This leak is proving a mystery to me!!

loulou41

I had a leak from washing machine few months which I thought I have resolved by cleaning the filter. Yesterday I noticed there was a damp patch on the carpet opposite the kitchen door. I have checked everything and had somebody checked the washing machine for leak apart from a little leak from the washing machine door, there is no other visible leak. All the pipes and connections seem fine. The water seems to have sipped underneath the vinyl floor and make its way on the carpet in the corridor. This seems a mystery to me, I called the carpet fitter who did the flooring in the kitchen and he is puzzled as well. Is this possible that such a small amount of water could have sipped all the way & cause damage to the carpet, the only damage is near the door where the carpet gripper from kitchen meets with the corridor one. Carpet fitter seems to think the leak must have come from the washing machine, I do not think so but I am left to find out what is causing water to sip through vinyl. This is doing my head in. Can anybody help pl? Thanks

tigeress289

Without having a clue how many water pipes there are or location. A simple thing to try is elimination. Start from the washing machine. You will have either one or two pipes going to it. Wrap each joint in toilet paper where there is a water connection. If the machine is next to the sink, also wrap the pipework there. The toilet paper is the best and cheapest way of finding the tiniest of leaks. Another thing to do is place toilet paper around the area the water gathered and try to work out the direction it came from. It is all about elimination. You can even put the paper around the bottom of the machine to see if it is coming from under. You should be looking also to see if it is constant or not? Without being there, it is hard to advise spot on. Try this simple way to start, you will get there.

keystone

As above ^^. Bear in mind that a little bit of water goes an awful long way either direct or by capilliary action.

Oh I don't suppose your vinyl fitter stuck a screw/nail in a pipe too close to the surface when he fitted the threshold did he??

Cheers

loulou41

Thanks, there is a little leak coming from the door and this is visible and all the leak I had before was on the vinyl floor. I am puzzled by the leak under the vinyl & and it is a long way to seep through slowly and make its way to the kitchen door. I have removed the carpet to monitor. The fitter only used nail to fit a new carpet gripper, he glued the vinyl on the floor. I am going to replace the washing machine as it is getting old and if the leak continues I will have to do some serious investigation.

roswell

best way to find a leak is get a tourch and shine it along the pipes door etc. water reflects light so when you find the leak you will know it ;-)

keystone

But he muist have fitted a threshold between the carpet and the vinyl and thats what I'm talking about.



Cheers

tigeress289

It could be a nail on the gripper. The important thing is not to try and remove it. This will only make things worse. Are we now thinking it is not from the washing machine? Also if constant, sounds like a leak from pipework rather than machine. I take it that this is ground floor level?

loulou41

keystone wrote: »

But he muist have fitted a threshold between the carpet and the vinyl and thats what I'm talking about.



Cheers

Thanks, that's exactly what he has fitted. I have now found that there is a slight leak from the hot water pipe and the door seal when I do the washing. This could be the reason but I do not understand why the water is seeping underneath the vinyl instead on top of it. There is a gap as he did not remove the washing machine but pushed the vinyl underneath. I am monitoring the situation so far no more visible leak and carpet is drying up, so it cannot be the pipe or something uder the concrete. Machine is ancient and rusty underneath so I will buy a new one and monitor. I hope it is the washig machine nothing more serious as it is puzzling me if no leak is visible.

tigeress289

By pushing the vinyl uder the washing washing, he could have lifted the machine and slightly broken the seal on a conection behind. The water would then run under the vinylas its coming from behind. Just one thought. Where was the hot water leak,front or back?

loulou41

Hot water leak is coming behind. Strange I closed the tap and no leaking overnight. I open tthe tap today and there is a leak but I am not using the washing machine whilst does it leak? Thaks

southcoastrgi

if it only leaks when you turn the valve on then it is either a leak in the hose (unlikely), a leak in the washing machine or a leak at either the washing machine valve end of the hose or the washing machine end of the hose, either try tightening the nut on the hose or replace the washers in the hose