Leaking Hot Water and Heating Systems

Finding a leak in your home is never nice to deal with, especially if you have limited or no plumbing experience. If you find a leak in your hot water and heating system the key thing is to not panic, it may be a simple fix, or you may be able to stop and control the leak until an engineer can assist you.

If you have a leak in your central heating or hot water pipework inside your property, it is important to always turn off your boiler using the control panel. This prevents your boiler from firing up without water inside it which could cause costly damage.

Signs of a Boiler Leak

A boiler leak isn’t always obvious and can develop over time, some signs to look out for are:

• Low or high pressure on your boiler
• Water running from your boiler, down the wall or pipes
• Damp, mould or staining around your boiler
• And in some cases, warped skirting boards or countertops around the boiler

Common Issues With Hot Water and Heating Systems

A frequent problem that causes central heating system leaks is frozen condensation pipes. This is common in areas with severe cold temperatures or exposed pipes, for example, when pipes are located outside the house – normally running to an outside drain. If the pipe freezes, water won’t be able to flow through it and may back up into your boiler causing a leak. It will also cause your boiler to stop working; but you don’t always need to be an engineer to fix it.

Solving this issue is simple, but first you need to identify the condensation pipe. This is normally a plastic pipe coming from your boiler measuring about 20mm in diameter, if it runs outside the property then it may be up to 30mm in diameter. Once you have found the pipe, you need to thaw it out. To do this, pour warm water over it but make sure you don’t use boiling water as this can melt or damage the pipe.

After you have defrosted the condensation pipe, you may need to reset your boiler using the control buttons. Instructions on how to do this should be in the user guide supplied with your boiler. If this is a common issue that keeps occurring with your pipes, then you may need to look at insulating your pipes with foam pipe lagging to help prevent it.

Regular servicing of your boiler by a trained gas safe engineer is important to maintain your boiler and prevent any issues such as leaks. At Metro Plumb, our engineers are gas safe trained and offer a range of services to ensure that your boiler is working properly.

It is important to take action as soon as you discover a leak to prevent any further damage to your boiler or home, as well as helping it to run more efficiently, saving you money in the long run. If it isn’t a simple fix, then you may need to seek help from a plumber. Our experienced plumbers are on hand 24/7/365 to help you with any issues you may have. Click here to find your local plumber.