Hi,

I went to bed last night, to the sound of dripping and found out it was
from just alongside my loft hatch - set out a drip-catcher and went to
bed. This afternoon I took a closer look. It seems that the wet patch
(or the only one I can see) is on one bottom corner, a corner where the
loft hatch might rub on the tank and where it is definitely dripping from.

I've taken some pictures:
http://www.kepiernet.f2s.com/loft/subalbum_1.html

Pictures 6,7 are the best of what seems to be the 'hole'.

Any idea whether this looks rodent-caused? and perhaps more importantly
whether the tank should be replaced in a situation like this, or whether
I could just get some gungy stuff to fill the hole? (maybe even while
full of water?)

Friends/family are shouting at me to get a plumber out, and while I
can't see the rest of the loft very well, this seems to be the only
noticeable problem.

Thoughts?

--
Neil

"Neil" wrote in message
...
Hi,

I went to bed last night, to the sound of dripping and found out it was
from just alongside my loft hatch - set out a drip-catcher and went to
bed. This afternoon I took a closer look. It seems that the wet patch
(or the only one I can see) is on one bottom corner, a corner where the
loft hatch might rub on the tank and where it is definitely dripping from.

I've taken some pictures:
http://www.kepiernet.f2s.com/loft/subalbum_1.html

Pictures 6,7 are the best of what seems to be the 'hole'.

Any idea whether this looks rodent-caused? and perhaps more importantly
whether the tank should be replaced in a situation like this, or whether
I could just get some gungy stuff to fill the hole? (maybe even while
full of water?)

Friends/family are shouting at me to get a plumber out, and while I
can't see the rest of the loft very well, this seems to be the only
noticeable problem.

Thoughts?

Defiantly the work of a rodent
--
Neil

Neil wrote:
Hi,

I went to bed last night, to the sound of dripping and found out it
was from just alongside my loft hatch - set out a drip-catcher and
went to bed. This afternoon I took a closer look. It seems that the
wet patch (or the only one I can see) is on one bottom corner, a
corner where the loft hatch might rub on the tank and where it is
definitely dripping from.

I've taken some pictures:
http://www.kepiernet.f2s.com/loft/subalbum_1.html

Pictures 6,7 are the best of what seems to be the 'hole'.

Any idea whether this looks rodent-caused? and perhaps more
importantly whether the tank should be replaced in a situation like
this, or whether I could just get some gungy stuff to fill the hole?
(maybe even while full of water?)

Friends/family are shouting at me to get a plumber out, and while I
can't see the rest of the loft very well, this seems to be the only
noticeable problem.

Thoughts?

Patch it up, lay some poison (possibly rat - difficult to appreciate the
size of the gnawing marks), when the poison is being no longer taken
consider replacing the tank. Don't replace it until you've eradicated the
pest.

Leave poison up there permanently.

shaun wrote:
Neil wrote:
[...]
I've taken some pictures:
http://www.kepiernet.f2s.com/loft/subalbum_1.html

Pictures 6,7 are the best of what seems to be the 'hole'.

Any idea whether this looks rodent-caused? and perhaps more
importantly whether the tank should be replaced in a situation like
this, or whether I could just get some gungy stuff to fill the hole?
(maybe even while full of water?)
[...]
Thoughts?

Patch it up, lay some poison (possibly rat - difficult to appreciate the
size of the gnawing marks), when the poison is being no longer taken
consider replacing the tank. Don't replace it until you've eradicated the
pest.

Leave poison up there permanently.

This seems sensible, since that's two votes for rodent so far...

However are there any ideas for patching, especially ones that don't
involve draining the (I think, heating 'header'?) tank? Someone I know
has just suggested putting a plastic bag inside to stop the water
getting out (held in place by water pressure, in theory) and then
patchingn the corner with fibreglass sheeting as used for cars - which
admittedly I've never used.

Does that sound reasonable, or way OTT? ATM the problem is I can't
really get up high enough to see in the tank, let alone get an arm in

--
Neil

do not even try to patch as it is unlikely to be successful,and if the
rodent does come back and gnaws the hole bigger you are in real ****
,especially if he does it when you are out.

Get the tank replaced and by all means lay bait.You do not want the damage
that can be caused by all that water this side xmas.

Your house insurance may cover the damage,but you will need to check your
cover

However are there any ideas for patching, especially ones that don't
involve draining the (I think, heating 'header'?) tank? Someone I know has
just suggested putting a plastic bag inside to stop the water getting out
(held in place by water pressure, in theory) and then patchingn the corner
with fibreglass sheeting as used for cars - which admittedly I've never
used.

Does that sound reasonable, or way OTT? ATM the problem is I can't really
get up high enough to see in the tank, let alone get an arm in

--
Neil

Well I have a cracked/ leaky loo cistern which I "repaired" years ago with a
line of Silicone held in place by Duct tape. I never have replaced the
cistern and it's still waterproof. You might try that and see if it works
temporarily BUT the solution is to replace the tank or better still get rid
of it by upgrading to a sealed system.

