Wet patch in the middle of downstairs floor - spring?!

Found 1st Mar 2016

A wet patch which is around 2 foot across (and growing) has appeared on the sitting room carpet. The carpet is completely sodden & after soaking up what we could (standing on towels!) it keeps coming back.

The floor is ground floor and near no pipes.

I can only think that maybe a spring has sprung?! It's definitely coming up from the ground.

There is a river 200m away, stream 40m away & water meadows on the other side of the road.

The house was built around 1990 & the damp proof course surely should have stopped any water coming up?!

Any suggestions, help, advice, experience?!

Our boiler broke today so I'm using electric heaters to warm the room & avoid too much damp within the room!

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126 Comments

1st Mar 2016

1st Mar 2016

Have you been peeing on the carpet in your sleep Hun? X)

1st Mar 2016

Did you look at the ceiling?

1st Mar 2016

If not coming from above then you will have to draw back carpet and lift a board or drill a hole and put in a probe to check for water depth.

1st Mar 2016

Roll back the carpet and have a butchers.

1st Mar 2016

choc1969
Have you been peeing on the carpet in your sleep Hun? X)

I did wonder if the dog had X)

But it's one hell of a wet patch which came back after soaking it up and it's growing.

YouDontWantToKnow
Did you look at the ceiling?

Yep. Dry. The water is definitely coming from below.

1st Mar 2016

Definitely no possibility of pipes running under there? It's a bit of a coincidence if the boiler breakdown is unrelated to this.

1st Mar 2016

What is your floor made of? wood?, concrete? .

1st Mar 2016

pan1100
If not coming from above then you will have to draw back carpet and lift … If not coming from above then you will have to draw back carpet and lift a board or drill a hole and put in a probe to check for water depth.

Wouldn't drilling a hole affect any damp proof course that should be there?!

Stupidly it hadn't occurred to me to lift up the carpet X) so yes, all basic and practical suggestions are appreciated X)

1st Mar 2016

sickly sweet
Yep. Dry. The water is definitely coming from below.

No light fitting above it?

Also check the radiator pipes in the room are dry?

If you have a combi boiler check the pressure isnt going down over a couple of days

1st Mar 2016

Why haven't you had a look?

1st Mar 2016

termite
Why haven't you had a look?

Because i hadn't told her to until a few minutes back.

1st Mar 2016

All points towards a leak in your heating system somewhere.

Boiler not working due to lack of pressure?

1st Mar 2016

Looking at the size of the wet patch the underlay will be absolutely sodden in a massive area so the carpet will really need to come up to dry it off properly. When you do that you should have a better idea of what's happening. Do you have a downstairs shower by any chance?

1st Mar 2016

You will need to lift carpet and inspect as any water leak needs to be fixed immediately as it has the potential for major damage.

1st Mar 2016

BeerDrinker
Definitely no possibility of pipes running under there? It's a bit of a … Definitely no possibility of pipes running under there? It's a bit of a coincidence if the boiler breakdown is unrelated to this.

The boiler man just came and said there was air in the system. So that's literally just fixed!

I can't fathom why any pipes would be underneath, the sitting room radiator is on the 'inside' wall and there is nothing that would need pipes between that and the outside walls.

1st Mar 2016

termite
Why haven't you had a look?

Because;
the carpet is fitted
the sofa is heavy
I'm not very practical and it didn't occur to me
I've been poorly today & puking my guts up
I'm weak and feeble X)

1st Mar 2016

you would be surprised where the pipes are running through your house, and if its water coming up from under the floor that would suggest it is coming from something pressurised ie a pipe.

1st Mar 2016

ricko
What is your floor made of? wood?, concrete? .

Concrete, underlay, carpet and a thin layer of dog hairs X)

1st Mar 2016

Post a picture of the pressure gauge of your boiler.

I will put money on the fact you:

1) have a combi boiler
2) have a leak in your heating system which causes loss of pressure & then failure of the boiler.
3) that the leak is from a radiator in the room or the pipes supplying the radiator/s or the room above
4) the radiator water is just following the path of least resistance eventually ending up via cracks to the middle of the floor OR its dripping from above from a light fitting.

1st Mar 2016

I know where the stopcock is, would turning that off potentially stop water if it's a pipe issue?!

1st Mar 2016

sickly sweet
I've been poorly today & puking my guts up I'm weak and feeble X)

Case solved its a sick patch.

Move along people nothing more to see here!

1st Mar 2016

YouDontWantToKnow
No light fitting above it?Also check the radiator pipes in the room are … No light fitting above it?Also check the radiator pipes in the room are dry?If you have a combi boiler check the pressure isnt going down over a couple of days

Boiler pressure checked by plumber just now. Just over 1 bar.

