Flipping leaking pipe

Hello all

Got home last night to find water coming from somewhere by the radiator in the front room. As far as I can tell it's coming from under the concrete floor so I assume one of the heating pipes? I now have water underneath the laminate in the rear living room and in the hall. Deep joy. I turned the central heating and stopcock off straight away, but it's had no effect so I assume it's the heating system draining down, but wouldn't the water be sludgy and dirty if that were the case? This water is just clear.

Not what I need at any time, let along just before Christmas and when I'm really busy at work and need to issue a tender TODAY but now am going to have to faff about trying to get a plumber out.

Fingers crossed I get it sorted and that it isn't too horrendously costly

 

Oh NO!!! So sorry to read this; I'll be keeping my fingers crossed for you that you find a plumber, a solution and a reasonable rate.

 

Oh dear, I don't like the sound of that! Hopefully it's something simple and easy to remedy. Good luck...

 

I've known houses be constructed with heating pipes buried in underfloor ducts - normally so the pipes could take shortcuts across the likes of doorways, hallways, etc. and normally in a chase in the concrete floor slab with something like a Masterboard'? (absestos board substitute) over the top with the cement & sand floor screed on top of that.

That was a long time ago and I did wonder what would happen when the pipes developed leaks ......

 

Well it turned out to be one of the heating pipes - there is a leak somewhere between two radiators (about two metres apart approx and in different rooms). Plumber came, said he couldn't take up the laminate or concrete and I'd need to get a builder, which I did. The plumber did drain down the system (clear water) so at least the leak stopped. I think the sludgy bit is only when you get to the dregs at the bottom of the radiator cos the clear water did go manky at the end.

Anyway, the builder came, lifted the laminate, dug out the channels in the asphalt (which had been dug and filled in with cement when the central heating was installed). He charged me £75 for an hour and a half's work approx.

I am now awaiting a revisit by the plumber to sort the pipes. Should be here before six (allegedly). I then need to get the builder back in to cement the pipes in again tomorrow or Friday

The laminate in the living room will need to come up and be replaced (insurance job).

Thankfully as it turned out I had home emergency cover with my house insurance, so I just rang them and they sorted the plumber. No excess on that and it covers up to £500 so if it's more than that then I will have to pay the rest. Fingers crossed that covers the plumbing work.

I have an excess on my home insurance of £200 so that's what I'll end up paying for the builder and new flooring.

To add insult to injury, when the plumber was draining the system, I went outside to check that the hose was in the drain, only to find the drain was blocked So I got the drain rod out, plunged it in and pushed it about a bit but when I pulled it out, the round plastic disc on the end had got stuck in the drain Thankfully when the water drained, I managed to shove my hand in and retrieve it as it hadn't actually gone into the pipe (which would have been a nightmare).

Are we having fun yet?

 

Oh dear!

But, I know you'll hate me for this, but you do have a way with words which has reduced me to (Sorry )

 

Oh Blimey,

When was the last time you had Fernox put in the radiator header tank?

 

Dunno what it is Zigster, but it sounds catching

Plumber should be here in the next ten minutes. Builder sent me a text to see if there was any update so I rang him and he said to give him a ring when they've finished, no matter what time. I expect the plumber will be here for a couple of hours at least so I'll arrange for the builder chappy to come back tomorrow.

Is it bedtime yet?

 

Plumber turned up, took one look and said he couldn't do the job cos he clocked off at 6 and off he went

Rang HomeServe, who said they could get someone out to me tomorrow. No good, says I, because I will be at work and in the meantime I have no water. They said they would try and ring me back within the hour. So I rang Direct Line and complained, who said that wasn't good enough, had a word with HS, put me through and hey presto another plumber is coming out within the hour. Let's hope he actually does the job rather than just turns the water back on I cannot have any more time off to get this sorted because I finish for Christmas on Friday and I have a shedload of stuff to do before then, including a tender which should have gone out today.

 

Fernox stops corrosion in the radiators & pipes. If the plumbers any good he'll have some with him & offer to put it in before recomissioning the system. He may want some extra money to cover the cost of the material but its worth doing, especially as you've already had one leak, don't want more of them

 

Thanks Zigs, I'll have to investigate getting some of that then

After my last post, the other plumber rang me to tell me he was on his way. I asked him if he was going to actually replace the pipes this time. He asked what sort of pipes they were, etc so I told him 15mm copper. He said he didn't have enough on his van and couldn't get any more cos the merchants they use were closed. I wasn't going to be fobbed off again so I went to B&Q myself and bought the copper piping for him to do the job He finished at 9.30 last night but at least it's done.

Turned out the pipe had split underneath the wall between the two rooms, where it was bent under. Just need to get the builder back to fill the hole now and quote me for replacement flooring cos it's ruined.

Thanks for listening to me moan, it helps to offload!

 

What a palaver!! Sounds like a sort of film: "Carry On Leaking"!

That first plumber was very naughty! Why tell you he'll be there before 6 then tell you he clocks off at 6?? (Guess who's getting coal in *his* stocking! Hrmph!)

As for the 2nd one "mine aren't long enough" (oooh, matron! ) and then have you running out to B&Q

Despite the drama, thank goodness it is all sorted now.

(Wasn't DL's motto: "We won't make a drama out of a crisis?" )

Good luck with your tender, merle ... hoping that, at least, goes well for you