Pipe leaking water under deck; told "combi boiler" problem - apartment block

pimlico35

Morning folks,

My mum has had a problem with water underneath her outside deck in ground apartment (small block of 30 aprts in Dublin). Has been going on for ages, looks like damp marks on carpet near patio door, could see water under deck, now can see moss on blocks near the pipe.

she rang management company (again) who said a plumber inspected it and says its her combi-boiler leaking. Ive had a look at the pipe; its plastic and exits one of the bricks to the outside, it then enters a hole in one of the decking planks to exit under the deck. I removed the connector piece and turned it and there is a constant very slow trickle.

Its a bit baffling because - its the first time we've heard of a combi boiler; no other apartments above seem to have an overflow pipe like this - Im wondering if they are connected to this pipe?

Is there something I can check to see if this is a combination boiler problem? As the management company never take responsibility for much, I need to be pretty confident what the problem is first. They "own" the deck and bricks etc.. so you would think they would have an interest in maintaining the external areas....

any help/advice most welcome!!!

thanks

DGOBS

Some pictures of boiler, and outside pipe would help identify

K.Flyer

pimlico35 wrote: »

Morning folks,

My mum has had a problem with water underneath her outside deck in ground apartment (small block of 30 aprts in Dublin). Has been going on for ages, looks like damp marks on carpet near patio door, could see water under deck, now can see moss on blocks near the pipe.

she rang management company (again) who said a plumber inspected it and says its her combi-boiler leaking. Ive had a look at the pipe; its plastic and exits one of the bricks to the outside, it then enters a hole in one of the decking planks to exit under the deck. I removed the connector piece and turned it and there is a constant very slow trickle.

Its a bit baffling because - its the first time we've heard of a combi boiler; no other apartments above seem to have an overflow pipe like this - Im wondering if they are connected to this pipe?

Is there something I can check to see if this is a combination boiler problem? As the management company never take responsibility for much, I need to be pretty confident what the problem is first. They "own" the deck and bricks etc.. so you would think they would have an interest in maintaining the external areas....

any help/advice most welcome!!!

thanks

Just to check if terminology is correct...

A Combi Boiler is a Gas Boiler that heats radiators and instantly heats the hot water.
A Combi Cylinder is approx 7 feet tall, usually green / blue in colour, and it stores your hot and cold water. If you have one of these cylinders, then you do not have a Combi Gas Boiler.
The reason that I mention this is because a lot of people incorrectly refer to the hot water storage cylinder as a "Boiler".
Either one could have a pipe from them that takes excess water to the outside, its just a case of knowing which one you are having the problem with.
Either way, neither of them are the responsibility of the management company.

pimlico35

thanks folks - will upload photos tomorrow

pimlico35

Hi,

Unfortunately as a new member I cannot upload the photos. Ive checked; there is a large (7ft) tank in the hot press - presume its heating hot water & rads. There is a gas boiler in the bedroom which has a pipe going out to the external wall.

The external plastic pipe that Ive a query about is very far from the large tank. The aprtment is on the ground floor with an underground carpark below - so presumably all waster pipes etc for all the aprtments go to some main pipe below???

Not sure if that helps?

thanks

K.Flyer

If the pipe from the gas boiler that is going out through the external wall is visible from the outside and there is no water coming from that, then it is quite possible that the leak is from cylinder. If water is coming from it you will need an RGI to look at it.
But I think it is most likely to be the overflow warning pipe from the cylinder that you are looking at under the decking.
Ensuring no water has been used for at least half an hour, go to the cylinder and try listen for running water.
If you can hear something, turn off the main stop valve, or there may be a valve on the smaller pipe going into the top of the tank, turn it off.
Now flush the toilets a few times to get the water level down and wait another 15 minutes for things to settle. Then go check the pipe outside again.
If the water has completely stopped flowing or reduced quite a bit, then the filling valve in the top of your tank needs to be replaced.

pimlico35

Many thanks - will give that a try.