1st Mar 2016

YouDontWantToKnow
Post a picture of the pressure gauge of your boiler.I will put money on … Post a picture of the pressure gauge of your boiler.I will put money on the fact you:1) have a combi boiler2) have a leak in your heating system which causes loss of pressure & then failure of the boiler.3) that the leak is from a radiator in the room or the pipes supplying the radiator/s or the room above4) the radiator water is just following the path of least resistance eventually ending up via cracks to the middle of the floor OR its dripping from above from a light fitting.

Talk about covering all bases, what is your money actually on here?

1st Mar 2016

sickly sweet
The boiler man just came and said there was air in the system. So that's … The boiler man just came and said there was air in the system. So that's literally just fixed!

I bet you its not fixed & the only thing he did was up the water pressure by the filling loop to get it to the right pressure & vent the radiators. the water leak that dropped the pressure & brought in air still exists.

What he did was a five minute job.

1st Mar 2016

sickly sweet
Concrete, underlay, carpet and a thin layer of dog hairs X)

if its a concrete floor it must be coming from above or the whole carpet would be wet not a patch in the middle of it.

1st Mar 2016

transit
Talk about covering all bases, what is your money actually on here?

Like I said. There is a leak in the heating system which will be found in one of the 2 areas I posted.

1st Mar 2016

RabS1
if its a concrete floor it must be coming from above or the whole carpet … if its a concrete floor it must be coming from above or the whole carpet would be wet not a patch in the middle of it.

Concrete floors mostly have cracks in them so the leak can be on the same level.

1st Mar 2016

it is highly unlikely that the heating pipes are set in the concrete though so if its a concrete floor the heating pipes will probably be run through the walls.

1st Mar 2016

Can't help with identifying the leak/source but if OP is local (Nottingham) I have a dehumidifier they can borrow for a few days to help dry out once the leak/source is fixed.

PS I see my normal troll followers are waiting to down vote everything I post.
Only sick barstewards would down vote a kind offer.

Edited by: "philphil61" 1st Mar 2016

1st Mar 2016

RabS1
it is highly unlikely that the heating pipes are set in the concrete … it is highly unlikely that the heating pipes are set in the concrete though so if its a concrete floor the heating pipes will probably be run through the walls.

True but the wet patch could be the lowest point of the floor and maybe the pipes are running down the nearest wall.
Think OP needs to remove carpet to investigate further and maybe contact house insurance

1st Mar 2016

transit
Case solved its a sick patch.Move along people nothing more to see here!

Ha, that would be some splashback.

And it's officially not the dogs.

Right...how to remove fitted carpet and save it?! YouTube is full of videos of removing carpets by cutting them...

1st Mar 2016

YouDontWantToKnow
Post a picture of the pressure gauge of your boiler.I will put money on … Post a picture of the pressure gauge of your boiler.I will put money on the fact you:1) have a combi boiler2) have a leak in your heating system which causes loss of pressure & then failure of the boiler.3) that the leak is from a radiator in the room or the pipes supplying the radiator/s or the room above4) the radiator water is just following the path of least resistance eventually ending up via cracks to the middle of the floor OR its dripping from above from a light fitting.

Not a combo boiler.

Just youtubing removing carpets...

1st Mar 2016

Thanks everyone so far...just dealing with it now and will do more replies later...

1st Mar 2016

sickly sweet
Not a combo boiler. Just youtubing removing carpets...

Either way you heating system is leaking.

Go to the loft & look at the smaller water system & it will be dripping if you have a leak

Also post your boiler make & model to be sure its not a combi.

Edited by: "YouDontWantToKnow" 1st Mar 2016

1st Mar 2016

Furniture moved.

Carpet peeling off surprisingly easily after finding an old chisel to lever up a corner.

1st Mar 2016

philphil61
True but the wet patch could be the lowest point of the floor and maybe … True but the wet patch could be the lowest point of the floor and maybe the pipes are running down the nearest wall.Think OP needs to remove carpet to investigate further and maybe contact house insurance

concrete floors are laid level so the whole floor would be soaking not a patch in the middle

1st Mar 2016

RabS1
concrete floors are laid level so the whole floor would be soaking not a … concrete floors are laid level so the whole floor would be soaking not a patch in the middle

They try to lay level but they never are perfect. However the way water behaves is standard.

1st Mar 2016

YouDontWantToKnow
They try to lay level but they never are perfect. However the way water … They try to lay level but they never are perfect. However the way water behaves is standard.

this is correct, i used to live in a bungalow and had a leaking seal around the bath....only found out when a wet patch appeared in the middle of the bedroom carpet in the next room.......if you have underlay it lets the water go quite far without trace

1st Mar 2016

YouDontWantToKnow
They try to lay level but they never are perfect. However the way water … They try to lay level but they never are perfect. However the way water behaves is standard.

totally agree they are never perfect but no way going by that picture did the water come from a heating pipe from a wall