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Author: Subject: Central heating leak
Dusty

posted on 26/11/12 at 08:58 PM Reply With Quote
Central heating leak

I was wondering if there was some sort of radweld type stuff I can put in a gravity fed central heating system. I have been insulating the floor of my house by fixing expanded polystyrene sheet to the underside of the floorboards. Working in a foot high wriggle space below the floor is no fun! A T joint which is a mix of soldered and compression copper joints is leaking. The system is 20+ years old and very crusty. I wouldn't dare get spanners on the joints unless I was ready to drain down and do a big repair. It looks like it would fall apart. Very hard to get to and I will probably have to drain the system and try to lift some floorboards although it would still be hard to get reasonable access.
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JoelP

posted on 26/11/12 at 09:09 PM Reply With Quote
The crud on the join is the minerals left behind by the leaking water evapourating. The T cannot be a mix of solder and compression. The solder joins will almost certainly be ok. You need to drain down, undo, clean with wire wool, then either wrap a layer of PTFE around the olive, or smear a soft sealing compound onto it. I prefer one called jet blue. Then tighten gentle - you can always tighten more later if it crys, however if overtightened it will leak and then there is nothing you can do except start again!





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tegwin

posted on 26/11/12 at 09:10 PM Reply With Quote
Depends how bad the drips are...

You can get two part putty that you mix and squeeze over leaks... I had to use the stuff in my parents house because the pipe is half burried in a wall and is very very old! Really not an ideal solution especially if like yours it is is hidden out of sight... Its not an expensive job to do properly... If its your house and you are going to be living there for a while... I would do it properly myself...





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mookaloid

posted on 26/11/12 at 09:12 PM Reply With Quote
Fernox

Don't know how successful you will be but it's worth a try for less than £30





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gremlin1234

posted on 26/11/12 at 09:12 PM Reply With Quote
fernox f4
b&q do their own version

- I have seen it work twice, - but it can make rad valves/ diverter valves stick

for an open system, just poor into a header tank,
I believe its essentially pva (white glue) that drys on contact with air

[Edited on 26/11/12 by gremlin1234]

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big-vee-twin

posted on 26/11/12 at 09:37 PM Reply With Quote
I had a leaky pipe and when I lifted the floorboard there was no way of getting to the problem.
So I tried the sealant that goes in the water from fernox, three heating seasons on and it still not leaking





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watsonpj

posted on 26/11/12 at 09:41 PM Reply With Quote
Dusty
can't help with the plumbing but as for your comment

quote:

I have been insulating the floor of my house by fixing expanded polystyrene sheet to the underside of the floorboards. Working in a foot high wriggle space below the floor is no fun!



I did this last year but with spaceblanket and plastic mesh to hold it in place and I'd say stick with it as its toast in here this year

cheers Pete

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cliftyhanger

posted on 26/11/12 at 10:26 PM Reply With Quote
And 20 years is nothing for a heating system, many are 40+. if a compression joint, do as joel suggests. If you feel lucky you could try undoing a little and retightening without draining down. The trick is to support the joint so it doesn't move, and plumbing is always in difficult areas. (I an ever so thankful for the copper push fit stuff. It has saved me days of work sometimes...)
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Dusty

posted on 27/11/12 at 12:19 AM Reply With Quote
Thanks for the suggestions. I will clean it all up, try to identify exactly where the leak is and give it an eighth of a turn. Add better supports (mostly just hangs from the underside of the rads) and add some fernox. It really will be a pig to actually do genuine plumbing on, even with push joints. I hope I don't have to have the floor up.
Insulation is now 3/4 done, 2 inch polystyrene, and it no longer feels like the floor sucks the heat out of my feet and shins. That's also the reason for disturbing the pipes to insulate them with space blanket tape, foil and bubble wrap. And also why the joint is leaking in the first place probably.

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RichardK

posted on 27/11/12 at 12:48 PM Reply With Quote
Personally I wouldn't touch it and just chuck the fernox in, only if that didn't work would I even think about getting a spanner on it.

Hope you get it sorted

Cheers

Rich





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owelly

posted on 27/11/12 at 12:59 PM Reply With Quote
I'd want to do the job properly which would involve getting to the joint, and replacing the T if need be. If you don't want to drain the system, buy a freeze kit. I've worked live with those flexi repair push-fit things to fix frost damage. You can only get soaked to the skin once.





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