Possible UFH leak

whitelightrider

Hi folks,

Im not even sure if this is the right place to post this but Id like to get some advice.

We built our house about 7 years ago and have UFH downstairs and Rads upstairs. In the last few months Ive noticed that 75% of the skirting boards have warped on the ground floor and Im wondering why. I popped off a small section of the skirting board this evening the wall behind it feels damp.

Looking at the tiles in the kitchen I am seeing some dark grout patches. Could the UFH be leaking after 7 years? The skirting was fine up until about 3 months ago

Dtp1979

whitelightrider wrote: »

Hi folks,

Im not even sure if this is the right place to post this but Id like to get some advice.

We built our house about 7 years ago and have UFH downstairs and Rads upstairs. In the last few months Ive noticed that 75% of the skirting boards have warped on the ground floor and Im wondering why. I popped off a small section of the skirting board this evening the wall behind it feels damp.

Looking at the tiles in the kitchen I am seeing some dark grout patches. Could the UFH be leaking after 7 years? The skirting was fine up until about 3 months ago

Is it a sealed system?

whitelightrider

Dtp1979 wrote: »

Is it a sealed system?

Yes, its a sealed system

Dtp1979

whitelightrider wrote: »

Yes, its a sealed system

Do you have to top it up often?

whitelightrider

Dtp1979 wrote: »

Do you have to top it up often?

No, hasnt been topped up in about 4 years.

Dtp1979

whitelightrider wrote: »

No, hasnt been topped up in about 4 years.

Do you have an automatic filler?

whitelightrider

Dtp1979 wrote: »

Do you have an automatic filler?

No idea to be honest. All I know is that its a sealed system. Manifold is in the press in the utility.

Dtp1979

whitelightrider wrote: »

No idea to be honest. All I know is that its a sealed system. Manifold is in the press in the utility.

It's fairly important. Can you post a pic of the filling valve where you top it up?

whitelightrider

Ok so here are 2 photos of the manifold and 2 photos of the tiles with the dark grout and the warped skirting board. Its happening in different rooms also

https://www.flickr.com/photos/71325704@N08/16116591853/

https://www.flickr.com/photos/71325704@N08/16736551005/

https://www.flickr.com/photos/71325704@N08/16550443319/

https://www.flickr.com/photos/71325704@N08/16550449419/

Dtp1979

whitelightrider wrote: »

Ok so here are 2 photos of the manifold and 2 photos of the tiles with the dark grout and the warped skirting board. Its happening in different rooms also

https://www.flickr.com/photos/71325704@N08/16116591853/

https://www.flickr.com/photos/71325704@N08/16736551005/

https://www.flickr.com/photos/71325704@N08/16550443319/

https://www.flickr.com/photos/71325704@N08/16550449419/

No nothing there for topping up. Maybe it's in the Hotpress or beside the boiler. Usually a silver braided hose or maybe a lever valve and gauge.
Take pics of any gauge you can find

whitelightrider

Dtp1979 wrote: »

No nothing there for topping up. Maybe it's in the Hotpress or beside the boiler. Usually a silver braided hose or maybe a lever valve and gauge.
Take pics of any gauge you can find

Only gauges I can find in the house are the 2 temp gauges on the UFH and both read 20 degrees

Dtp1979

whitelightrider wrote: »

Only gauges I can find in the house are the 2 temp gauges on the UFH and both read 20 degrees

If it's a sealed system there has to be one other gauge. At the boiler maybe?
You said it was topped up 4 years ago.... Where did you top it up?

whitelightrider

Dtp1979 wrote: »

If it's a sealed system there has to be one other gauge. At the boiler maybe?
You said it was topped up 4 years ago.... Where did you top it up?

I thought that when he drained the system and topped it up again, it was from the main manifold in the utility. But Ill check the garage too.

Dtp1979

whitelightrider wrote: »

I thought that when he drained the system and topped it up again, it was from the main manifold in the utility. But Ill check the garage too.

Please do. Its quite important. Also, see if you have a large and small tank in your attic.

whitelightrider

Dtp1979 wrote: »

Please do. Its quite important. Also, see if you have a large and small tank in your attic.

We dont. We have a weird setup. All our water is in the garage. We have sulphur in the water so the water tanks are in the shed. Boiler is also in the shed and water is pumped into the house.

Dtp1979

whitelightrider wrote: »

We dont. We have a weird setup. All our water is in the garage. We have sulphur in the water so the water tanks are in the shed. Boiler is also in the shed and water is pumped into the house.

That's not weird. Just a fully pressurised system. Even more worrying is you can't find more gauges. There should definitely be gauges on the plumbing side

whitelightrider

Dtp1979 wrote: »

That's not weird. Just a fully pressurised system. Even more worrying is you can't find more gauges. There should definitely be gauges on the plumbing side

Leave it with me till the morning and Ill shoot out and take photos of the setup.
Really appreciate your help with this. Bugging me as to why all the skirting boards are starting to warp.