..........and of course kill the rodents.

If you could hear the dripping i'm surprised you could not hear the rodents.
We had a similar problem years ago which was only properly solved by getting
a cat.


David

Neil wrote:
Hi,

I went to bed last night, to the sound of dripping and found out it
was from just alongside my loft hatch - set out a drip-catcher and
went to bed. This afternoon I took a closer look. It seems that the
wet patch (or the only one I can see) is on one bottom corner, a
corner where the loft hatch might rub on the tank and where it is
definitely dripping from.
I've taken some pictures:
http://www.kepiernet.f2s.com/loft/subalbum_1.html

Pictures 6,7 are the best of what seems to be the 'hole'.

Any idea whether this looks rodent-caused? and perhaps more
importantly whether the tank should be replaced in a situation like
this, or whether I could just get some gungy stuff to fill the hole?
(maybe even while full of water?)

Friends/family are shouting at me to get a plumber out, and while I
can't see the rest of the loft very well, this seems to be the only
noticeable problem.

Thoughts?

Rattus Norvegicus trying to get a drink, I assume it has a lid? only proper
solution is to replace tank...and of course put down poison, which should be
refreshed every day for a week, or until it stops being taken.
After that you'll need to put poison down every six months to keep them
away, I usually use the blue square wax blocks, they are cheaply available
from agricultural suppliers

vortex2 wrote:
We had a similar problem years ago which was only properly solved by getting
a cat.


David

But don't get a cat like ours! We now have mice for the first time ever
and have had to resort to good old fashioned traps (baited with some of
the chocolate they got at - and it works!)

Problem is that Lucy brings the mice inside to play with them - and
then loses them!

Terry

"Terry" wrote in message
oups.com...

vortex2 wrote:
We had a similar problem years ago which was only properly solved by
getting
a cat.


David

But don't get a cat like ours! We now have mice for the first time ever
and have had to resort to good old fashioned traps (baited with some of
the chocolate they got at - and it works!)

Problem is that Lucy brings the mice inside to play with them - and
then loses them!

Terry

Our cats were "rescue" cats 10 years ago so we don't know how old they are.

These days they've given up all forms of hunting and their territory has
shrunk to the point that the end of our garden is completely "controlled" by
at least 2 alien cats. No mice have been caught for several years (but
fortunately none in the house/loft either).

In fact our cats spend almost all their time in "power saving mode", only
arising to the telltale sound of ringpull cans being opened.


David

vortex2 wrote:
However are there any ideas for patching, especially ones that don't
involve draining the (I think, heating 'header'?) tank? Someone I know has
just suggested putting a plastic bag inside to stop the water getting out
(held in place by water pressure, in theory) and then patchingn the corner
with fibreglass sheeting as used for cars - which admittedly I've never
used.
[...]

Well I have a cracked/ leaky loo cistern which I "repaired" years ago with a
line of Silicone held in place by Duct tape. I never have replaced the
cistern and it's still waterproof. You might try that and see if it works
temporarily BUT the solution is to replace the tank or better still get rid
of it by upgrading to a sealed system.

Hmm, well I was just going to patch in short term, to give me some time
to figure out long-term changes/fixes. I think changing my CH isn't
quite what I had in mind today That, and I'm not sure another mega
discussion on CH systems is a good idea

.........and of course kill the rodents.

Going to dig in local Grocer type shop tomorrow morning, need to get
this sorted ASAP! Already have one trap, which I've put up there with
some lovely chocolate...

If you could hear the dripping i'm surprised you could not hear the rodents.
We had a similar problem years ago which was only properly solved by getting
a cat.

Well I haven't heard any up there, but this is above a bedroom... so
once I'm asleep then I don't tend to notice such things

My gf has cats though, but she's not moving in just yet...

--
Neil

On Thu, 02 Nov 2006 16:01:27 +0000, Neil
wrote:

Hi,

I went to bed last night, to the sound of dripping and found out it was
from just alongside my loft hatch - set out a drip-catcher and went to
bed. This afternoon I took a closer look. It seems that the wet patch
(or the only one I can see) is on one bottom corner, a corner where the
loft hatch might rub on the tank and where it is definitely dripping from.

I've taken some pictures:
http://www.kepiernet.f2s.com/loft/subalbum_1.html

Pictures 6,7 are the best of what seems to be the 'hole'.

Any idea whether this looks rodent-caused? and perhaps more importantly
whether the tank should be replaced in a situation like this, or whether
I could just get some gungy stuff to fill the hole? (maybe even while
full of water?)

Friends/family are shouting at me to get a plumber out, and while I
can't see the rest of the loft very well, this seems to be the only
noticeable problem.

Hi,

Some underwater epoxy putty _may_ fix it, you'd have to find a way to
press it against the tank while it sets.

And check the tank has a close fitting lid - in case ratty has fallen
in!

