Boiler leaking water Urgent advice needed?

[Pinkbear154]

Hi,



I need some urgent advice. I Came home earlier after going out for evening, to discover hallway floor and kitchen floor covered in water. On further inspection I discovered that water was coming from boiler cupboard.



On looking in boiler cupboard I found boiler has started leaking water. It's a fast drip and it's dripping from the front bottom corner where electrics and control pannel are. It hot water dripping not cold water. It seems to be coming from somewhere inside boiler. As all pipes coming out under boiler are fine.



Water is dripping out of boiler it's self not the pipes under. Hope that makes sense.



I was worried that water was going to get on electronics so have turned boiler and solar system that's linked to it off at switches and at fuse box. I hope this was right thing to do.



Boiler is a Alpha CD25X and as said it's connected to a solar system. I've posted about problems with this boiler before. If you check my other post you can see photos of boiler.



Finally got boiler Fixed last year and was working fine since last August and now this.



I thought if I turn off boiler and solar system it might stop leaking but it's still dripping quiet a bit, I've put a bucket under now. And have spent the last couple of hours clearing up water. Does any one have any suggestions on anything I can do tonight to stop water leaking. Will it be ok to leave until morning or should I call someone out tonight.



I was thinking of turning off cold water at mains and then turning on hot taps to drain. Will this drain boiler. Or should I just leave alone.



My concern about turning off water at mains and turning on hot taps to drain is that. I won't be able to turn cold water back on as will just refill boiler. So will be without any running water as well as no hot water and heating.



I will do it if have too but not a ideal situation especially as I have 4 children who all have special needs and medical conditions.



Any advice much appreciated

Thanks in advance

 

[muggles]

You should be able to isolate the boiler using the valves on the bottom of it. Try the cold water inlet on that first and see if the dropping stops. Has the heating pressure changed?

 

[robinbanks]

Is it clean water? Does it taste of anything?

 

[Pinkbear154]

I have looked under boiler at all pipes and can not see anything to isolate boiler. There are no taps underneath that I can turn off and not even one of them valves with a screw under that You can turn to turn off water. I've searched every pipe in cupboard.

None of pipes have anything. Only way I can see to turn water off is to turn mains off at a tap in cupboard under kitchen sink. This turns off cold mains water to whole house.

It's kind of strange, I did expect there to be some kind of cut off for water near boiler. Seems silly to me that there isn't.

Heating pressure has not changed at all. It's the same now as when boiler was on needle hasn't moved. I thought pressure would drop a bit after turning off boiler but like said it hasn't changed at all.

Water looks clean but haven't tasted it I don't particularly want to taste it. No offence.

 

[ktuludays]

Post a picture of pipes into boiler

 

[Pinkbear154]

Sorry if pictures are not great. Where I've drawn a red circle is where water is dripping from.
I hope you can see the pipes ok.

There are a couple of things that look like the could turn on pipes above but they don't seem to move and are on pipes heading upstairs.

Above is upstairs bathroom. Like have said boiler is connected to a solar system. Grey tank next to boiler is water tank for solar system.

There are pipes that go from this tank upstairs and to loft, then straight to solar panel, water or some liquid then flows through solar panel where it's meant to be heated up by sun then it's sent back down to tank to warm water. Boiler heats up water more using gas if water isn't hot enough. Hope that makes sense. There is no water tank in loft. Only thing in loft is pump plus solar panel on roof. Only tank in house is grey one next to boiler.

Hope this helps you understand layout

 

[Andy165]

What area are you ? Do you not have a contact list of tradesman you can turn to in an emergency ? Or local family and friends. Sounds like a leak on the cold feed to boiler. Usually a valve on the underside of the boiler to isolate. Then open hot tap to kitchen sink and drain / let pressure go. Residue water may continue a little and then stop as you have isolated the source at the boiler. If you call out an emergency plumber, you can be billed high.

