Central Heating System Leaking Under Floor

[GraRob]

This isn't for me, it's for a friend.

One year old Vokera combi boiler has recently starting to lose pressure. Boiler engineer has been out and checked boiler, pressure reliefs and radiators, with no apparent leaks.

The system drops from 1.5bar to 0.5bar in around 12 hours.

He reckons it may be pipework under the floor. ☹

Not an easy proposition as the whole house has either new laminate flooring or fabric in kitchen.

Other than the obvious tearing up sections of the floor, is there any other solutions to check it? I've thought about a led powered endoscope as a started for ten, or isolate the boiler from the pressurised pipework and monitor for pressure drop overnight (12 hours)?

Any help would be very much appreciated.

 

[ianmcd]

when they do not need heating or HW, pressurise the boiler to 2 bar and close the isolation valves below the boiler and leave overnight with the electricity supply off and see if the pressure is still the same in the morning, if it has dropped it is within the boiler, if it hasnt and you open an iso valve and the pressure suddenly drops it is on the system

 

[KenGMac]

The above from ianmcd spot on, you will be eliminating either the boiler or the system.

If it is the system that is leaking, do you have a void under the floor or are the floors resting on timber battens and a concrete slab??

Having seen and costed several such events, can I suggest you consider an Insurance Claim under your home insurance policy the heading of an escape of water from a fixed domestic installation,

Why? because to rip up and replace Laminate, flooring Etc is not cheap, it will [obviously] cost you your insurance Excess, that can be £500 under some Insurers.

Ken.

 

[GraRob]

The above from ianmcd spot on, you will be eliminating either the boiler or the system.

If it is the system that is leaking, do you have a void under the floor or are the floors resting on timber battens and a concrete slab??

Having seen and costed several such events, can I suggest you consider an Insurance Claim under your home insurance policy the heading of an escape of water from a fixed domestic installation,

Why? because to rip up and replace Laminate, flooring Etc is not cheap, it will [obviously] cost you your insurance Excess, that can be £500 under some Insurers.

Ken.

Thanks to both

No idea on sub-floor construction, but will check. I'll get him to do the boiler isolation later in week and see what happens

 

[KenGMac]

How old is the property?

Is it a "timber frame"?

The above can give a hint as to construction??

 

[GraRob]

How old is the property?

Is it a "timber frame"?

The above can give a hint as to construction??

Hi, its fairly new, no more than 15 years old, and a ground floor flat, and not timber framed, Cheers

 

[KenGMac]

Sorry, another question, do you know if there is a concrete slab below the timber floor or is there a void under there, one easy way to tell is are there any "air bricks" on the external walls?

have you had time to try the advice given by ianmcd above? is there any info about this test?

Ken.

 

[GraRob]

Sorry, another question, do you know if there is a concrete slab below the timber floor or is there a void under there, one easy way to tell is are there any "air bricks" on the external walls?

have you had time to try the advice given by ianmcd above? is there any info about this test?

Ken.

No not yet sorry, hoping to look over the weekend, but floored with the lurgy atm...

 

[KenGMac]

Sorry to hear about that, hope you have not been on Holiday in China??

 

[Dangee]

or try leak sealer

 

[Dangee]

Who the heck buys Vokera nowadays

 

[HERTS P&D]

I use a thermal camera, fantastic bit of kit. Find a plumber who has one and get a quote for it to be repaired.

Andy

 

[ianmcd]

Who the heck buys Vokera nowadays

says the lad that advocates using leak sealer

 

[KenGMac]

OK Yes thermal Imaging is [in some cases] very, very good at locating leaks.

But in this case the leak could be in the boiler? or in the system, as yet we all wait with bated breath ??

I have seen the promotional videos and used companies who specialise in such detection of such events to locate an [area] where the leak is occurring.

In other cases I have seen a concrete slab with floating timber floors totally trashed by a leak under the floor only noticed when the chipboard floor in the Kitchen collapsed due to long term on-going leak and subsequent wood rot, albeit, over several years, all ground floor rooms were affected.

Ken.

 

[wizbongre]

Whilst searching for options around leak finding I’ve come across both thermal imaging and using UV dye in the system.

You can hire a thermal camera from some tool hire shops. No idea if they are good enough or if a layman could be successful.