Dtp1979

whitelightrider wrote: »

Leave it with me till the morning and Ill shoot out and take photos of the setup.
Really appreciate your help with this. Bugging me as to why all the skirting boards are starting to warp.

It's a strange one alright

K.Flyer

What is on the other side of the wall where the damp is showing?

Dtp1979

K.Flyer wrote: »

What is on the other side of the wall where the damp is showing?

If it's a shower wet room..........

Dtp1979

It's happening to nearly all his skirting boards downstairs

K.Flyer

A leak can take a while to become noticeable, by then the water can have travelled a good distance from the source.

Dtp1979

K.Flyer wrote: »

A leak can take a while to become noticeable, by then the water can have travelled a good distance from the source.

I'm thinking auto filler left on, leaking UFH pipe. Water lying on plastic on top of floor insulation and spreading around

whitelightrider

Ok folks,

The only gauges I can find in the garage are these 2:

https://www.flickr.com/photos/71325704@N08/16119338594/

https://www.flickr.com/photos/71325704@N08/16555532299/

Theres nothing at the back of any of the walls where the skirting boards are warping. I cant see any leaks out of the manifold itself either. This has only started to show in the last 2 or 3 months.

Dtp1979

whitelightrider wrote: »

Ok folks,

The only gauges I can find in the garage are these 2:

https://www.flickr.com/photos/71325704@N08/16119338594/

https://www.flickr.com/photos/71325704@N08/16555532299/

Theres nothing at the back of any of the walls where the skirting boards are warping. I cant see any leaks out of the manifold itself either. This has only started to show in the last 2 or 3 months.

Pic 2. What is the gauge set to?

Dtp1979

Dtp1979 wrote: »

Pic 2. What is the gauge set to?

The black knob under the gauge, is it turned fully clockwise or anti clockwise

whitelightrider

Dtp1979 wrote: »

Pic 2. What is the gauge set to?

This one is set to 1.2 on the black hand and the red hand is set to about 1.6
https://www.flickr.com/photos/71325704@N08/16555532299/

This one is set to 3.5 bar.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/71325704@N08/16119338594/

Dtp1979

whitelightrider wrote: »

This one is set to 1.2 on the black hand and the red hand is set to about 1.6
https://www.flickr.com/photos/71325704@N08/16555532299/

This one is set to 3.5 bar.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/71325704@N08/16119338594/

And which way is the black knob turned?

whitelightrider

Dtp1979 wrote: »

And which way is the black knob turned?

Ill have to check. Is it safe to turn it?

Calahonda52

K.Flyer wrote: »

A leak can take a while to become noticeable, by then the water can have travelled a good distance from the source.

I agree with this. I had a case where the evidence was the same as presented here, with plumbing under concrete floor, and wet appearing between the tiles in the utility room as well as seeping up walls etc.

Anyway it was finally sorted when it was discovered that driving rain was getting in under the front door door saddle 30 feet from utility room.....
Site is very exposed in west of Ireland.

Any the point I am making to the OP: u need to prove its the UFH, as Dtp1979 with his excellent line of questioning, is trying to establish..

Dtp1979

whitelightrider wrote: »

Ill have to check. Is it safe to turn it?

Yes. Leave it fully clockwise if not already like this

Gunslinger99

You can pressure test each circuit from you manifold with, if pressure drops on one circuit it could be a leak good luck

whitelightrider

Dtp1979 wrote: »

Yes. Leave it fully clockwise if not already like this

Sorry for the delay. Entertaining a 3 year old!!
So it was already fully turned in the clockwise direction

sky6

Could it be shrinkage in a Qualpex pipe causing a leak at a joint. I had this very problem myself under a tiled floor. I pressurised the pipe zone and it oozed water up through the grout. luckily I only had to remove one tile and had a spare.

Dtp1979

whitelightrider wrote: »

Sorry for the delay. Entertaining a 3 year old!!
So it was already fully turned in the clockwise direction

That means the filler is off. So chances are the filler isn't passim water so it probably isn't a leak on the UFH. Better get it checked by a plumber though

whitelightrider

Dtp1979 wrote: »

That means the filler is off. So chances are the filler isn't passim water so it probably isn't a leak on the UFH. Better get it checked by a plumber though

So we have a development that may explain things. The only thing close to the hall and kitchen where the boards are warping and the grout is dark, is the Fridge. So myself and my 3 years old moved it out and low and behold there's a leak in the pipe going into the filter at the back. Watching the water flow, it was right along the grout. And this wall backs onto the halls where the skirting is.
Could be the problem.

K.Flyer

I'd say water leaking from a pipe could most definitely be the problem

whitelightrider

K.Flyer wrote: »

I'd say water leaking from a pipe could most definitely be the problem

Pain in the you know what. There's a nice bit of warpage on the side of the cabinet where the fridge butts up against and the paint is all flaky behind the fridge.

K.Flyer

Best thing now is get the heating on and start getting the place dried out.
I know its not a huge consolation, but at least it's found and it's not a leak in your underfloor heating.