Home radiator leak..we think...helppppp

[frannn]

Our house is over 70 years old and has radiators. We have a small front "sunroom" that also has a radiator. DH thought it was turned off, but is not sure. We don't sit in the room, but I do go in a few times a day to grab DD2 a diaper. Today, I stepped in, and found two long, diagnal spots on the floor that had raised areas, like pipes running on top of the floor. I thought maybe pipes had swelled and burst, but DH said he thinks there are no pipes, but more likely warped floorboards. We have a thin layer of carpet (now moldy) over a hardwood floor. I don't recall noticing this in the sunroom yesterday, so it must have happened overnight. DH said the floor and carpet is wet near and around the radiator and the front window. Is it possible our radiator leaked or even burst enough to warp the floorboards/hardwood floor, or is there more likely another culprit? We checked the room directly underneath, and there is no leak from the ceiling (but it is covered in insulation, so it might be damp under the insulation). Should we call a plumber, or someone else? I am assuming they will have to replace the radiator, if that's what caused it. Will I need to replace my floor as well? What is this going to cost now? Does homeowners cover it?????

 

[DreadpiratK]

Could be any or all of the above, but is most likely a leak at the valve or junctoin with the radiator, that's where they usually go bad. The good news is that your homeowners should cover it, ours did, and paid to refinish the entire floor, and the floors in 2 connected rooms as well, becaue the floor was continuous. Only claim we've had in 10 years!

 

[seashoreCM]

Remove the moldy carpet.

Get down and watch the radiator when the furnace is operating. Observe if and where leakage is occurring. Depending on where the leak is, you may be able to tie a string around the radiator section or pipe at the point of the leak and most of the water will run down the string to a small pan you put there.

Leave the floor bare for a few months to let it, the subfloor, and the insulation dry out.

If the leak is not too bad and you can collect most of the water without keeping the floor wet, wait until spring to fix it. It is possible some of the pipework under the floor also needs to be replaced. Many steam radiator systems are converted to copper pipe water filled baseboard systems because it is cheaper to run new pipes in a single circuit or zone, from room to room through the lower walls, instead of under the floor. The radiators are then cut off and removed and the pipes under the floor abandoned in place.

Handyman hints:
http://members.aol.com/ajaynejr/home.htm

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[Mickey527]

My bedroom radiator did this to me just this year. It developed small cracks in the bottom ridge. I never saw it leaking until I noticed a HUGE brown spot on my dining room ceiling.
My house was built in 1895 and I have decorative ceilings made with plaster moulding around the perimiter of the entire ceiling. It will cost over $6,000 to replace the ceiling to it's original look so I will have to pull the entire ceiling out and replace it with a plain ceiling. I will replace the moulding along the side walls but can't do the ceiling.
I shut the radiator off for the rest of the season and will have it replaced in the summer when the heating contractors are less busy. With the insulation we added last year to this bedroom it is warm enough up here so I am comfortable without heat as long as I leave the door open and take some from the hallway.
Good luck and I hope you can find the leak soon. Peggie

 

[seashoreCM]

Is the ceiling cracking and falling apart, or just stained.

You may be able to stain kill and repaint the ceiling.

 

[thedisneymom]

This just happened to us 3 weeks ago and is a small problem. Call the plumber and make an appt-tell them to call you 2 hrs before they come and shut the heat off. They had to cut the joint off and replace it(this is the knob and piece under it.)It was pretty cheap and took under an hour. The rug must be lifted and the floor boards may need to be replaced after they dry out. By the way, we had steam heat. This may be a different situation if you have hot water heat.