9 pinhole leaks.. new pipes and bathrooms??

essex_grl

On Friday we heard dripping and water started falling through the ceiling. 
Our plumber got his lads round to find the leak and fix.

The pipe was cold mains with 3 leaks. They replaced that but noted the pipe work going across the bedroom into the en suite also had 6!!! more which now have Tupperware pots under.

They said we likely need all the mains pipes replaced through the house but that we’ll have to wait to hear from the boss man.
Left with multiple leaks waiting on a phone call.

Replacing all that means ripping out two bathrooms. We’ve looked at other pipes we can see and have found another leak on central heating and more pinholes in the bathroom. 
Where do we even start.
Plumber not replying. Water dripping. Scared everytime we use water that the leaking pins will blow and we’ll end up having to pay again and again for emergencies.

 

FreeBear

When was your plumbing installed ?

In the 1980s, there was a lot of low quality copper pipe being imported and used by most of the large house builders. This pipe, especially when flux was not cleaned off properly, would start to leak after 20-25 years. Even the better quality stuff will sometimes get pinhole leaks (often because of the flux used) after a while.

Depending on the state of your plumbing, you may have to bite the bullet and replace a lot of it.

essex_grl

House was built in 1983 and think the plumbing is original. 😫

FreeBear

Any evening classes being run locally that cover (basic) plumbing & DIY ?

Bendy_House

I recall the poor-quality copper pipe times. The wall thickness was reduced too, wasn't it - copper shortage, or something?

E-G, are you in a soft water area too? The problem was, I think, exacerbated by having soft - mildly acidic - water.

What type of CH system do you have, vented or unvented (sealed, pressurised, pressure gauge on boiler)? With either - but especially with unvented - your CH pipes might be ok, as largely the same water will/should have stayed in the system, so any of its corrosive properties have been 'used up'. Also, corrosion inhibitor should have been added.

So, if you are lucky, this might only affect pipes carrying mains water. Is there an easier way of running NEW pipes to their locations other than following the same - destructive - route as the originals? Could you, say, go UP to the loft, across and then down to the bathrooms, rather than go THROUGH them?

essex_grl

We’re in a hard water area. The central heating was gravity fed when we moved in but we changed it to a combi so it’s all high pressure. 

We followed the advice of a heating installer recommended by multiple people who turned out to be a total cowboy.
Never told us that it could cause problems with pipes bursting.

we have only found 1 area in the ch that we can see that are large joins leaking.

The pinholes are all on straight runs in the cold and hot lines.

Bendy_House

essex_grl said:

We’re in a hard water area. The central heating was gravity fed when we moved in but we changed it to a combi so it’s all high pressure. 

We followed the advice of a heating installer recommended by multiple people who turned out to be a total cowboy.
Never told us that it could cause problems with pipes bursting.

we have only found 1 area in the ch that we can see that are large joins leaking.

The pinholes are all on straight runs in the cold and hot lines.

If the only leak in the CH pipework is at a joint, then it could simply have been a poor solder joint at the time, and the rest of the pipe 'should' hopefully be ok.

Surprised it's pin-holing with hard water, as I understand this is usually kinder to copper pipes, and can even add a protective layer to the insides. But I guess it must be a combination of thin-wall, and lots of impurities which can rust/rot away leaving pin holes?

The hot and cold pipes will be having fresh water running through them on a daily basis, complete with dissolved air, so these pipes will be the most vulnerable.

Not sure how much the plumber is actually to blame, as I think I recall there wasn't much option at the time but to buy this sub-standard stuff. Shame plastic piping wasn't used :-(

When the leaking H&C pipes are replaced, it might be worth adding 'plumbing' cover to your household bill, to mitigate against any of the other pipes going in future? Our waterboard gives the first year's cover for pennies - in order to suck you in...

essex_grl

We really hope the ch is ok. The worst that we can see.. where half the bedroom floor is ripped up is where they replaced one length that had 3 hole badly leaking.

another we’re left with has 6 active dripping leaks and more developing but that pipe runs under a wall into the en-suite.

Bendy_House

essex_grl said:

We really hope the ch is ok. The worst that we can see.. where half the bedroom floor is ripped up is where they replaced one length that had 3 hole badly leaking.

another we’re left with has 6 active dripping leaks and more developing but that pipe runs under a wall into the en-suite.

That replaced length with the three leaks, is it a CH pipe? If so, I fear you may have major issues throughout, and an almost-certain future leak if it isn't all replaced. What a 'mare.

I wonder how effective a leak sealer could be, added to your CH water? If it's long-lasting enough, it could block pin-holes are they form. But, scary stuff :-(

If you don't replace it all now, then seriously consider taking out plumbing cover. It might not be 'exactly' ethical since it could be considered a pre-existing condition, but on the other hand, you have fixed all the 'known' leaks at your own expense, and are only looking to protect yourself from any new future leaks, which is surely fair enough?

essex_grl

No the 3 leaks Friday were a cold water pipe. That hold and cold T onto more cold and hot. We have leaks at those joints on both.. then a further 4 in that pipe.

Those hot and cold run into the en-suite. And there are visible pits developing on what can be seen there.

the only ch leak we’ve found is at a joint in the main bathroom and hoping that’s the only place we have an issue with that.

essex_grl

Gonna have to chase the plumber tomorrow. We think it could be possible to fit isolators in the airing cupboard meaning we could shut off the majority of the water upstairs inc the downstairs loo as that comes down.

it would leave us one toilet and one shower and the appliances downstairs.

I just don’t see how they can expect us to watch for leaks whilst waiting ages for a quote on new piping and then what could be months for the work to be done.