Looking for a leak

I think I have found mine as well....

Having finally got access to all the ground floor pipework (lifting floors etc), I found - erm nothing!

So today while the heating was on setback I decided to make some checks on the boiler itself. Lifted its pressure to about 1.5 bar, and then turned its power off. I thought that I would also check the condensate drain. Interestingly - normally its spotlessly clean and full of clear water. This time it looked decidedly orange and slightly scummy. So I emptied and cleaned it and put it back, then left it alone for a couple of hours. Had a look again and its now 3/4 full of water. Emptied again, left another hour or so, and verified that the system pressure had fallen a little. (I replaced a rad vent plug with a larger pressure gauge to be able to more clearly see the difference without the aid of the boilers electronic gauge).

So the good news is at least the plumbing is ok, and I have not got to fix something in some awkward difficult to get at place. The less good news is it looks like the primary HEX mush have a small internal leak.

Quite how/why that happened on a 7 year old boiler on a well cleaned system that was always treated with inhibitor I am not sure. I suppose until I look in the combustion chamber its hard to say what is going on.

Replacement HEX seem to range from £120 for a reconditioned one, and new ones ranging from £220 - £450 depending on where you get it.

Now I know its not leaking water into the house I may just slap in some more inhibitor and leave it until the warmer months!

Reply to
John Rumm
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You can get a chemical additive leak sealer. (Similar to "Radweld") How effective it would be in the HEX, I don't know.

Reply to
harry

In message snipped-for-privacy@brightview.co.uk>, Jim K.. snipped-for-privacy@gmail.com writes

Plumbing fibre washers seem closely related to gold dust in terms of availability.

When this cropped up before, I bought a pack from e-bay. Sadly the larger sizes are too narrow to function properly.

Reply to
Tim Lamb

You were right. The agricultural solution failed once the hot water reached the manifold.

I have shortened the coupler by turning off the spanner flats. Fortunately I have a set of *Mole* grips with curved jaws which were a good fit on the remaining body. More mait and it was running OK last night.

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Reply to
Tim Lamb

On 16/03/2019 09:28, Tim Lamb wrote: snip

Not cheap, but sets from Screwfix:

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Reply to
RJH

We have a normal, pumped, system, which after a few years developed a leak while we were on holiday. Middle daughter was house sitting and noticed a puddle under the boiler in the garage, turned off the heating, stuck a dish under it, and rang us- interrupting a very pleasant sunset and bottle of wine- for further instructions. Fortunately, being summer, she only needed hot water and could manage with the immersion heater until we returned.

We have service contract with a local firm (which has always been excellent) and I happened to be there just as he removed the cover from the heater exchanger- to see him get drenched in water. There was a leak in the heat exchanger. Most of the innards of the boiler were replaced FOC within a couple of days. It seems, while not common, it is far from unknown. He reckoned it was due to Aluminium heater exchangers and was virtually never a problem in the days of cast iron ones. So much for progress.

Reply to
Brian Reay

The one used in CH is water glass. It sets hard when exposed to high temp. IMLE (sample of 1) it sort of worked, but not fully, and that was with a vented system with a few feet head above the boiler. It does result in hard but easily broken off crud getting into the burner area. I presume minimising pressure would help, which might be helped by putting a bit of air into each rad.

NT

Reply to
tabbypurr

I did try some on this, and it appeared to work for about 5 days. It might be that the stresses are too high on a HX, or might be I did not have adequate concentration for the quantity of primary water in the system.

Reply to
John Rumm

Yes, tap connectors are horrible things. I was forced to use them behind a siliconed-in tile and have had nothing but trouble. Usually due to rigid pipework not lining up 100% so the washer is unevenly compressed. Gross over-tightening seems the only solution. If there is room, a tapered, sealed threaded connection with a nearby compression joint for dismantling is more reliable. Or even a proper union connector to be posh!

Reply to
Roger Hayter

I expect you have a pressurised primary. The last boiler ran on waterglass with a split HX.

NT

Reply to
tabbypurr

In message snipped-for-privacy@brightview.co.uk>, Jim K.. snipped-for-privacy@gmail.com writes

It is the sort of component you need to see before purchase:-(

I tried several plumbing outlets without success when I needed to fit a parallel thread 22mm tap connector to a wall fitting.

Reply to
Tim Lamb

In message snipped-for-privacy@brightview.co.uk>, Jim K.. snipped-for-privacy@gmail.com writes

Yes:-) The on-line pack I bought has a 22mm washer but it is only about 2mm wide. Trapped in a socket, it would be fine but where there is room to spread, unreliable.

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Reply to
Tim Lamb

Indeed, its a sealed system (although peak pressure does not exceed 1.7 bar normally)

Reply to
John Rumm

Bit of folded bike inner tube + jubilee clip = sorted for years...

Reply to
Jim K..

Is that from Viz? :-)

Reply to
Jim K..

I think I'd have started with that!

Reply to
Jim K..

Toolsatan similar for £10 odd or eBay....

Reply to
Jim K..

A fibre washer?

Reply to
Jim K..

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