Finding a leak under the floor

[Mandyq]

I 'm new here and wonder if someone can help me please. We have a leak in our central heating system and have had BG out. They say we need to give them access to under our decorative flooring for them to try and locate the leak. That's fine but I need some help as they will not guide me as to where they need to start. I have now lifted some laminate flooring in the lounge, have knocked a hole in a wall where they heard running water and lifted tiles in my kitchen. I have had thermal imaging done which has shown nothing up and have resorted to buying a stethoscope on the recommendation of the engineer for them to use to try and hear the leak - which is huge I might add as we live in a fairly large house and thy have now filled the system about 10 times.

We cannot see any evidence of where the water leak is? Has anyone any other suggestions we could try? I was going to buy a moisture metre but the prongs are only 8 mm long so I don't think tht it will help? Any advice or suggestions would be gratefully received as I don't know what to do next

Thank you
Mandy

 

[JohnD]

make a big enough hole to climb through; or several big enough to stick your head down

 

[45yearsagasman]

I am assuming that all the exterior of the property has been checked for signs of damp brickwork. I worked with a guy when I was at BG who was exceptionally good at finding and repairing sub floor leaks and he used a damp meter such as you describe. I think the idea of digging big holes is meant as humour. I do hope so.
Solid floors or suspended?

 

[Charnwood]

You've bought a stethoscope on their recommendation for them to use to find a leak?!?!
Are you giving them diesel money and Mapp gas for fixing the leak?

Other than JohnD's suggestion, your options are limited.

 

[kbdiy]

I can't see any reference to the type of floor. Is it solid or suspended? If suspended you will need to lift some floorboards and investigate - which I think is what JohnD might have been alluding to. If it's solid then the wet patch will probably be quite obvious when you lift the floor covering.

 

[HERTS P&D]

Put 2 bottles of cheap aftershave into the system and see if you can 'smell' the leak.

Andy

 

[Nige F]

Put 2 bottles of cheap aftershave into the system and see if you can 'smell' the leak.

Andy

I` ll send you a bottle of my used bathwater - you`ll smell the leak then - particularly if I`ve been eating pickled onions in the bath

 

[HERTS P&D]

I've got a video of you 'Nige'

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9YiXsuyYa4c

Andy

 

[MickyP10]

I tried the cheap perfume trick - you'll smell like a tart and block some radiators, so don't bother.

Where the rooms meet is there a strip you can lift between the lamintate floors? If so, put a flat steel rule under it and a) have a sniff for damp and b) see if there's any damp or wet screed. The membrane under laminate prevents an underfloor leak being obvious with laminate.

 

[MickyP10]

Oh another tip. Fire the heating up to the max and walk around barefoot. I could 'feel' the leak, as it was a warmer bit of floor. Don't use this as the sole indicator, though, just as a pointer.

 

[Charnwood]

walk around barefoot......the sole indicator

 

[MickyP10]

Good spot!

 

[sontax16]

I 'm new here and wonder if someone can help me please. We have a leak in our central heating system and have had BG out. They say we need to give them access to under our decorative flooring for them to try and locate the leak. That's fine but I need some help as they will not guide me as to where they need to start. I have now lifted some laminate flooring in the lounge, have knocked a hole in a wall where they heard running water and lifted tiles in my kitchen. I have had thermal imaging done which has shown nothing up and have resorted to buying a stethoscope on the recommendation of the engineer for them to use to try and hear the leak - which is huge I might add as we live in a fairly large house and thy have now filled the system about 10 times.

We cannot see any evidence of where the water leak is? Has anyone any other suggestions we could try? I was going to buy a moisture metre but the prongs are only 8 mm long so I don't think tht it will help? Any advice or suggestions would be gratefully received as I don't know what to do next
hello mandy i have exactly the same problem and have bg coming out tomorrow morning looking at some of the answers you recieved it does not give much confidence of a quick fix we have underfloor heating in a tiled floor in the bathroom and solid wood floor in living room both of which we will have to take up, so if you recieve a reasonable answer to the problem would love to hear from you regards gary
Thank you
Mandy

 

[Charnwood]

Helpful, if anyone's forgot the subject matter.

 

[bolshy]

More info please, as posted. Solid floor, suspended timber floor? Is there crawling space underneath? Are we talking about radiators or UF heating or both? Combi boiler or standard, hot water cylinder or thermal store etc, any zone valves?
Sealed system or open vented? How often are you filling and how much?
Is there access to pipework to fit gate valves, to split the system in half?
Seems to me BG are doing a lot of guessing and wrecking the place in the process.
I sincerely hope they've checked for any PRV and expansion vessel problems if it's a sealed system.