Quickest way to minimise damage from a leaking CH pipe/rad?

[JamesAsus]

What is the quickest way to reduce water damage if a CH pipe burst or radiator pipe started leaking and you couldent stop it?

Had a scare recently and want to know for future, as i understand, water will slow and eventually stop leaking when the pressure inside a combi boiler drops, is that true?

If so would putting a bucket under the offending rad and undoing the nut from the wall to the valve work quickly or would water just keep coming and coming non stop?

If i pull the combi boiler pressure relief valve will that help?

 

[Harry Bloomfield]

On a combi boiler, or an open vented....

Before it happens, make a mental note of where the drain valve are. Grab a garden hose, long enough to reach a drain, and open the drain valve to release the pressure. On an open vented system, you will also need to turn off the water supplying the F&E tank.

If i pull the combi boiler pressure relief valve will that help?

If you can get to it easily, it will help.

Heavy duty plastic sheet might also be handy, for catching water. On one occasion, for an iced up and defrosting ceiling a/c system, I went out and bought a kids paddling pool, blew it up, to catch the flood.

 

[JamesAsus]

On a combi boiler, or an open vented....

Before it happens, make a mental note of where the drain valve are. Grab a garden hose, long enough to reach a drain, and open the drain valve to release the pressure. On an open vented system, you will also need to turn off the water supplying the F&E tank.



If you can get to it easily, it will help.

Heavy duty plastic sheet might also be handy, for catching water. On one occasion, for an iced up and defrosting ceiling a/c system, I went out and bought a kids paddling pool, blew it up, to catch the flood.

Thank you, would i need to stop the water at the stopcock aswell or does that not matter for a combi?

 

[Mottie]

Thank you, would i need to stop the water at the stopcock aswell or does that not matter for a combi?

Doesn’t matter for a combi/sealed system. I changed a couple of rad valves on my sealed system at the weekend and only needed to let about half a bucketful of water out of the system before a vacuum was created and it stopped draining.

 

[JamesAsus]

Doesn’t matter for a combi/sealed system. I changed a couple of rad valves on my sealed system at the weekend and only needed to let about half a bucketful of water out of the system before a vacuum was created and it stopped draining.

Thats good to know, so hypothetically if one of the other downstairs radiators started leaking (not the one with the drain T piece on it) could i just loosen the nut on that radiator, drain it into a bucket and it will stop leaking after a few litres without the whole CH supply flooding into the house?

Lets say the leak is pre lockshield so closing the lockshield wouldent work basically?

 

[Harry Bloomfield]

Thank you, would i need to stop the water at the stopcock aswell or does that not matter for a combi?

If you have a leak on the hot water, post the combi boiler, yes the stopcock may need to be turned off, but for just a leak on the central heating it will normally be enough to just drain it via a drain valve.

 

[JamesAsus]

If you have a leak on the hot water, post the combi boiler, yes the stopcock may need to be turned off, but for just a leak on the central heating it will normally be enough to just drain it via a drain valve.

As above though, if one radiator was leaking before the valves could i just put a bucket underneath and it would stop leaking after a bucketfull or less as the combi boiler pressure would have dropped significantly?

That would be hell of a lot easier than attatching a hose pipe to another radiator and draining it outside.

With regardess to DOWNSTAIRS rads on an upstairs combi.

 

[Harry Bloomfield]

As above though, if one radiator was leaking before the valves could i just put a bucket underneath and it would stop leaking after a bucketfull or less as the combi boiler pressure would have dropped significantly?

It might, or might not. If it can suck air in, water will continue to leak out, the only sure way it to drain it.

 

[JamesAsus]

It might, or might not. If it can suck air in, water will continue to leak out, the only sure way it to drain it.

How would a sealed system suck air in?

 

[Harry Bloomfield]

How would a sealed system suck air in?

There are lots of ways. The rest of the system might well hold up under pressure, but given a slight vacuum may let by. Changes in temperature will upset the balance of the vacuum, allowing air to be sucked in, then water out, as the temperature increases. Someone might unknowingly open a bleed valve, high in the system.

 

[JamesAsus]

There are lots of ways. The rest of the system might well hold up under pressure, but given a slight vacuum may let by. Changes in temperature will upset the balance of the vacuum, allowing air to be sucked in, then water out, as the temperature increases. Someone might unknowingly open a bleed valve, high in the system.

But if no bleed valves are open, and the heating is turned off you think after a bucket or two the system would stop draining?

 

[Mottie]

As above though, if one radiator was leaking before the valves could i just put a bucket underneath and it would stop leaking after a bucketfull or less as the combi boiler pressure would have dropped significantly?

It would have dropped enough for you to hold a thumb over it or wrap it with a bit of insulating tape for example.

 

[JamesAsus]

It would have dropped enough for you to hold a thumb over it or wrap it with a bit of insulating tape for example.

Brill, so after a bucket full ill be able to just put something over the pipe to stop it leaking quite easily due to lack of pressure?

 

[Mottie]

Brill, so after a bucket full I’ll be able to just put something over the pipe to stop it leaking quite easily due to lack of pressure?

In most cases, yep, if you can get to it. In any case, even in the worse case scenario, a sealed system can only leak what water it has in it. An open vented one would just keep running.

 

[JamesAsus]

In most cases, yep, if you can get to it. In any case, even in the worse case scenario, a sealed system can only leak what water it has in it. An open vented one would just keep running.

But if i have 10 radiators that would be something like 100 + litres, i couldent imagine the damage that would cause