Given you can isolate the ground floor (with ballvalves) you could always presurise the system with air and use a stethoscope (a fiver on ebay) and you might be able to narrow it down. In theory rads/valves are tested to 10 bar so you really ramp up the pressure more than mains water. Exercise caution as air testing is not always safe unlike water pressure testing.
Boiler Saga Continues - Probable Leak...(Update 24/12/20 - Trace and Access visit)
- Thread starter siross85
- Start date
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Hi all.
I decided to bite the bullet and get the specialists in. They are coming on Wednesday so I have until first thing Tuesday to find the leak and cancel or let them come in and do their thing. I've got a stethoscope to try and hear anything and I'll give it a try tomorrow.
One weird thing is that I've been having to drain the radiators of a lot of air but on Wednesday night I turned the one in our spare room on (it's been off for a while as the mother in law is living with us and doesn't like it on). After turning it on there is very little air in the system any more, there's still a bit but it's minimal compared to before. The pressure still drops as it did though.
I decided to bite the bullet and get the specialists in. They are coming on Wednesday so I have until first thing Tuesday to find the leak and cancel or let them come in and do their thing. I've got a stethoscope to try and hear anything and I'll give it a try tomorrow.
One weird thing is that I've been having to drain the radiators of a lot of air but on Wednesday night I turned the one in our spare room on (it's been off for a while as the mother in law is living with us and doesn't like it on). After turning it on there is very little air in the system any more, there's still a bit but it's minimal compared to before. The pressure still drops as it did though.
I'd weigh up the cost if the specialists against 10 tins of miracle seal.
I've used this twice in desperation. Both big houses, owners refused to have flooring and boards up. 10 tins in each system. No further problems.
Proper fix is to find it and cure it.
I've used this twice in desperation. Both big houses, owners refused to have flooring and boards up. 10 tins in each system. No further problems.
Proper fix is to find it and cure it.
Wow that stuff looks incredible! Ideally, like you said it's best to spend the money now for a permanent fix? I don't really have the option to take the entire floor up with an 18 month old running around, otherwise that would be the best option. The specialist can at least pinpoint the leak and therefore minimise disruption.
A mate who is more experienced with this stuff is coming over tomorrow to see if we can get under the floor at all.
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I'm not sure what you are gaining by getting the specialists in.
You know the issue is the pipes under the floors the plastic connectors look to have failed.
Even if the specialists locate the main leak, there will be another one not long behind it, you'll end up chasing it round.
Your only option is to take up the floor and fix correctly.
That or use the leak sealer to buy you 6 months and hopefully you be in a better position, ship the wife and kids to parents or something while the work is under taken then (assuming we be in a better position with covid by then)
You know the issue is the pipes under the floors the plastic connectors look to have failed.
Even if the specialists locate the main leak, there will be another one not long behind it, you'll end up chasing it round.
Your only option is to take up the floor and fix correctly.
That or use the leak sealer to buy you 6 months and hopefully you be in a better position, ship the wife and kids to parents or something while the work is under taken then (assuming we be in a better position with covid by then)
So you think it's a case of complete change of pipe work under the floor or a complete change of plastic joints?
I was still kind of working under the assumption it was one leak. A complete upheaval regardless makes me question things.
It's 1 leak now from a plastic joint, fix that and it will be another leak, then another etc.
They won't have to change all the pipe work, just remove the plastic and replace with soldered copper versions.
Ahh right I'm with you. That's not something you could easily do crawling in a tiny gap under the floor then!
Taking the entire floor up at the moment definitely isn't an option currently. It might be easier in circa 6 months time depending on regs. The biggest problem it's doubtful to be done in one day.
I'm tempted by the leak sealer option you and @mcmoby69 mentioned. Would this be more effective than the leak sealer already used by BG? The one they used seemed to make the pressure drop quicker...
I've used a leak sealer for a failed heat exchanger o ring (2x o rings actually) just to get me by for a bit as I knew I wanted to replace the boiler anyway.
It worked for around 3x months before it failed again, it failed worse, but my expansion vessel had failed and was regularly pumping 3 bar through the system.
I used some cheap stuff from Screwfix.
That ct1 stuff looks very good, for £13 it's worth a punt.
you need to dose according to water volume, 1 tin in a 200l system probably wont work.
Is that why you used 10 cans of the stuff? Does it all go in at the same time?
It doesn't provide a dosage rate, so I assume 1 bottle should be enough for the average heating system.
D
durhamplumber
That cannot do a boiler any good.
10 cans is definitely too much.
For the boiler system you need the industrial version and not the automotive.
1 can should be sufficient for most systems.
1 can of leak sealer from any other brand is sufficient for 10 rad systems
For the boiler system you need the industrial version and not the automotive.
1 can should be sufficient for most systems.
1 can of leak sealer from any other brand is sufficient for 10 rad systems
Never ceases to amaze me that people will pay to get heating water flushed and fit magnetic system filters and install Inhibitor, then are happy to put leak sealer into a system to basically turn the water to mud and damage the boiler, why do you think some boiler manus will void the warranty if leak sealer has been added ? and 10 tins ?????
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