Help! Got a leak!

[Celiar0]

My sons partner removed all the pictures from the walls in their lounge. She took out all the fixings, refilled the holes and repainted. Then she re-hung the pictures in different places. Since then the new central heating boiler is losing pressure. We called the plumber who fitted the boiler, he checked the boiler and all rads, said they were ok and asked if we had hung any pictures or mirrors lately and when she said yes he replied that that’s where the leak probably was and he left!

Where the heck do I start looking for this leak? There is no water damage showing any where and she removed around 30 fixings and put around the same amount in when rehanging the pictures. I asked her what she used to hang the pictures and she said nails! Judging by the one she showed me they are around 2.5 inches! Help please!

 

[Ric2013]

Get a more helpful plumber and pay him for his or her time at the usual rate to help you find the nails most likely to have hit a pipe. Probably the plumber thought you were blaming him, has identified that the fault was most likely caused by the picture nails and has taken offence. Seeing as the original plumber knows perfectly where the pipe runs are, if you can get him to get over any offence taken, he may be the best bet.

 

[Chuck]

Get another heating engineer to investigate. If it was a nail it should be fairly easy to find and fix.

If it wasn't, get the new guy (who I'll call 'the pro') to state clearly on the invoice what the problem was. Send the bill to the installer ('the cowboy') who has left you in the lurch and give them two weeks to reimburse you.

 

[Chuck]

If you decide to DIY the leak finding provide some more information about the system.

E.g. copper or plastic pipes, new pipe runs or old, do the pipes drop down from the ceiling, etc.? A few pictures of the radiators in the lounge, pipework, boiler, etc. should give us some idea of what sort of system we're dealing with.

How long did the system work for before your son's partner got busy with a hammer? Are you sure it's a leak and not a new system losing pressure due to out-gassing and/or de-aerating?

 

[Celiar0]

Get another heating engineer to investigate. If it was a nail it should be fairly easy to find and fix.

If it wasn't, get the new guy (who I'll call 'the pro') to state clearly on the invoice what the problem was. Send the bill to the installer ('the cowboy') who has left you in the lurch and give them two weeks to reimburse you.

My son called him and he just said “you will have to lift the carpet to find out where it’s wet”. Didn’t seem to want to get involved but he said that it’s a major leak. I don’t get it, there’s no damp on the walls or anywhere that we can see or feel.

 

[Celiar0]

If you decide to DIY the leak finding provide some more information about the system.

E.g. copper or plastic pipes, new pipe runs or old, do the pipes drop down from the ceiling, etc.? A few pictures of the radiators in the lounge, pipework, boiler, etc. should give us some idea of what sort of system we're dealing with.

How long did the system work for before your son's partner got busy with a hammer? Are you sure it's a leak and not a new system losing pressure due to out-gassing and/or de-aerating?

The pipes have been there for some years, not a new build so copper pipes, the pipes do drop down from the ceiling the boiler being upstairs. Worcester Bosch boiler. I’m not at their house so I can’t send pics.

The radiator in that room is metres away from where his partner put the nails in. No pipes are visible they go straight into the wall. It was two separate rooms but was made into one large lounge.

My son called the original plumber back, he spent about an hour checking the boiler and rads and said they were all ok. The central heating/hot water lasted a few weeks after the new boiler was installed.

Sorry I can’t be more specific. I think my son is about to bite the bullet and lift the carpet. He will have to take it back about half way.

 

[Celiar0]

Get a more helpful plumber and pay him for his or her time at the usual rate to help you find the nails most likely to have hit a pipe. Probably the plumber thought you were blaming him, has identified that the fault was most likely caused by the picture nails and has taken offence. Seeing as the original plumber knows perfectly where the pipe runs are, if you can get him to get over any offence taken, he may be the best bet.

The plumber didn’t take offence he just can’t be asked because he hasn’t got a clue where the leak is. He reckons it‘s a major leak but you would have thought there would be SOME evidence of water somewhere.

 

[Deleted member 120897]

I highly doubt it’s a major leak - I’ve seen my fair share over the years. I wonder if it would be beneficial to attempt a refill of the heating system to pinpoint the leak? I wouldn’t start lifting floorboards, it could be at ground level? One way to avoid lifting floorboards would be to hire a thermal camera.

 

[Chuck]

The pipes have been there for some years, not a new build so copper pipes, the pipes do drop down from the ceiling the boiler being upstairs. Worcester Bosch boiler. I’m not at their house so I can’t send pics.

You you can usually locate and trace copper pipes using a relatively inexpensive 'pipe finder'. See whether there are any in the vicinity of the nails. (It's a really bad idea to knock nails into walls without checking for buried cables and pipes.)

Is the system vented or unvented? Is there a hot water cylinder or is it a 'combi' boiler? Is the cylinder low pressure (header tank in roof) or unvented? (I'm wondering whether the leak could be inside the cylinder)

 

[Julie Street]

Very helpful "plumber" you've got...
1.
Ring the insurance company see if youre covered.
2.
Give a leak detection company a call
eg

UK Leak Detection

UK Leak Detection

www.ukleakdetection.co.uk

Good luck!

 

[king of pipes]

Get yourself a more helpful engineer with the right equipment it shouldn't be to difficult to find I have a thermal imaging camera and it shows up heating pipework in walls , your son needs to have a serious word with his partner😂 women 2 1/2" nails and hammers recipe for disaster . Kop