Leak on central heating pipes

Tulips2lips

After recently having a pipe repaired I now have another leak, (same sound as before on pipes and no heating/hot water).  As this is a f&e system with hot water cylinder can I simply turn off water to boiler and just use emersion as I don't need heating?  This would stop the leak and I can get it repaired in the autumn?  Can't afford another repair at the moment.  Thanks!

barbuda

Hi,
As long as you are sure you are isolating the heating system only then you will be ok. (Gatevalve from outlet on f&e tank that supplies the heating system)
If you still have water from the cylinder to the hot taps, then your cylinder is still full and you will be ok to use the immersion heater.

ThisIsWeird

Could you clarify, please, T2L?

This is a 'heat-only' boiler, that runs your radiators, and also heats a vented hot cylinder? So you have both a small F&E tank in the loft, and a larger CWS one to supply the hot cylinder?

And, this leak is where, exactly?

You say "same sound as before on pipes and no heating/hot water", which confuses me. What sound is this? And, this leak is stopping your boiler from working? How is that? If your boiler is supplied by a F&E tank in the loft, then it'll carry on working even if there's a leak, as the tank will keep it fed.

Does your boiler have a pressure gauge? Make and model of boiler, please?

Tulips2lips

ThisIsWeird said:

Could you clarify, please, T2L?

This is a 'heat-only' boiler, that runs your radiators, and also heats a vented hot cylinder? So you have both a small F&E tank in the loft, and a larger CWS one to supply the hot cylinder?

And, this leak is where, exactly?

You say "same sound as before on pipes and no heating/hot water", which confuses me. What sound is this? And, this leak is stopping your boiler from working? How is that? If your boiler is supplied by a F&E tank in the loft, then it'll carry on working even if there's a leak, as the tank will keep it fed.

Does your boiler have a pressure gauge? Make and model of boiler, please?

The previous leak was on the pipework in the living room, water running constantly.  Sounded like fridge motor.  No heating but I had hot water.  Same noise started again on Monday and no heating or hot water so turned water supply off at stopcock in garage and today the noise has finally stopped after getting fainter since water turned off.  Worcester Bosch Green Star condensing boiler.  Thanks.

ThisIsWeird

Tulips2lips said:

The previous leak was on the pipework in the living room, water running constantly.  Sounded like fridge motor.  No heating but I had hot water.  Same noise started again on Monday and no heating or hot water so turned water supply off at stopcock in garage and today the noise has finally stopped after getting fainter since water turned off.  Worcester Bosch Green Star condensing boiler.  Thanks.

Ok, that appears to be a 'system' boiler, ie one that is 'sealed', 'pressurised', 'unvented'. That makes sense - a leak from such a pressurised system will likely make a noise, a hisss or spraying-gurgle (I know what I mean) until it's empty.

Turning off the mains stopcock is always a wise move when you have a leak, but it's unlikely to have affected anything in this case, as the leaking system is sealed and separate from the mains; once it stops hissing, the pressure is at zero, the leak will stop, and the boiler will not operate.

So, yes, shut off the power to the boiler, turn your mains s/c back on (obviously listen out for new hisses, but there shouldn't be one), and use your immersion heater.

Confirm, please - does your boiler have a pressure gauge?

Have you any idea where this new leak is coming from? And where was the previous, living room, leak - from a pipe, from a fitting, or from a radiator?

FreeBear

If your pipework is anything like mine was, there should be two gate valves. One on the pipe going to the hot water tank, the other for the central heating. Turn the latter one off, drain the heating system best you can, and turn the power off to the boiler. That will limit the amount of damage done by water leaking out, and you can still have hot water heated by the immersion.

Assuming you just use gas for heating/hot water, turn the supply off at the meter, and you'll save a bit on gas consumption if you have a pilot light.

Tulips2lips

ThisIsWeird said:

Tulips2lips said:

The previous leak was on the pipework in the living room, water running constantly.  Sounded like fridge motor.  No heating but I had hot water.  Same noise started again on Monday and no heating or hot water so turned water supply off at stopcock in garage and today the noise has finally stopped after getting fainter since water turned off.  Worcester Bosch Green Star condensing boiler.  Thanks.

Ok, that appears to be a 'system' boiler, ie one that is 'sealed', 'pressurised', 'unvented'. That makes sense - a leak from such a pressurised system will likely make a noise, a hisss or spraying-gurgle (I know what I mean) until it's empty.

