Central Heating Leak Detection in Lincoln

Symptoms

Central heating leak detection was required to trace the buried pipework and identify the source of the pressure loss without unnecessary disruption to the building fabric. High damp meter readings recorded in the kitchen and living room, including an adjacent wall, pointed to active water ingress beneath the floor in that area.

The condition of the water discharged from the system during investigation — heavily degraded and contaminated — indicated the leak had been present for some time.

Methods Used

Acoustic testing was carried out in the area identified by thermal imaging and damp meter readings, and detected evidence of a leak at that same location. Throughout the central heating leak detection process, each method corroborated the last, narrowing the fault to a specific point beneath the kitchen and living room floor.

When the system was partially drained using the air compressor, the discharged water was found to be in very poor condition, indicating significant internal contamination across the wider heating circuit.

Investigation Process

1. 1
   Thermal imaging survey

   Thermal imaging was used to trace the layout of the underfloor pipework and identified an anomaly beneath the kitchen and living room floor.

2. 2
   Damp meter readings taken

   Damp meter readings were recorded as very high in the kitchen floor, the living room floor, and the adjacent wall, consistent with prolonged water ingress.

3. 3
   System drained and water condition assessed

   An air compressor was used to remove water from the heating system pipework. The discharged water was in very poor condition, indicating significant contamination and degradation within the system.

4. 4
   Pressure test carried out

   The heating system was pressurised to 2 bar for 10 minutes. The system failed to hold pressure, confirming an active leak in the pipework.

5. 5
   Acoustic testing conducted

   Acoustic testing was carried out over the area identified by thermal imaging and the damp meter, and detected evidence of a leak at that same location.

6. 6
   Floor excavated and leak exposed

   With the owner's agreement, tiles were removed and the concrete floor was excavated to expose the pipework. A soldered fitting was found to be faulty and leaking very badly.

7. 7
   Leak repaired

   A short section of pipe and copper end caps were used to repair the faulty soldered fitting and reinstate the pipework.

Result & Outcome

It is also recommended that an isolation valve be installed on the ground floor pipework, so that the underfloor circuit can be isolated independently if required in future. These two measures — the power flush and the isolation valve — address both the immediate fault and the longer-term condition of the system.