worcester 37cdi loosing pressure

[B17NKA]

Hello All
I had a Worcester 37cdi fitted a year last December,all been fine until last December,there was no pressure at all in the boiler,so i topped back upto 1.5 bar
then everyday i have been filling it back up,sometimes three times a day
i called out Worcester as the boiler still under warranty,they checked inside and said all was well
we filled the boiler upto 2 bar pressure then turned off the inlet and outlet pipes and left the boiler for three hours,it held the 2 bar,we opened the valves and the pressure dropped to 1 bar
i have had a look at the two manifolds one under the landing and one in the under stairs cupboard,both bone dry,no marks on any ceilings,i have bled and checked all rads and wrapped toilet roll around all the rad pipes,no leaks
could there be a problem with the pressure vessel or do i have a leak under the concrete floors
Boiler has had its first service
Thank you in advance for any answers

 

[plumbplumb]

a fault with the pressure vessel would be indicated when the boiler is running, i.e when it is heating up the pressure rising to 3bar at which point the PRV operates and you would find water coming out of your discharge pipe.

Sounds like a leak under the floor. uninsualted copper in concrete will rot

 

[B17NKA]

Thank you
of what i can see of the pipes they are wrapped in something
any ideas on how i can detect where the pipe could be leaking,we are on beam and block flooring
i can feel where the pipes run as the floor is hot to touch in the kitchen and hall way
Regards Andy

 

[B17NKA]

Biting the bullet tomorrow and getting out a thermal imaging company to see if we can locate the leak,i have filled it up four times since 7 am this morning ??

 

[joe-90]

If it's a beam and block floor and it has a screed over it then pull up the carpet and you may well see a wet patch where the leak is. Screed isn't waterproof so absorbs water.

If not, then the leak may be downwards and I don't see how thermal imaging is going to pick that up as the amount you are losing is pretty small and will soon cool as it drips through the blocks.

Pull the carpet back, it may not even have a screed and you can then pull a block up and get your head under.

A screed is soft and easy to lift - so I'd pull a block up regardless. It's a simple fill afterwards.

Why pay daft money when you don't have to?

 

[B17NKA]

Thanks Joe-90
The problem i have is we do not know where it is leaking,the downstairs are beam and blocks with a two inch screed,the living room and dining room are carpeted,the hall and downstairs toilet are karndean and the kitchen is porcelain tiles,the leak could be anywhere,i can feel the heat through the flooring for the pipe runs but dont know which is leaking ??
any ideas

 

[joe-90]

No. That's not easy. I really doubt if thermal imaging will be able to pinpoint the leak. Will they dig it up if it's under your fancy floor - or take the money and run.

A while ago I saw a gadget in Aldi that was like a mini camera and a mini screen - like a thing they use in hospitals. You could have drilled a small hole and had a look around without disturbing too much. I guess you could probably hire one. Best bet though is to take up the carpets and look for damp.

 

[B17NKA]

OK
I will ring around tomorrow to see if i can hire something,i dont mind doing the work myself no problem just need to know where to start digging
i will lift the living room carpet in the morning and see if there are damp spots
Regards Andy

 

[B17NKA]

Hello Everyone
I found my leak today,there was a small blister on my dining room skirting board,i burst it,it was full of water,had to take skirting off in kitchen,dining room and under stairs cupboard,lift four floor tiles in the kitchen and dig out the concrete floor in the kitchen and under stairs cupboard,under the wall that supports the stairs is the micro bore feed to my dining room rad,it has a yorkshire fitting on that has split,water is pouring out
just waiting for my plumber to come and cut out the pipe and replace
then start to put back together
Regards Andy

 

[joe-90]

I told you it was a good idea to go looking for it - saved you a fortune on thermal imaging that probably wouldn't work anyway. That's a result.

 

[ianmcd]

in that situation Thermal imaging would have definately worked, I have only used TI 3 times to locate system pressure loss and its been spot on every time

 

[joe-90]

Whether it works or not it saved him the cost and hassle.

 

[ianmcd]

yes it did indeed I only added that comment in case someone looks in future and thinks that TI wouldnt have worked, because it certainly would have and most house insurance policies cover the inspection now

 

[B17NKA]

Just had to pull up some of my floor tiles,looks like a bad soldered joint
at least i now know whats wrong
Cheers to you all
Regards Andy