In-Floor Heat Leak

[SSW]

My husband and I are stumped as to how to identify a leak in our in-floor heat. Towards the end of the winter we were dumping in a ton of anti-freeze to keep it going. We have to get it figured out before next winter or we could have a big problem on our hands.

Anyone had a leak in their in-floor heat?

 

[pitzerwm]

SSW, welcome to the Forum, there has been a lot of threads on Floor leaks, you can use the Search feature above, and/or look near the bottom of this thread and you will see links to those related threads.

 

[SSW]

Thank you!

 

[waright]

I would put air pressure into the system. Do it on a nice, quiet day. Pump it up with air and then go outside, put your ear to the ground and listen for the air. Concentrate on places in the floor where the floor heat enters and exits the building, mainly in doorways, sidewalks, etc. Also, some brands of automatic equipment have floor heat running through them, so don't forget to look there.

 

[car washing systems inc]

Just be sure not to use to much air pressure. Do you no who mad your floor heat system, if so they may still have a print to help show the layout, just hope they followed it.

 

[SSW]

Thanks for the idea. We have no idea who did the in floor heat...the car wash is 20+ years old and we've only owned it for four. Not sure if I could track down the original owner to find out.

I was thinking I would see if our local fire department was willing to come down with their thermal imaging devices...although I'm kind of thinking they won't be. Using air pressure would be a good alternate option - although it's never really quiet by the carwash as it's facing a busy highway.

 

[mjwalsh]

Thanks for the idea. We have no idea who did the in floor heat...the car wash is 20+ years old and we've only owned it for four. Not sure if I could track down the original owner to find out.

I was thinking I would see if our local fire department was willing to come down with their thermal imaging devices...although I'm kind of thinking they won't be. Using air pressure would be a good alternate option - although it's never really quiet by the carwash as it's facing a busy highway.

SSW,

I remember at our local home builders show the home inspectors & insulation people also had infrared thermal imaging devices. I would think that would be a really good rental device for the rental equipment businesses to rent for a half a day etc. If they got enough requests for it, I bet they might offer it if they don't already.

MJ

 

[Ghetto Wash]

although it's never really quiet by the carwash as it's facing a busy highway.

It doesn't need to be quiet. My plumber used a stethoscope to find my leak. It wasn't in floor heat, it was in the water main. We shut the water off and hooked air up to it and walked around and listened through the stethoscope. We were able to find it within 18". His stethoscope was just like Dr's use, but with long hoses so he didn't have to bend down to listen, and the end was weighted so it would lay flat on the concrete. He just kept moving the sensor with his feet until the noise was the loudest.

 

[I.B. Washincars]

What do you mean by "it was in the water main"? Do you have just clear water in your floor heat tubing? If so, you are flirting with disaster!

 

[Ghetto Wash]

What do you mean by "it was in the water main"? Do you have just clear water in your floor heat tubing? If so, you are flirting with disaster!

I Don't have floor heat. It was in the water supply line from the city.

 

[SSW]

I don't know if you can rent thermal imaging equip around here...but it's worth some phone calls. My husband was going to try locating it with air pressure but he doesn't want to put any more pressure in than what is normally going through there so as not to cause additional leaks.

Incidentally, he is a plumber...I don't think he has a stethoscope though!

Ghetto Wash...I'm curious about your name. Is your wash in the ghetto or...?

 

[Ghetto Wash]

Ghetto Wash...I'm curious about your name. Is your wash in the ghetto or...?

Yes, my washes are definetly in the hood. The first wash I owned I was in a couple of drive by shootings. Prostitute killed across the street. Teenage boy killed next door because someone wanted his fancy tennis shoes. I pulled up one day and there were 30 cop cars circling the wash. Everyone inside the circle had there hands up and were up against the walls. They were frisked and put outside the circle of cop cars. I'm definetly in the ghetto. My wife called it my full service carwash. Pull in and some crack head would wash your car for a couple of bucks. Purchase your drug of choice from another enterprising business person and then head off to the bushes with your pick of the girls and your choice of drug while your car was being washed.

 

[SSW]

Can I ask why you'd ever want to run a car wash in the ghetto?? That's so funny to me. There were rumours about one of my washes being the spot where drug dealers would deliver drugs from Chicago to my neck of the woods.

I suppose it goes without saying you have video surveillance and have been robbed a bunch of times??

My two washes have been broken into seven times in three years...luckily nothing in the past year (knock on wood). One of them went so far as to beat down the metal bathroom door so that he could then chip a hole in the brick wall against the mechanical room. That was after he made a huge hole in the ceiling and tried to get into the mechanical room that way. Something about being open 24 hours just says rob me I guess!