 

[Andy165]

Need to see underside of boiler, that will be where the isolation valves are.

 

[Pinkbear154]

I rent from housing association. I have to report emergencies to them and they send some one out. I've phoned housing association to report it and they told me would you believe that it's not classed as a emergency unless water is gushing.

Its a continuous drip which fills up a large bucket every hour. I told them this and they still said no not a emergency.

They told me they have a big back log of repairs due to staff off at Christmas and so it will be a while until they can repair.

So I'm left with boiler leaking, having to empty buckets every hour. And no hot water or heating.

I'll get some more photos in a minute. Just got to sort my youngest son out, giving him his medicines and injections. He has complex medical conditions.

 

[Pinkbear154]

Here is a photo of underneath of boiler

 

[Andy165]

The housing association would most likely assess the problem and isolate the leak. Then leave you with temporary heaters. Parts likely need to be ordered and time for an engineer to fix. As you have young children are they not obliged to attend ? Maybe escalate the complaint.

 

[Pinkbear154]

I have been ringing housing association all morning they are not answering phone. You just get put on hold listening to terrible music and no one ever answers. Rang at 7am sat on hold for 1hr then had to give up as had to go and sort my youngest son out. Rang again at 8.30am sat on hold for 30minutes nothing.

Rang again at 9.30am sat on hold for 40 minutes no one ever answered. I've continued to ring and ring and can't get through. I've just rang again and gave up after 30 minutes on hold.

I don't have time to sit around for ever. Dont know what to do.

Escalating to a complaint will make no difference they just don't care.

Esculated to a complaint stage 1 last year when they failed to fix boiler. And left us nearly 8 months with no heating or hot water.

The response I got was horrible, called me a lier, blamed me and would not take any responsibility.

Esculated it to a stage 2 complaint in July last year and still haven't had a response. Despite it saying in there terms and conditions they have to respond to a stage 2 Complaint within 20 days.
I've chased them up every week about that complaint but they just keep making excuse after excuse.

I want to contact housing ombudsman but apparently can't until housing association reply as they won't help until have extinguished all avenues with housing association and got final response.

I'm at a loss as to what to do. Leak is getting worse so I'm going to have to turn water off at mains and try and drain boiler by turning on hot taps.

This is going to leave us with no running water.

 

[Andy165]

Document all actions, dates , times etc. To reinforce your complaint . Get in touch with your local councillor or MP for advice. Unfortunately there are many like you whose landlords are under huge financial stress.

 

[Pinkbear154]

Will do. Finally managed to get through and spoke to someone. They told me they needed to speak to engineers to see what priority it would be and when they could send some one out. Said they would ring back with in the hour.

1 hour has long passed and guess what no phone call.

So fed up with it

 

[Pinkbear154]

Housing association have finally phoned back and told me it's not a emergency.
They told me it's ok to use boiler with water pouring through it and water all over electrics and control boards.

They say it's ok to leave it leaking and they will fix it at some point.

I'm lost for words I really am.

What do you guys think. Would you continue to use a leaking boiler where water is going all over electrics? Seems very dangerous to me.

I've currently turned boiler off at wall and fuse box and have no plans to use boiler in this condition.

Should I turn the water off at mains and turn on hot taps to drain boiler to try and stop leak as is no other way to isolate it.

Wont leaving boiler to continue to leak cause more damage to boiler ?

Also just out of curiosity more than anything, should there be a isolation valve under boiler to stop water to boiler in case there's a leak? Is there any legal requirement for a isolation valve for mains water to boiler?

I was speaking to a friend who runs a building business and has alot of knowledge of boilers. And he reckons it should never have been signed off without a isolation valve to stop water to boiler in a emergency. Sadly he doesnt live near me or would have come over and had a look.

He says every boiler they install they put a isolation valve under boiler to turn off water to boiler in a emergency?

What do other people think?

Any advice much appreciated

Again thanks in advance