Water leakage nightmare All aspects of plumbing questions and answers, help, tips and information

[CJ90000]

Hi can anyone help? I have a leak somewhere in my flat but have been unable to locate it so far.

In summary....

Downstairs neighbour reported to me that a ceiling and wall of 1 bedroom were experiencing water damage. It wasnt dripping but clear evidence of water leakage.

So i take up 1 floorboard near the radiator of the bedroom in my flat which is directly above his room.

There is about 1/2 inch of water there.

I check my second bedroom near the radiator. Water there too.

I check the hallways radiator floorboard area. Water there too.

However couldnt see from where it was leaking.

I should note that these 3 areas are quite close to each other.

i checked boiler area floorboards (no water)
Bathroom (no water)
Kitchen (no water)
Living room ( no water)

So it seems to be orientated in this one area but cant see where its leaking from unless i rip up entire hallway and bedrooms floor :(

Also something else which might be related im not sure. We have been experiencing problems with our gas central heating boiler with the water pressure ALWAYS getting lower and lower. Now it is so low it wont go on. This has happened before and Hydroelectric came out (have a warranty 24 hour callout thing with them) and apparently fixed it.

What do i do now? I have to live in the flat and i have a flatmate as well... i dont really want to have to rip up both rooms entire floorboard. And the entire floorboard of the hallway.

Something else that might be related but possibly not. There is a hole in the top roof of the block of flats im in (3 floors: im on the 1st floor) so perhaps rainwater is managing to find a way in? But other flats arent really affected it looks like.

thanks

[jondeau]

That is a lot of water...........

There is no easy way to find leaks, and I do think you need someone with experience to track this leak down. An experienced plumber will be able to find it far more easily than you.

With that amount of water under your floorboards it will not be long before the ceiling in the flat below you comes crashing down.

[johnb]

hi cj90000 sounds like your heating is leaking if your pressure is dropping nothing for it follow the advice of jondeau all the best john

[CJ90000]

just an update:

we took up more floorboards in the hall. Found a leak from a water pipe. It was sort of hissing out not gushing. So it looks like it was a slow leak.

Also the floor is concrete so it shouldnt come crashing down below?

I have had chemdry in using their equipment to suck up a TON of water. At least 60 or 70 gallons. The guy said it was the most water he has seen in such a small space. (basically water was focused around hallway and 2 bedrooms. Bedrooms are adjoining hallway.

water seems to concentrate (ie seems to seep towards lowest level which is hallway and bedrooms area near hallway)

The way i see it is. Take up all the floorboards where there are pipes yeah?

Anyway after taking up all this water chemdry left a massive sort of drying machine thing. Blows cold air under the floorboards to help dry it.
Unfortunately water is seeping back but not as much as before. So either there is even more water or there is another leak. I should say at this point that we havent fixed the leak. We had put some masking tape over it. (mind you it isnt gushing just seems a small leak).

NOW. today had a plumber round to see if he could fix the leak.

He said the pipe was an old style pipe called a 3/4 Polyarc pipe and is hard to replace or find connecters for. However he did manage to get info for us. He told us how to replace it: need another pipe section and need 2 multi function couplings (which are attached at the side)

Ok sorry i should have mentioned, the reason we need 2 couplings: is because the gas central heating copper pipe is resting exactly on top of the water pipe. He thinks this has partly caused the leak because it has been pushing against the pipe. (there isnt much space under there)

So we cant fit a coupling directly over the leak so we have to remove part of the pipe and fit in a larger section with 2 multi couplings at either side.

I [b]pray [/b]that this will be the only leak!!!

I will have to get chemdry out again to have a go at sucking up the water again.

Should i warn the downstairs flat that there is a danger that their ceiling could collapse?

thanks

[johnb]

hi cj nightmares i think, why could your plumber/htg eng not do the job and you need to investigate the pressure drop, water will keep coming back as it takes time to travel from room to room. i was not aware the ceilings were concrete not much chance they will fail .the two pipes you mention are probably c/heating pipes its unusual to find a single htg pipe unless it feeds one leg of a rad all the best john