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Leak under kitchen unit, where is it coming from?

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  • GDB2222
    GDB2222 Posts: 26,213 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Photogenic Name Dropper
    Turning it off largely eliminates the PRV.
    No reliance should be placed on the above! Absolutely none, do you hear?
  • FreeBear
    FreeBear Posts: 18,200 Forumite
    Tenth Anniversary 10,000 Posts Name Dropper Photogenic
    Albermarle said: Anyway had another look . On the flow side there is what looks like a valve each side of the pump. The sort that would need a spanner or wrench to turn. But nothing on the return pipe.
    Those two valves are there to isolate the pump should it ever need changing - Saves having to drain the whole system down.
    On the return pipe, current recommendation is to have a magnetic filter (again, with an isolation valve either side). If you haven't got one, it may pay to have one fitted. They are not hugely expensive (from around £60), and can be fitted fairly quickly - Will need the system drained first....
    Her courage will change the world.

    Treasure the moments that you have. Savour them for as long as you can for they will never come back again.
  • Albermarle
    Albermarle Posts: 27,829 Forumite
    10,000 Posts Seventh Anniversary Name Dropper
    FreeBear said:
    Albermarle said: Anyway had another look . On the flow side there is what looks like a valve each side of the pump. The sort that would need a spanner or wrench to turn. But nothing on the return pipe.
    Those two valves are there to isolate the pump should it ever need changing - Saves having to drain the whole system down.
    On the return pipe, current recommendation is to have a magnetic filter (again, with an isolation valve either side). If you haven't got one, it may pay to have one fitted. They are not hugely expensive (from around £60), and can be fitted fairly quickly - Will need the system drained first....
    Obvious about the pump now you say it.

    Thanks for the tip about the magnetic filter. I have seen them mentioned quite often, but hadn't quite clicked that we have not got one.
  • RoughNeck
    RoughNeck Posts: 56 Forumite
    Fifth Anniversary 10 Posts
    edited 6 April 2024 at 1:25PM
    Vaillant engineer arrived this morning. He replaced the PRV but that didn't resolve the issue, however, there's a pipe that runs from the expansion vessel to 'somewhere' and that was apparently blocked. Once cleared, that seems to have solved the issue. So it looks as though it was completely unrelated to the wet that's appeared under kitchen units (eye roll!).

    I'll have to see if the floor dries out following the change of the isolation valves. The saga continues!

    When I asked why the pipe was blocked, I had the 'it just happens' response. Maybe he just didn't want to explain it to me though, which is fair enough I guess!
  • GDB2222
    GDB2222 Posts: 26,213 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Photogenic Name Dropper
    The expansion vessel is inside the boiler?
    No reliance should be placed on the above! Absolutely none, do you hear?
  • RoughNeck
    RoughNeck Posts: 56 Forumite
    Fifth Anniversary 10 Posts
    GDB2222 said:
    The expansion vessel is inside the boiler?
    Yes. All covered by the Vaillant guarantee too, thankfully.
  • GDB2222
    GDB2222 Posts: 26,213 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Photogenic Name Dropper
    RoughNeck said:
    GDB2222 said:
    The expansion vessel is inside the boiler?
    Yes. All covered by the Vaillant guarantee too, thankfully.
    If there’s enough debris in the system to clog the pipe to the expansion vessel, think what is happening inside the heat exchanger. Maybe, extend the warranty if you can.
    No reliance should be placed on the above! Absolutely none, do you hear?
  • RoughNeck
    RoughNeck Posts: 56 Forumite
    Fifth Anniversary 10 Posts
    And so, the saga continues. The wet is still present and I went down the home insurance route. Home Serve attended today and did a few initial checks. With all water sources off (as in, nothing was running like the washing machine etc) the water meter cog moved slightly, indicating there is a leak somewhere. Home Serve are returning on Monday with the leak detection team so investigate further.
  • RoughNeck
    RoughNeck Posts: 56 Forumite
    Fifth Anniversary 10 Posts
    Update: Home Serve attended again today, dug up some of the floor and then some of the floor tiles and could not find a leaking pipe. Eventually, he noticed one of the elbows of the pipework was slightly wet and so he replaced both the hot and cold water pipes just in case and tidied up the rest of the pipework. He was very thorough in fairness. He's not sure if that small amount could cause the damage it has done, but we'll see. He also noticed that some exposed brickwork (behind the washing machine etc) was wet and suggested a roofer came to inspect the roof. It's a new roof, so I'd be surprised if there's anything wrong with it, but he did say that if wet is somehow falling into the cavity, it's definitely worth getting checked out. We didn't have the facia or the guttering changed, so it could be that. Who knows! I'm glad I've done this on the insurance now as there's no knowing where this will end!
  • RoughNeck
    RoughNeck Posts: 56 Forumite
    Fifth Anniversary 10 Posts
    Final update: replacing the pipework seems to have resolved the issue. The area under the kitchen units has now fully dried. We've had heavy rain as well as glorious sunshine throughout April/May and there's been no signs of it returning :). Thank you all for your comments and support!
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