Heating Lost Pressure

[clueless456]

If there's any sign of corrosion it's been leaking for a while, although maybe not as fast. The corrosion will also make the nut harder to turn.

I tried tightening the nut. It wasn't that difficult to turn, but seemed to make the leak worse whichever way turned, even when tightened... I think maybe the pinhole leak is on the actual pipe and not the nut.

I have wrapped in tape, but still dripping... Is there anything else I can do temporarily to stop it dripping?

 

[clueless456]

The leak seems to be slightly worse now - Not sure if that's because I just increased pressure to the heating guage again..

I have run out of the black tape - Is there anything else I could use to stop the leak? Or is there any possible way to turn off the water supply to that pipe/radiator?

 

[brianmoooore]

No way to turn the water off to one radiator if the leak is before the valves. The only way you can stop it is to depressurise the whole system by using the PRV knob to let the water out. Note that there should be a chemical in the water to help prevent corrosion, and this chemical is being diluted every time you add fresh water to the system.
You've tried, now I think it's time to get a professional in.

 

[clueless456]

No way to turn the water off to one radiator if the leak is before the valves. The only way you can stop it is to depressurise the whole system by using the PRV knob to let the water out. Note that there should be a chemical in the water to help prevent corrosion, and this chemical is being diluted every time you add fresh water to the system.
You've tried, now I think it's time to get a professional in.

I had to remove some of the black tape to tighten the nut and have now run out of the black tape.

Is there any other kind of tape, or household item I could use to temporarily stop the leak until I can get a plumber to the property?

 

[DPG]

I had to remove some of the black tape to tighten the nut and have now run out of the black tape.

Is there any other kind of tape, or household item I could use to temporarily stop the leak until I can get a plumber to the property?

Get some self-amalgating tape. It's useful stuff to have in anyway. It's rubber, and once it's wrapped around something it forms a one piece rubber covering.

Stretch it slightly as you are wrapping it round.

 

[clueless456]

Get some self-amalgating tape. It's useful stuff to have in anyway. It's rubber, and once it's wrapped around something it forms a one piece rubber covering.

Stretch it slightly as you are wrapping it round.

Thank you.

I tied a rubber glove around it. I didn't turn the mains water off, but switched the heating off overnight and the dripping seems to have stopped overnight.

I have ordered something called Poxipol Epoxy putty glue and PTFE plumbers sealing tape, which will hopefully arrive tomorrow. Will that work? Is that the same as self-amalgating tape?

 

[DPG]

Thank you.

I tied a rubber glove around it. I didn't turn the mains water off, but switched the heating off overnight and the dripping seems to have stopped overnight.

I have ordered something called Poxipol Epoxy putty glue and PTFE plumbers sealing tape, which will hopefully arrive tomorrow. Will that work? Is that the same as self-amalgating tape?

Mains water won't affect it - the heating loop is isolated from it.

The putty and tape sound worth a try. The heating system isn't at as high a pressure as mains water so the leak will be easier to fix.

Let us know how you get on.

 

[clueless456]

Mains water won't affect it - the heating loop is isolated from it.

The putty and tape sound worth a try. The heating system isn't at as high a pressure as mains water so the leak will be easier to fix.

Let us know how you get on.

Thank you - Will do.

 

[Moley]

I have ordered something called Poxipol Epoxy putty glue and PTFE plumbers sealing tape, which will hopefully arrive tomorrow. Will that work? Is that the same as self-amalgating tape?

PTFE (sometimes known as thread tape) won't help. That's just for sealing threads. If you have a pin hole in the pipe then self amalgamating is the way to go.

 

[brianmoooore]

Self amalgamating tape is a stretch black rubber ribbon that isn't really sticky, but when you wind it around something the layers immediately start to melt together, and over the course of a few hours it will become one solid piece of rubber.
I doubt if self amalgamating tape on its own will completely stop a pinhole leak, but if you can get a hose clip (worm drive, Jubilee type) over it, it will.
Next question is why has the pipe developed a pinhole. This is probably because the inhibitor chemicals have disappeared over time, or were never added in the first place, and a particle of iron based debris, which was once part of the boiler or a radiator, has lodged itself inside the pipe and corroded through it.