Plumbing Question, what is this drip?

[Carl Wilson]

I have a few pipes at that height sticking out above a drain. 2x to drain the two central heating circuits, 1x for the underfloor heating loop, 1x for boiler to purge the condensation.

Thanks mate. I've checked the boiler and I can't see any other pipes coming out of it. It must be something like that, but I cannot understand why it is dripping constantly, and at 28 litres per day.

Whatever it is must have a constant feed in from mains water somewhere. I've checked the boiler as I said, I've checked the hot water tank. No cold water cistern. So I still don't know.

 

[brightspark]

Thanks mate. I've checked the boiler and I can't see any other pipes coming out of it. It must be something like that, but I cannot understand why it is dripping constantly, and at 28 litres per day.

Whatever it is must have a constant feed in from mains water somewhere. I've checked the boiler as I said, I've checked the hot water tank. No cold water cistern. So I still don't know.

turn the water main stop tap off before you go to bed and check it in the morning to see if it has stopped you could fit a pressure gauge in line and do the same

 

[Barking Mat]

The suspense is killing me....

Rip up the floor!!

 

[Carl Wilson]

I've had a bit of time to check this. Cut off mains water where it enters the house. The drip slowed right down and might well have stopped if I'd had enough time to watch it. Water back on and the drip rate is back as it was.

 

[eLuSiVeMiTe]

Time to get the floorup then. Gonna cost you a fortune in bill increases

 

[Barking Mat]

When you open the pressure release valve overflow thing on the hot water tank, does it pee out?

You must have tried this by now I guess...

 

[Carl Wilson]

Why is it going to cost me a fortune?

The overflow or pressure relief outlet from the hot water tank goes to the front of the house.

I have a sealed central heating and hot water system that is mains fed, ie no tank in the loft. The expansion tank for the CH is in the boiler and I know where the overflow is for that. The condensate drain from the boiler is also right next to it.

The outlets from the pressure relief valve and from the pressure reducing valve (which also has a relief) for the HW tank are plumbed into a tundish which then goes outside next to my front door, as I've said.

From what I can see of the circuit diagram of the system I have, I've accounted for all of the components that could be passing mains water to outside.

So I'm just going to live with it as I'm not ripping floors up etc for it until it becomes an issue.

 

[eLuSiVeMiTe]

Assuming your metered it's gonna keep turning the clock

How many litres a day over a year?

 

[Barking Mat]

One of lifes mysteries, yet to be explained...

I was hoping it was .....

 

[RWD3M]

...So I'm just going to live with it as I'm not ripping floors up etc for it until it becomes an issue.

NOOOO!!!

You can't do that, we need to know

Don't give up now, we'll get there, we just need a little more time.

 

[RWD3M]

I've had a bit of time to check this. Cut off mains water where it enters the house. The drip slowed right down and might well have stopped if I'd had enough time to watch it. Water back on and the drip rate is back as it was.

What were the timescales involved here?

Are we talking within a few seconds, a few minutes or a few hours?

 

[brightspark]

so theres a leak under your floor and someones put some pipes in to stop it building up under the house out of sight out of mind just turn the stopcock off in the street to your house and your inside stop tap see if it stops not exactly hard to do

 

[Barking Mat]

You've got to find the cause.

so enthralled......

The suspense....

I think it was Colonel mustard, with the lead pipe in the library.

 

[MCKDAVID]

...........I think it was Colonel mustard, with the Burst lead pipe in the library.

fixed that for you....

 

[angellonewolf]

if i had any sort of water escape in my house and the chance of damp any where id rip all down stairs up (but cheacking every thing twice before doing so )

 

[slim_boy_fat]

I've had a bit of time to check this. Cut off mains water where it enters the house. The drip slowed right down and might well have stopped if I'd had enough time to watch it. Water back on and the drip rate is back as it was.

I have a sealed central heating and hot water system that is mains fed, ie no tank in the loft.

Sure there's not a cold water storage tank up there? The fact that the flow stopped when you turned off the mains in feed and resumed when you turned it back on would indicate to me that there must be one somewhere? Mind you, I'm not a plumber or heating engineer.

 

[RichardM]

When you turned the water off did the drip slow down immediately?

If so then I would expect it is a drain off for a cold water loop or cold water storage tank overflow.

Where is the drain pipe for your hot water cylinder?

 

[Carl Wilson]

When you turned the water off did the drip slow down immediately?

If so then I would expect it is a drain off for a cold water loop or cold water storage tank overflow.

Where is the drain pipe for your hot water cylinder?

It's at the front of the house.

 

[Richiew]

We demand closure!!

 

[Kayos]

Sure there's not a cold water storage tank up there? The fact that the flow stopped when you turned off the mains in feed and resumed when you turned it back on would indicate to me that there must be one somewhere? Mind you, I'm not a plumber or heating engineer.

Unvented hot water is mains fed, through a control group so no tanks