Digging up concrete floors???

[Dannii]

Hello,

After three heating engineers coming round all saying the same thing I am now utterly convinced that I have leaks in both the hot water and CH pipes which are conveniently buried underneath a concrete floor!

Symptoms mainly are a constant water running sound in the pipes even when no taps are on and pressure dramatically reducing even when no water or CH is on.

One of the engineers have suggested not to start a huge dig up operation and instead to pipe round the skirting instead (I have a one bedroom flat).

Any further information though would be useful as I am looking for the cheapest but durable option!

many thanks in advance

 

[namsag]

All depends what like the concrete is to be honest. Sometimes it comes up piece of cake other times it can be a pig of a job. Like today nearly an hour to do 2 feet, absolute solid pour.
Also flat , do you have someone under you

 

[K2harry]

Hi,

Surprised if it's both sets of pipes

What heating system have you got. ie combination boiler or hot water cylinder. If combi then eventually you wouldn't hear any sound from central heating pipes because it will empty and have to be manually filled. If it is just from a hot water pipe the pressure shouldn't drop because it will just be like a tap opening. If it's a small leak it wouldn't necessarily fire the boiler up.

If it is a normal 'unvented' system ie hot water tank in an airing cupboard then again you should be able to diagnose if its central heating or water pipes.

But in answer to your question if you can't isolate where the potential leak is then obviously new pipework routed around the skirting would be a lot cheaper and less messy.

 

[gas4you]

Are you on a water meter? If so make sure everyting is turned off, ie taps etc, then check the meter. If the silver tag in the middle is staionary then there are no leaks on the cold or hot pipes.

Try calling your house insurance company before letting any plumbers loose on an expensive digging up/re-piping job.

Many will cover the costs if you say you have a burst pipe in the screed floor but you don't know where.

 

[Dannii]

Thanks for all your replies, to answer;

We are the basement flat so no one underneath us. but can't tell you what kind of concrete it is though?!

We have a combi-boiler (TurboMAX Plus 824E) and I am afraid that it does seem to be both sets of pipes as when we turned off the water the gushing should still sounded and the boiler kept fireing up and when we turned off the water and the heating the gauge went down on it's own accord, it even goes down when the entire boiler gets shut down.

The engineer we had out today reakons that the loss of water is about 2/3litres a day as the gauge drops pretty fast when the hot water is opened. (we are not on a meter thankfully and have now shut everything off)

Spoke to the house insurance company and they say we are not covered (

 

[swbjackson]

I'd be looking at a surface repipe. There are some very good trunking systems now that you can use to hide the pipework if you don't want to see it.

http://www.talon.co.uk/products/skirting-cover.html

http://www.contourcasings.co.uk/dom....html?osCsid=e238139c27e36640e58acad6d7edef13

 

[Dannii]

Those sites are really helpful thanks.

I don't suppose anyone has any idea of costing a surface repipe for both CH and HW in a one bedroom flat with. It would need to go through toilet, bathroom, kitchen, living room and bedroom - all the rooms are close together.