Redo central heating- AAARGH!

J_B

southcoastrgi wrote: »

People don't replace pipework because it lasts forever, doesn't it ?

Unless you happen to have purchased some of that cheap Chinese copper pipe in the mid 80's ...
:mad:

Wookey

If the heating system has been looked after with a good Inhibitor during its lifetime there should be little need to change rads and piping, as long as the piping in the floor has been covered with a good lagging then it should also be fine, if there is a leaking joint it should show up in the floor under the carpet and you will most likely have a damp musty smell.

If the water in your rads is as black as waste engine oil and contains sludge then most likely no Inhibitor has been used and it would be best practice to replace these or at least do a separate pressure test on them to 2 bar and see if they hold pressure.

Trace the leaking pipe and see what/if/why it is leaking (if that is what it is) if it is a badly sealed joint then repair it, if it is from a badly lagged pipe that has been rubbed thru due to heat expansion then you are probably looking at a re pipe.

farmbelle

getting some really useful advice here.
Absolutely I understand about pipework being old too and needing to be replaced - I guess its just difficult to know when to do it for a lay person. I dont want to shell out £5 grand+ if it doesn't really need to be done now as opposed to 5 years as this isn't our forever home.

We dont have any damp patches on the floor carpets/ The whole thing that sparked this was our damp survey report - as there are some patches on the walls. They have commented "slightly higher than average moisture readings on several walls appear due to salt stained plaster on the wall, possibly due to a past plumbing leak. It would be beneficial to test all plumbing to see if there is an ongoing leak".

Now our plumber says we cant do a pressure test, as when we take our current back boiler off the pressure will automatically drop anyway? Its not that i dont trust him, its just a huge decision to make to replace all the pipes when i dont even know if it really needs doing. How do i get proof or make the decision either way?

Wookey can i do the 2 bar pressure test on a back boiler? would this show a likely leak?

Wookey

You can either pressure test by capping the expansion and feed pipe (boiler must not be used during this time) and connect a hose pipe from the mains onto a radiator and filling until you hit the desired test pressure, or test it for loss of water by shutting of the mains feed into the expansion tank when the system is cold and mark the water level inside the tank (dipstick) this would then need to left for several days to see if there is a noticeable drop in the water level, if there is then you have a leak somewhere, if there is no drop in water level then you should be fine.

Ideally a pressure test would be done with air in case something does give way.