Water/leak coming up from undergound...help!

[boongywoongy]

Over the summer we had a combi boiler installed and moved into our loft. Everything has been great until this morning when I came downstairs to feed our young son and I saw a puddle in the doorway between our dining room and kitchen. After removing the plinths from kitchen units and the lilo, my wife spotted water actually seeping up from some tiny holes right next to where a water pipe goes into the ground. The floor on ground floor is I believe concrete.

Having switched off the water supply tap without success, I then legged it to the local screwfix to get a stop cock key to turn off the supply from the outside pavement.

I also rang Thames Water and got their automated service which basically said politely that as the problem is within the house boundary, it's my problem to sort out.

I will be getting some tradesman in tomorrow or Tuesday but I was wondering what kind of things could be causing this and any possible solution?

I have a horrible feeling that our kitchen and dining room will be dug up to reach the leak. Is this a fair assumption?

Anybody recommend someone reliable in Bromley, Kent?

Thanks.

 

[electronicsuk]

If the water leak is from the incoming supply pipe, it very likely has absolutely no relevance to the installation of your new boiler in the summer.

If you're absolutely certain the leak is coming from under the concrete then it is unlikely to be due to anything that has been done since the point when the pipework was laid in the concrete.

As you say, chances are that at least some of the floor will have to be dug up. The only way this might be avoided is by re-running the entire length of pipework via a new route, but again, the layout of the house will affect whether or not this is possible.

 

[Axel]

If the water is seeping in slowly through "tiny holes" then there may be quite a delay between the point in time you shut off the valve supplying the leaky pipe, and when the water appears to stop seeping. Plus, if it's a central heating pipe, that would continue to "seep" for some time until the boiler pressure went down to zero (which would be a clue as to whether it's a water service pipe or a central heating pipe that is leaking. Therefore...(my point is)..identifying which pipe is leaking by method of turning off valves involves a lot of patience to diagnose correctly.

 

[boongywoongy]

Actually we drained the water system/boiler first to see if that would cause the water to stop leaking and only when this failed did we turn off the mains supply outside which did stop the leak within minutes.

As for whether this has anything to do with the boiler installation, I agree that this probably would have happened anyway but from my limited understanding the water pressure in the system is now greater than before the boiler install and could have triggered the issue?

What's worse is that I have only buildings cover and the insurance company (Budget) say that my policy won't cover this if it's caused by general wear and tear! Aaaargh

 

[kevplumb]

As for whether this has anything to do with the boiler installation, I agree that this probably would have happened anyway but from my limited understanding the water pressure in the system is now greater than before the boiler install and could have triggered the issue?

if draining the boiler dont stop the leak then the system pressure has nothing to do with it

the mains water was always under the same pressure

 

[JohnD]

how old is the house, and what is the incoming water main pipe made of where it rises out of the floor?

 

[Axel]

Maybe while looking for wear and tear, you might discover signs of previous accidental damage.......