Plumbing - Intermittent Leaks

yram_slim

Has anyone come across the bizarre problem of a leaking pipe that stops then a few weeks later, there's water on the floor? We've had our lovely new bathroom installed for about eighteen months when I found water on the floor, which seems seems to be coming from under the sink where we have two flexible hoses with cut off valves (which I think are the modern way of joining the copper pipes to the taps). Why should it suddenly start leaking? Is this a problem with this type of fitting? Mysteriously, it also seems to happen at weekends, but there is no "common denominator" which could be causing it. I'm sure all you plumbers out there can help! Thanx

silvercar

Are there heating pipes nearby? Weekends only suggest your heating may be on more at the weekend?

robnye

could it be condensation..... i have a similar problem , in that the toilet cistern develops a mist of cold droplets, if any one has had a shower or bath, then they drip down onto the floor.

changes in mains pressure can sometimes cause leakage,

are you able to tell whether the leak is from top or bottom of the shutoff valve....?

Canucklehead

Hi

Would the bathroom not look better with a basin in it?
(Sorry could'nt resist it!)


Is water getting between the tap and basin ? This depends on how much water is splashed around when you wash or clean the taps.Or down the pop up hole in the tap.
Check the pop up waste (if it has one) where the rod joins the waste body.(if the pop up is quite loose to operate this is likely)
Next time it happens get a torch and mirror and have a good look starting at the highest point.
As the problem is intermittent it's unlikely to be the supply as this is permanently under pressure so any leak would be constant.

Corgi Guy.

yram_slim

Thanks for your replies.

Definitely not condensation - we do have this problem on cold water pipes to the cistern.

Definitely not water down the back of the basin, or down the pop-up hole. There was a drip on the cold flexi pipe but why should it just start after this length of time? It then seeps through the back of the cabinet onto the floor and makes quite a pool, but very slowly! We are thinking about replacing the pipes at the weekend . We dried off the cabinet and nothing happened for two nights, then on Easter Monday morning there was water on the bottom of the cabinet as if there had been a slow drip. We've but a dish in there now before the cabinet is ruined. Absolutely baffled!

adaze

Sounds strange indeed. Can you isolate the water supply to the bathroom? If you can you could try eliminating the hot or cold supply, then each tap, shower bath etc... if possible... have you checked all compression joints are tight, if not they could weep very slowly.

bookduck

I had similar with my central heating. On cold days water would drip and on warm days it would be OK, if I switched the pilot light off, then it would drip again.

At work had a sweaty pipe, some days would seat and others it was ok. Turned out the pipe had a small hole(s) and somedays the water would evaporate and some days not

yram_slim

Thanks again for all your help. The thing is bone dry now since Monday. We will replace the flexi pipes at the weekend and hope that will work.

Canucklehead

yram_slim wrote: »

Thanks again for all your help. The thing is bone dry now since Monday. We will replace the flexi pipes at the weekend and hope that will work.

Would be very interested to see how it turns out. Please post results!


Corgi Guy.