Plumbing Help..

Quorden

Hi there, after some advice as to how to fix a leak, I'm hoping there's an easy solution but suspect not.

I'm in the process of renovating the daughters flat whilst she's overseas and today started on removing all the old skirting boards.  Like a comedy sketch I removed one length and got hit by a jet of water, kind of guessing that when the nail went in it created a seal.

Problem I have though is that the water is coming out of what appears to be an electrical cable as per the picture, I've never come across this before and suspect it may be a bit
of a bodge job. 

NB - It's a first floor room, no water outlet or anything on the ground floor below but on the other side of this wall there is a radiator, but I can't believe they would have fed it with this.

Kind of hoping someone may be able to suggest a fix to save me taking up the floorboards and plaster boards off the wall?

 

Any suggestions gratefully received.

Belenus

That looks more like a plastic water pipe than anything else to me. I could be wrong as it does look a bit misshapen. Have you squeezed it?

Plastic pipe is frequently used for CH pipes so that is not at all unusual. My 2004 built house has it everywhere apart from near the boiler.

If it is plastic, then it should be straightforward to cut out a small section around the hole and fit a suitable joint.

nofoollikeold

1. If its circular in cross section, likely to be a plastic pipe rather than electrical.
2. if its flat with rounded short sides in cross section, likely to be electrical.
The following assumes its a pipe.  If not, stay well away from that mix of water and electricity. 
A. You could put a jubilee clip around it holding a small rubber pad over the hole.  Its a bodge, and in the not much longer term will need a better repair.  
4. For a better repair:
4a. Isolate the water.  Likely to require a drain down if its a heating pipe.
4b. Cut the pipe with proper plastic pipe cutters just above and just below the hole.  Cut MUST have clean edges.
4c. Get a push fit straight connector in the correct size, which is the outside diameter of the pipe.  E.g. Screwfix 4252F
4d. Get two pipe inserts.  These should be for the same make as the pipe.  The make is likely to be printed on the pipe.  It looks to me like Hep2O.  
4e. Put an insert in the cut end of each side.
4f. Push the straight connector onto one side, making sure it is fully seated.  Best to measure and mark the pipe where the end of the fitting should be to be certain.
4g. Push the connector onto the other side.  If there isn't much room, you could cut a bit more off the pipe.
5. For the best repair, replace the pipe from where it starts to where it finishes.  Its really better NOT to have connections (other than soldered copper connections) in inaccessible places.

Quorden

I love this forum, thank you both! 

So it's pipe then (and yes, I was pressing it very hard trying to stop the water whilst the good lady wife was trying to find the stopcock). Trip to ScrewFix it is then in the morning 

grumbler

A compression connector (with inserts) can work too and, possibly, can be easier to fit in this tiny space.

And measure the diameter. It can be 10mm, not 15.

NSG666

Quorden said:

I love this forum, thank you both! 

So it's pipe then (and yes, I was pressing it very hard trying to stop the water whilst the good lady wife was trying to find the stopcock). Trip to ScrewFix it is then in the morning 

Good shout from Grumbler to use a compression fitting as it will be easier to get on - put a couple of turns of PTFE around the olives and make sure the nut doesn't slide down the pipe and under the floor!

Turning the stopcock off probably didn't stop the leak as it's a central heating pipe probably on a sealed system so it could have just stopped as soon as pressure was lost and a vacuum created. Turn the valves off on the radiator you mentioned or when you cut the pipe the vacuum could be lost and water start peeing out again. Be careful that when you cut the pipe each end doesn't disappear into the wall or under the floor if it's under any slight tension. When you have repaired the leak you will need to re-pressurise the CH system

ris2015

The "look" of that pipe and you saying that it was squashed a bit when you applied pressure, indicates it could be a lead pipe.
Give it a scratch and see if shiny metal appears. If it is lead a plumber will be needed to solder the hole up.

Quorden

So the compression fitting worked (Thank you) although in the end it wasn't such a tiny space, next job on the list is repairing large holes in the plaster

Appreciate everyone's advice!

Bendy_House

That looked like a 'mare of a job, certainly in that little space. So, blimey, well done.

Sometimes you just have to 'go' for it, in a bigly way. Deep breath, get your Stanley out, and cut out a nice neat slightly-sloping panel (making sure you don't go below 'skin' depth in case there's, er, a pipe or cable there...). Prise it out, just shrug if it crumbles or folds in half in the process, and give yourself room to get the job done with no possible compromise.

Then look at patching it up.

Quorden

Though on second thoughts I've created a eight inch high gap in the wall, so at the risk of being accused of taking shortcuts I'm thinking that room will have 12" skirting boards (no-nailed!) 

Onto my next adventure next week of removing the old kitchen, what could go wrong?

Thanks everyone!

plumb1_2

Quorden said:

Onto my next adventure next week of removing the old kitchen, what could go wrong?

Make sure you fill the kettle