks in the loft a large one and a small one. The large one has cold water in it and the smaller one hot/warm water. I assume that the system would push any expansion back into the large one and if it overfilled it would leave via the overflow pipe ?

 

[expertgasman]

Whu you gonna call?

seriously though, it could be a ripping ball valve causing overflow in to dodgy overflow pipe/fitting . When you use hot water in the mornng the water level drops, stopping leak. Overnight the CWS fills to overflow level.

It is surprising that you can't see other evidence, though.

 

[bengasman]

- What exactly is the "Bath tank filler" ?

Often referred to as "ballcock" or "ballvalve" that fills the tank for the bathwater/cylinder.

...two tanks in the loft a large one and a small one. The large one has cold water in it ...

That's the one. Adjust whatever fills it in such a way that it stops filling when the water level is an inch lower than where it is now when full.

It might be an idea to make sure that you can stop the water to this tank in case somehting goes wrong.

 

[tincup]

Hi.


Any pipes under the floor?

 

[Agile]

And when you have sorted out the water on the floor there is something else that wrong.

The small tank should not be hot!

Tony

 

[7777777]

Set the alarm to 5 am and go and see the water leaking.

Mains pressure can get very high during the night, storage tanks overflow etc.

Tony

if you listen to arm chair plumbers you will never find it , its one thing and one thing only change the ball cock on the tank end off

 

[petit_pablo]

if you listen to arm chair plumbers you will never find it , its one thing and one thing only change the ball cock on the tank end off

Wrong side of the bed this morning

 

[45yearsagasman]

How have we got to "change the ball valve,end of" from a water leak on the ground floor in a 2 storey house with tanks in the roof space? What sort of advice is that

 

[theplayer]

OK - boiler etc all turned off last night and a puddle still there this morning, albeit significantly smaller.

It *appears* to be comign from underneath the fridgefreezer. Is there a chance that the fridge freezer is doing something at this time that i.e. defrosting or something ?!? It's not the drain out of the fridge as I have checked that so it only really leaves the freezer.

I guess I could repost this on the appliances section.