5 signs of a leak in underfloor heating

2024 Author: Howard Calhoun | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 10:16

Water underfloor heating includes underfloor heating pipes that circulate hot water from a boiler to keep your rooms pleasantly and evenly heated throughout the winter. While some modern systems are built using rigid PEX (cross-linked polyethylene) pipes, which are unlikely to crack over time, other systems use copper or steel pipes, which often leak after several years of use. If you suspect that your underfloor heating system may be leaking, we recommend that you perform five simple leak checks yourself to help determine if there is a problem.

Changes in pressure gauge readings

Start by observing the pressure gauge mounted on the manifold, which directs water from your boiler into various circuits of a hidden pipe. If you have information about the typical system pressure that the underfloor heating installer or technician who maintains the system should have provided, you can compare the readings and determine ifwhether the pressure in the system drops. Most systems maintain a pressure between 0.7 and 1.7 bar, however this depends on the design and pipe spacing. Low pressure is a clear indicator of a leak, so a system with a gauge reading of 0 bar definitely needs immediate attention.

Signs of damage

Because radiator heating pipes are embedded in a concrete screed to carry heat away from the water to the rest of the room, you can easily tell if there is a leak in your underfloor heating by carefully examining damage to the flooring on that concrete slab. This is because concrete is a relatively porous material, which slows down the appearance of moisture on the surface, so it can evaporate. Take a close look at your floor and look for indirect signs of the effects of a water leak, such as:

• damp or discolored carpets;
• growth of mold where floor meets walls;
• linoleum or parquet tiles that warp and flake;
• rust-like spots visible in crevices between parquet tiles;
• Discoloration and mold growth on grout joints on tiles that are not in a damp environment such as a bathroom or kitchen.

Water consumption

Because a properly installed floor heating system is a system witha closed circuit that runs the same water over and over again, you should not notice any signs of water flow coming from the boiler. If your water meter is spinning slowly despite shutting off every possible tap in your home, you are probably dealing with a leak in your heating system that is causing new water to fill up the boiler to make up the difference. This subtle sign is often the first sign of a possible problem that makes a homeowner wonder about the condition of their underfloor heating system.

Scaling in the boiler

Suspect your underfloor heating is leaking fresh water, but you can't pinpoint the problem with just a water meter? Try to check the boiler for signs of mineral buildup around safety valves and other tank connectors. Powder of white or gray color on or inside the boiler indicates that water with a lot of minerals is constantly entering the boiler, which should not happen in a properly functioning closed system.

Leak noise

Finally, you might get lucky and actually hear the leak if you keep the house completely quiet and take the time to listen to the floor. Large leaks can cause hissing and hissing sounds to be heard through the floor. Amplifying your natural hearing ability with a medical stethoscope can help a little, but you'll need a sophisticated and expensive device for electronic sound amplification and filtering.extraneous noise to get the best results at this stage. If you hear some strange sounds, but you can’t determine what is their source (underfloor heating pipes or something else), the most correct option is to hire specialists who are equipped with thermal imaging equipment, ultrasonic sensors, geophones and others. high quality equipment to detect these leaks.