I have a heating engineer here now. He has serviced the boiler. Part of this process increased the temperature dramatically. There was no discharge from that copper overflow pipe. It didn’t even get warm. I think that staining on the outside wall is from years and years ago and the previous boiler.
He’s going to do a power flush and add inhibitor.
I’ve asked him to do the air pressure test but he is reluctant. He said that will just tell us we have a leak. I said then we should isolate different parts of the pipe work and eliminate sections in that way.
He said we are doing the same thing with water and using the pressure gauge on the boiler.
He wants to dig up all the floors as well ! When I pushed him further he mentioned thermal imaging. Now he wants to put a sealant in the system. I
I really want to find the leak.
Does anyone want the job of finding this leak ? I live in Walsall just north of Birmingham and make good bacon sandwiches

I’ll do your test for inhibitor this weekend. Even if there was inhibitor initially, I guess it will be very much diluted with all this constant topping up I’m doing. I’ll get a different plumber to do a power flush and refill including inhibitor. I’ll be very happy if that fixes the problem. Good to know you don’t think it’s a leak.
That’s interesting about pressure testing different sections of piping and eliminating sections that way.
The flooring was already fitted when I moved in but I believe it to be floating, not fixed.

I’m trying to resist asking you, if, by doing the pressure test, we find out there is a leak, how we are going to find the leak.

I wait until we know it’s a leak before asking you that

forgot to ask but when you had the boiler installed did they power flush out the radiators and pipework, which is a machine that is like a big hoover that gets attached to a rad and pumps the clean water round the system to flush out the old debris before fitting a new boiler.

Takes normally 2/3 hours and they would have listed it in their quotation if the did not this could also be the problem of gunk blocking the system causing it to discharge through the overflow pipe

I agree with you re the plumber. I’ll find another one. No he didn’t do a power flush when he installed the new boiler. I did ask him to do one and I can’t remeber why he didn’t. I do remember him connecting a hose to the sort of bleed nipple on the pipe work and a lot of black water coming out but definitely no machine attached.

I cooked a Yorkshire pudding on Sunday. A few more people than usual, so I did 1.5 times the normal quantity in the same dish. Beginners mistake, I really needed to also increase the dish size.

I come from Northampton, and in my childhood, Yorkshire pudding was served on its own as a first course, before the Sunday roast.

The plumber has just emailed me. Probably not fair on him to copy and paste his email here.
He said the boiler is over pressurising when hot and needs servicing. He’s coming in about two weeks and will add more inhibitor.

1. that discharge pipe has obviously been leaking for some time
2. that is not how it is meant to be it should like an upside down L so any boiling water is discharged to the wall and the ground
3. could not see an inhibitor sticker on your boiler so this could be why the system is dropping down

If there is no inhibitor the water in the system just keeps heating up and generally evaporating similar to constantly boiling a kettle it will eventually empty

1. I have never seen that pipe leak. The stain on the wall proves it has leaked in the past but could that have been years ago, before I had this problem ?
2. Sorry I don’t understand the bit that says ‘ is discharged to the wall and the ground ‘. Doesn’t the current pipe discharge to the wall and the ground ?
3. I’ve asked the plumber who installed the boiler if he put inhibitor in. I await his reply.

Thank again,
Lisa

All radiators now balanced. It was a bigger job than I expected, but more due to the sheer number of radiators than the complexity.

I’ll just wait now and see if that’s fixed the problem.

Thank you. That looks like something I could do. I’ll give it a try in the morning.

That looks absolutely delicious, Ralph.

Thank you Tom.

I checked the copper pipe outside the house, both when the heating was off and when it was on, and unfortunately it wasn’t dripping.

So is the next move is the pressure test ?

I had a similar problem recently and turned out the condensing chamber ha d a very tiny leak. It was an ideal boiler and around 9 years old and wa s fixed on warranty with no fuss. Only reason for mentioning it is that if it is boiler related then the warranties are long and very non quibble if its clear the boiler has an issue

Thank you, Sir.

I can see a large plastic pipe on the outside wall, but I can’t see the copper pipe. I’ll get up on th flat roof tomorrow.

It’s an Ideal Vogue C40 but I think it does have a 5 year guarantee.

I’ll try to post pictures later, or WhatsApp them to Tom.

I won’t leave the plumbers side when he comes out, so I’ll see exactly what he does. That explanation of the pressure check will be very useful, thank you.

Sorry, meant to post this in The Lounge.

If any mods wish to move it, that would be great