Newly installed combi losing pressure

[hedylaura]

We just spent £3k+ upgrading our old open-vented system boiler system to a new combi condenser boiler (Viessmann 30kw) system which worked less than a week before the pressure dropped to 0 resulting in no hot water or heating. The plumber came and topped up the system saying it was "just one of those things" that happens occasionally for no discernable reason. So I duly paid him for his work. Then a few days later it happened again.

Now the plumber is saying ("in his opinion") that we have a leak in the pipework on the ground floor. He reasoned this because one of the radiators on the top (first) floor had completey drained, and had it been a leak on the top floor there would be signs of it on the ceiling. He topped it up again as a temporary measure so we were able to have hot showers on our return from a trip to Oz, but by the time we got back (less that 24hrs later) it had dropped to zero again.

He is suggesting re-piping the entire ground floor, which will ruin our flooring.

I can't see any evidence of a leak, and we had the place checked for damp not so long ago and this did not flag up any problems in the areas where we have pipework.

So my questions are - is he right? And are there any other ways to determine if/where there is a leak without going to the extreme lengths of ripping up flooring? Is it possible that the plumber caused the leak by over-pressurising the system?

And more importantly - am I liable for the additional costs that this will incur? In my view he hasn't finished the job he set out to do - we did not just buy a boiler off him, we bought hot water and heating. Both of which have been supplied for no more that a week in total since the installation 1 month ago.

Thanks for your help!

Hedy

 

[hedylaura]

an old boiler will fetch you less than £20 at the scrappies, you should not be fitting 2nd hand boilers imho

Fair enough. Thanks.

 

[GQuigley67]

when customers want to keep scrap i tell them they can keep the rubbish aswell, its not cheap to dump the rubbish you know

 

[mfgs]

Agreed, I always state the the old copper etc will be removed from site in my quotes. If they want to keep it then the price will go up.

 

[hedylaura]

Have a large drink and sit in a darkened room. It could've been worse. Could've been a leak upstairs and the ceiling could've been down. Every cloud.....

Ha! I don't need an excuse to have a large drink, but on your professional recommendation I shall. And it will probably be in bed, until our heating is back on. :bucktooth:

 

[hedylaura]

when customers want to keep scrap i tell them they can keep the rubbish aswell, its not cheap to dump the rubbish you know

I know. The price of disposing the rubbish was clearly included in the quote.

 

[GQuigley67]

don't worry all plumbers take scrap, they dont leave ferminting kebabs though...

 

[Rickster123]

don't worry all plumbers take scrap, they dont leave ferminting kebabs though...

No but I will on the next job where the customer wants the scrap!
Anyone else got a craving for kebab now?!

 

[GQuigley67]

the last customer that wanted to keep the scrap got to keep the radiators, i was up in the loft cutting out the old primatic cylinder and he's like "don't worry I'll get that" always hovering around like a vulture

explained to him that its part of the job but i was happy for him to keep the rads

 

[Phil]

What flooring was down again? Laminate?

 

[hedylaura]

What flooring was down again? Laminate?

Yep. Laminate in the main building. Our kitchen is on an extension which is around 200mm lower, then we have an extension on the extension which houses the bathroom, and the floor in there is concrete.

 

[SimonG]

It's one of them discussions where you only get to hear one side of the argument. In my opinion its unreasonable to expect original plumber to repair at own cost or for a reduced price. Yes he should have mentioned potential problems in swapping from vented to sealed system. But at the end of the day he has done his job as per estimate, and is the reason why I have a line on my estimates which states I do not gaurantee watertightness of any existing pipework and fittings. Prevents a lot of unpleasantness.

Hopefully you will get sorted without too much mess and disruption.

 

[Phil]

Its hard to picture your house or how much depth is under the floor, but I would first definatly prove the leak is in the downstairs pipes by getting him back to lock off the boiler and upstairs, if the pressure still drops then its definatly there.

I would pick an area like under a sofa or dining room tabe and make an access hatch to allow someone to get under the floor with a torch.

If you're unlucky then the depth will be too shallow to even get under, if you're very lucky then you could crawl under the whole ground floor.

 

[Phil]

As soon as the plumber walked through the door and saw the dreaded laminate, any sane person would have mentioned the risk straight away.

These guys get all they deserve, what would he have done if the domestic hot water pipe burst 'somewhere' under the downstairs floor?

 

[Phil]

My worry is the leak is under that concrete screed floor in the bathroom, probably tiled over aswell with pipes not protected against the corrosive cement.

Or there's a nail or screw through a pipe with a constant drip.

 

[hedylaura]

My worry is the leak is under that concrete screed floor in the bathroom, probably tiled over aswell with pipes not protected against the corrosive cement.

Or there's a nail or screw through a pipe with a constant drip.

Is there a way of temporarily taking the bathroom system out of the equation and seeing if the pressure loss still occurs? The boiler is located right next to the bathroom. For me, if the leak was happening there this would be a best-case scenario as a new pipe could just be run through the wall rather than having our flooring pulled up.