About this episode
A leaking 10mm JG push-fit elbow hidden beneath a concrete subfloor caused water to pool under a kitchen radiator and swell the laminate flooring above. ADI Leak Detection uses acoustic listening equipment and damp meters to trace central heating leaks to their exact source, then carries out the repair on site.
This episode walks through an ADI job where engineer Ferenc located the faulty elbow beneath the concrete, replaced it and an adjacent fitting with Hep2O push-fit fittings, and confirmed the repair with a post-repair pressure test at 2.2 bar.
Facts table
| Location | Downham Market |
|---|---|
| Date | 2 April 2026 |
| Engineer | Ferenc |
| Leak type | Central Heating |
| Symptoms | Water was visible in the gap beneath the kitchen radiator, and laminate flooring showed visible swelling from water ingress. |
| Equipment used | Acoustic listening equipment, damp meter |
| Pressure readings | Heating system pressure test failed. Secondary test at 2.2 bar passed after repair, confirming no further leakage. |
| Outcome | Leak found and repaired |
Full transcript
George and Dave in conversation. Every word of the episode, exactly as recorded.
- George
- Welcome back. I'm here with Dave from ADI Leak Detection, leading leak detection specialists across the UK. In these episodes we walk through real leak detection jobs and explain how each leak was found. Today's job is a central heating water leak in Downham Market, where ADI engineer Ferenc found and fixed the leak. Dave, set the scene for us.
- Dave
- So the homeowner had noticed water sitting in the gap at the base of the kitchen radiator. The laminate flooring nearby had started to buckle, that visible swelling is a reliable sign that water has been sitting under the surface for a while, not just a one-off spill.
- George
- And at that point the customer doesn't really know whether it's the radiator itself, the pipework, or something else entirely, do they?
- Dave
- Exactly right. The source isn't obvious from the surface. Water travels, so what you see isn't always where the leak is. That's where ADI's engineers come in with acoustic listening equipment and a damp meter to start narrowing things down.
- George
- How does the acoustic equipment help in a situation like this, where the floor is solid?
- Dave
- Acoustic listening equipment picks up the sound signature of pressurised water escaping from a pipe. The engineer works along the floor surface, listening for where that signal is strongest. Concrete carries sound well, so the equipment can detect a leak beneath it without the floor needing to come up first.
- George
- So you can pinpoint the location before any lifting happens.
- Dave
- That's the goal. The damp meter backs that up, it measures moisture levels in the floor material and confirms the wet zone. Between the two readings, Ferenc had a clear target area before the laminate and skirting came up.
- George
- And what did he find once the floor was exposed?
- Dave
- The underlay was saturated, and the concrete beneath it was wet through. Once they got into the subfloor, Ferenc found a 10mm JG push-fit elbow that had failed. There was also an adjacent elbow in the same section of pipework, so both were replaced.
- George
- Why replace the adjacent fitting as well if it hadn't failed yet?
- Dave
- Because fittings in the same run are the same age and have been under the same conditions. If one has gone, the neighbouring fitting is at risk. Replacing it at the same time means you're not going back in through the floor again shortly afterwards. The team used Hep2O push-fit fittings for both.
- George
- And how do you confirm the repair has actually held?
- Dave
- Pressure testing. The system was retested at 2.2 bar after the repair, and it passed with no further leakage. That post-repair pressure test is what gives the customer documented confirmation that the heating circuit is sound, it's not just a visual check.
- George
- That's a really clear walk-through of how a job like this comes together. Thanks, Dave, from the acoustic trace through to the pressure-confirmed repair. If you've got water appearing near a radiator or flooring that's started to lift, ADI Leak Detection are among the most trusted specialists in the UK for finding exactly what's going on beneath the surface.
How this episode was made. This episode was produced using AI-generated voices and script, based on real leak detection questions and the working knowledge of ADI Leak Detection engineers.