New boiler, leaking central heating pipes, how to find it.

[wufti]

Looking for help from anyone who has had a similar problem.
Have a flat we rent out - which we used to live in - replaced very very old floor standing vented boiler in kitchen and separate wall mounted water heater in bathroom with a combi boiler in the kitchen. At the same time had a new kitchen and new bathroom installed. Same plumber did the boiler and the bathroom. Heating was not on initially much after the first test run as doing kitchen and bathroom, but once it was, it became apparent within a week that the central heating pipes had sprung a leak. Since researching this, this appears to be a common problem caused by the higher pressure of a combi boiler.

Front of the flat has suspended wooden floors. Back half - second bedroom, bathroom and kitchen has solid floor (well, top coat of concrete with scree under neath , pipes not shield apparently )

After investigation of underfloor void, found a bad leak where one radiator pipe linked to the main heating pipe in the solid floor, and plumber fixed that. Now have another leak and can't find a obvious leak, despite plumber digging up the solid floor at a places where there are likely to be joints.

At the time had three plumbers round to quote for the work and no-one raised this issue of higher pressure and possible leaks. Plumber is getting more evasive, and I am getting somewhat disillusioned as this could have been re piped in the solid floor area with limited disruption given both the bathroom and kitchen had been gutted at that point.

Tried leak sealant twice, hasn't worked due to size of leak, I think.

Rang a leak detection service today and it would cost £600 for them to come and find a leak only- aiming to find it within 0.5 of a meter.

Question is, has anyone used a leak detection service, did it work, or did you end up re piping anyway. Any other way of sorting this out?

Any help much appreciated

anybody ?

If the boiler is running and hot water is leaking into the floor, there will be a hot wet patch. Often you can see it by eye, especially if you wet-mop it as the wet patch may look wet, or if hot the mopping will dry faster.

The companies usually use a thermal imaging camera.

I think you should be planning to replace all the underfloor pipes with new. Mend one leak, and tomorrow there will be another. It's all equally old.

PigletJohn, there is no visible water anywhere but the pipes in the bathroom are now boxed in, as are part of the kitchen!

New boiler was moved and installed in september this year into an empty kitchen. It could have been done so much more easily at that point before the bathroom in particular was fitted and tiled.