Turning off the mains stopcock is always a wise move when you have a leak, but it's unlikely to have affected anything in this case, as the leaking system is sealed and separate from the mains; once it stops hissing, the pressure is at zero, the leak will stop, and the boiler will not operate.

So, yes, shut off the power to the boiler, turn your mains s/c back on (obviously listen out for new hisses, but there shouldn't be one), and use your immersion heater.

Confirm, please - does your boiler have a pressure gauge?

Have you any idea where this new leak is coming from? And where was the previous, living room, leak - from a pipe, from a fitting, or from a radiator?

No pressure gauge just two dials, one to turn on and other to set temp.  The previous leak was near a joint on the pipework to the radiator pipe.  No idea where this one could be as the sound was the same in every room as before.  Thanks!

ThisIsWeird

Could you post a pic of your boiler, please?
If it isn't a sealed system, but is vented with an F&E tank, then keeping the mains s/c off is important, until you turn of the supply to the boiler - or else the boiler system will keep being refilled as it leaks.
So, to prevent the boiler system (Ie, the boiler itself, the radiators, and the heating coil in the hot cylinder) from being refilled, you should look at the small F&E tank in the loft, and see how that can be prevented from refilling, or supplying the system.
Check the 15mm pipe that supplies the ballvalve in that tank - does it have an isolating valve on it that you can shut off? If it does, then close it, and that wee tank should soon empty and remain that way.
If no isolator, then check the larger 22mm pipe that exits the tank near its bottom - does that have a valve on it that can be closed? If so, try closing that instead.
Failing either of these, then you can try tying up the ball valve arm, by placing a stick across the tank's top, and tying a string to that - make sure it's pulling the arm up snugly, and cannot undo by itself.
Often, on a low positioned radiator, especially one nearest an external door, you will find a drain !!!!!! on a pipe or rad valve, which has a serrated spigot designed to take a hose. If there's still water in your system that could be leaking out, you can drain the system via this - a hose leading outside, and a radiator key to open the valve.
Report back on the boiler - pic, please - and whether you have an F&E tank.
When you finally get this repaired, make sure the plumber adds corrosion inhibitor, and I'd also have a magnetic filter fitted. 
Bear in mind that if you leave this to much later in the year, once temps drop and folk turn on their CH for the first time, plumbers will be more hard to come by. 

Tulips2lips

ThisIsWeird said:

Could you post a pic of your boiler, please?
If it isn't a sealed system, but is vented with an F&E tank, then keeping the mains s/c off is important, until you turn of the supply to the boiler - or else the boiler system will keep being refilled as it leaks.
So, to prevent the boiler system (Ie, the boiler itself, the radiators, and the heating coil in the hot cylinder) from being refilled, you should look at the small F&E tank in the loft, and see how that can be prevented from refilling, or supplying the system.
Check the 15mm pipe that supplies the ballvalve in that tank - does it have an isolating valve on it that you can shut off? If it does, then close it, and that wee tank should soon empty and remain that way.
If no isolator, then check the larger 22mm pipe that exits the tank near its bottom - does that have a valve on it that can be closed? If so, try closing that instead.
Failing either of these, then you can try tying up the ball valve arm, by placing a stick across the tank's top, and tying a string to that - make sure it's pulling the arm up snugly, and cannot undo by itself.
Often, on a low positioned radiator, especially one nearest an external door, you will find a drain !!!!!! on a pipe or rad valve, which has a serrated spigot designed to take a hose. If there's still water in your system that could be leaking out, you can drain the system via this - a hose leading outside, and a radiator key to open the valve.
Report back on the boiler - pic, please - and whether you have an F&E tank.
When you finally get this repaired, make sure the plumber adds corrosion inhibitor, and I'd also have a magnetic filter fitted. 
Bear in mind that if you leave this to much later in the year, once temps drop and folk turn on their CH for the first time, plumbers will be more hard to come by. 

Thanks very much for your reply!  I can't get into the lost myself as I have mobility issues but I didn't turn the water back on and the noise has returned so I am very confused now!  The boiler is at the rear of the garage and also has a small tank above it, do you know what this tank is because it did used to drip from the overflow but stopped by itself.  Also I have noticed water comes from the condensate pipe despite the boiler being switched off.  Thanks!

ThisIsWeird

We need photos!

Tulips2lips

ThisIsWeird said:

We need photos!

These are the photos of the boiler with the small tank above.  The overflow from this tank used to drip but stopped by itself.  The condensate pipe occasionally runs when the boiler is off.