Central Heating Leak Fixing

Water leaks are the most common plumbing problems faced by the residents of the East Berkshire and South Bucks. In England, three billion litres of water a day are lost through leakage, equivalent to that used by over 20 million people.  

The cold, harsh weather results in the freezing of water pipes, eventually leading to leaks. To make matters worse, most leaks that occur are either in the pipes inside the wall or underneath the concrete. This results in a greater challenge when trying to detect these leaks. A delay in detecting a hidden water leak can result in extensive damage over time, which can cost you a lot.

Dripping faucets and leaky water heaters can be difficult to locate, but other leaks, such as toilet flapper valves or cracked water supply lines, can also go undetected for an extended period. That is why it is critical to detect and repair minor leaks. 

To save money, it is important to detect and know the most frequent water leaks, as well as how to repair them, in order to prevent further damage to your property.

 

How To Detect A Water Leak? 

To discover a water leak in your home, you may examine your water usage. If it has risen dramatically without reason, there may be a leak. You can also take a metre reading, wait two hours without using any water, and then take another metre reading. If your usage has risen, you have a leak.

Atapos Heating is the best place to find reliable, efficient, and friendly central heating leak detection service in High Wycombe, Slough, Maidenhead, or anywhere else in east Berkshire and south Buckinghamshire.

The Most Common Water Leaks

Dripping Tap

Those seemingly innocent water drops may cost you a fortune and damage your property, so replace your leaky tap as soon as possible.

In fact, you can fix your leaking tap yourself.

How To Fix A Dripping Tap: 

1. At the stop tap, turn off the main water supply.
2. Turn the drippy tap all the way up.
3. Use a spanner to remove the lid and loosen the hexagon.
4. Take off the whole tap top.
5. Using pliers, remove the jumper plate, then unscrew the nut.
6. It could have a buildup of debris, which you can remove by cleaning.
7. If the washer is damaged, remove it and fit the new one OR re-assemble the tap.
8. Turn the water on again.

Remember to replace the washer if you only feel comfortable doing so. If you don’t, a qualified plumber will be happy to assist you.

Leaky Radiator

A leaking radiator can cause extensive damage to your floor, ceiling, and even wiring, so it is absolutely crucial that it be repaired immediately.

How to Detect The Leak Location?

You must pinpoint the exact source of the leak because radiator leaks can occur in a variety of locations. To accomplish this, completely dry your radiator, then get some toilet roll to cover the radiator’s hardware. The radiator leak originates from whichever area of the radiator wets the toilet roll.

Leaking From The Radiator Body

Unfortunately, you’ll need to completely replace the radiator because corrosion is what’s causing the leak from the radiator body. After all, it is a sign that the component in question is nearing the end of its lifespan and that you should seek advice from a professional plumber to help you solve the issue.

However, epoxy putty can be used to temporarily seal pipework cracks and plug radiator body holes.

Leaking From The Radiator Valve

The most common cause of radiator valve problems is damage to the internal spindle packing. It takes place when the valve is partially open and stops when the valve is closed, making this a relatively simple problem to resolve.

How To Fix A Leaking Radiator Valve:

Follow the steps below to repair the radiator leak on your own. 

Remember that if you don’t feel confident working with a toolbox, it shouldn’t be too expensive to hire a local plumber to repair a leaking radiator valve for you.

1. Drain the leaking valve from beneath the leak. 
2. Turn off the supply and lock shield valves; make a note of how many turns or partial turns were required when turning the lock shield valve; you will need to turn back by this amount later.
3. To release water, remove the union nut and open the bleed valve.
4. Wrap the PTFE tape around the valve tip between 10 and 15 times.
5. Close the bleed and lock shield valves and tighten the union nut.

Leaking From The Radiator Spindle

A leaking radiator spindle, like a leaking valve, is a simple problem to fix.

To tighten the gland nut back into place, all you need is a spanner. This process should ideally stop the leak, but if it does not, undo the nut and wrap some PTFE tape around it. The spindle will have a tighter connection once the PTFE covering is done.

A faulty valve can cause the spindle to malfunction in some cases. In such circumstances, you should seek a professional plumber.

Leaking From The Radiator Gland

If you determined the source of the leak in your radiator to be the valve, but water is leaking from under the cap, the problem may be caused by the gland.

How To Fix A Leaking Radiator Gland With PFTE Tape:

1. Turn off the valve first, and then the valve on the other side if the leak persists.
2. Using an adjustable spanner, remove the cap and unscrew the gland nut.
3. Wrap PFTE tape around the valve’s spindle.
4. Finally, insert PFTE tape into the valve.
5. Replace the gland nut.
6. Replace the plastic cap before reopening the valve(s).

Leaking From The Radiator Pipe Joint

Those leaks can occur when radiator pipe joints become loose. Leaking pipe joints, like leaking spindles, are usually fixed by tightening the joint with a spanner. If the first option fails, PFTE tape can be used to pad out the joint for a tighter fit.

Many of these fixes may end up being nothing more than band-aids. As with most things in life, as a radiator ages, it begins to deteriorate, and leaks become more frequent and severe. While the fixes listed above may buy you a few more months, it may be time to invest in a new radiator, click here to check our rates.

Atapos Heating offers a wide range of plumbing services, including radiator installation in Bourne End and surrounding areas.

Leaking Plastic Water Pipe

If you discover a leak in a plastic/PVC water pipe joint, the good news is that you may be able to repair the problem yourself. What you need to do first is to locate the source of the leak. Begin by thoroughly drying the area and determining where the water is coming from and whether it is the pipe or a water pipe joint that is leaking.

The affected section of the pipe must then be removed and replaced. This fix, however, may necessitate the use of tools and equipment that you do not have; thus, the best way to repair leaking plastic water pipe is to contact a local plumbing company with professional equipment and expertise. 

Alternatively, you can use rubber or silicone repair tape to temporarily repair the leaking plastic pipe. Epoxy putty is even easier to use around leaks in plastic water pipe joints because it can be moulded to fit the shape of the joint.

Underfloor Leak Detection

Leaks in your underfloor heating system that go undetected can harm your heating system over time as the rust inhibitor is diluted each time the pressure is topped off. Rust particles in the system will eventually require the replacement of rusted radiators and pipes.

The leaking water will begin to spread beneath your tiles or flooring. It could appear on the surface. This can lead to dampness and mould growth on the floor. You may even experience a large volume running leak that causes major issues.

Some signs of underfloor heating leaking include:

• Signs of dampness 
• Loss of heat
• Uneven heating
• Loss of pressure in the boiler or boiler failure.
• Increase in water expenses due to constant refilling of the feed and expansion tank
• Mould
• Condensation

The hardest part of fixing an underfloor heating leak is typically identifying it, taking out the flooring, and gaining access to the pipe. Finding the leak with the greatest degree of precision is crucial. You can reduce the amount of floor that needs to be removed to reach the pipe by identifying the precise leak point.

If you can’t find your leak, it’s time to call a professional plumbing company to locate the source of the leak.

We hope this has given you everything you need to detect and repair the leaking yourself – these things aren’t always easy, so congratulations if you’ve figured it out!

If you’ve not managed to find the cause of the leak, don’t worry. We are a fully insured family run business with over 19 years of experience in plumbing, and we are happy to help with all your plumbing failures.

Are you looking for a local plumber to fix the leak? Simply contact Atapos Heating today at 07583 894714  and we’ll be round to get things running smoothly again, at a time that suits you.