It shouldn't be too hard to turn the water off and siphon the water
out of the tank into a sink/bath/shower etc.

cheers,
Pete.

On Thu, 02 Nov 2006 16:01:27 +0000, Neil wrote:

Any idea whether this looks rodent-caused?

Definately rodent and probably rat but difficult to tell without anything
of known size to scale the gnaw marks by, could be squirrel I guess as
well. You've had a lucky escape, so far, in that it's slow leak and not a
proper hole...

and perhaps more importantly whether the tank should be replaced...

Replace, they are cheap and whilst you are at it fit a proper Byelaw 30
kit, or at the very least an insulating jacket and lid.

--
Cheers
Dave. pam is missing e-mail

"Neil" wrote in message
...
Any idea whether this looks rodent-caused?

The concensus here is for a rodent and that is probably the case, but I
would have thought you would see some droppings around the area on top of
the fibre fill.. Can't see any in the pictures. The size of the droppings
and the teeth marks will tell the size of the culprit.

Many here have suggested poison, but consider that if taken the creature may
crawl into some inacceesible cranny and die subsequently producing a very
unpleasent and hard to elimnate smell. Better to find some way to get him
out or someone to capture him alive to make sure he is out.
NOT speaking from experience.

Roger R

Vortex wrote:
Our cats were "rescue" cats 10 years ago so we don't know how old they are.

These days they've given up all forms of hunting and their territory has
shrunk to the point that the end of our garden is completely "controlled" by
at least 2 alien cats. No mice have been caught for several years (but
fortunately none in the house/loft either).

In fact our cats spend almost all their time in "power saving mode", only
arising to the telltale sound of ringpull cans being opened.


David

Lucy, like most of our previous cats, is also a "rescue" cat, but a
young cat, having been rather stupidly introduced into a family with
very young children as a young kitten with obvious, disastrous,
results!

She is, however, not averse to the idea of "power saving mode",
particularly during the day, which, of course, means a very lively puss
when her people are trying to rest!

In message , Alex
writes
do not even try to patch as it is unlikely to be successful,and if the
rodent does come back and gnaws the hole bigger you are in real ****
,especially if he does it when you are out.
However, if he does patch it and the rodent returns, there's a good
chance that a sudden catastrophic failure of the patch will drown the
offending creature, so there is a bright side.

--
Clint Sharp

Dave Liquorice wrote:
On Thu, 02 Nov 2006 16:01:27 +0000, Neil wrote:

Any idea whether this looks rodent-caused?

Definately rodent and probably rat but difficult to tell without anything
of known size to scale the gnaw marks by, could be squirrel I guess as
well. You've had a lucky escape, so far, in that it's slow leak and not a
proper hole...

I might take another pic with a scale marker...

and perhaps more importantly whether the tank should be replaced...

Replace, they are cheap and whilst you are at it fit a proper Byelaw 30
kit, or at the very least an insulating jacket and lid.

Insulating jacket against the extremes of hot and cold in a loft, one
assumes? (this being a cold water tank afaict)

--
Neil

On Thu, 02 Nov 2006 23:34:40 +0000, Neil wrote:

Definately rodent and probably rat but difficult to tell without
anything of known size to scale the gnaw marks by,

I might take another pic with a scale marker...

Mice marks are two parallel channels about 1mm wide each. Rat each
channel 2 to 3mm wide, don't know what squirel damage looks like.

Insulating jacket against the extremes of hot and cold in a loft, one
assumes? (this being a cold water tank afaict)

Yes, the lid is probably the most important to stop moisture entering the
roof space and condensing on cold areas.

--
Cheers
Dave. pam is missing e-mail

On Thu, 2 Nov 2006 21:32:08 -0000, Roger R wrote:

Many here have suggested poison, but consider that if taken the
creature may crawl into some inacceesible cranny and die subsequently
producing a very unpleasent and hard to elimnate smell.

Agreed, but catching rats (a live or with a killing trap) isn't that
easy, they are very wary of the new and learn quickly about the bad. Mice
are much easier to live capture but remember that the release of vermin
on anothers property is illegal. So handling and dispatch of live
captured rats or mice can be a problem, even if the dispatch doesn't
bother you the handling without getting an injury or three exists. Both
rats and mice are very quick, have very sharp teeth/claws and don't obey
Queensbury rules.

--
Cheers
Dave. pam is missing e-mail

Neil wrote:
[...]
Any idea whether this looks rodent-caused? and perhaps more importantly
whether the tank should be replaced in a situation like this, or whether
I could just get some gungy stuff to fill the hole? (maybe even while
full of water?)

One rodent down...chocolate does seem to work, even mint chocolate

--
Neil

Dave Liquorice wrote:
On Thu, 02 Nov 2006 23:34:40 +0000, Neil wrote:

Definately rodent and probably rat but difficult to tell without
anything of known size to scale the gnaw marks by,
I might take another pic with a scale marker...

Mice marks are two parallel channels about 1mm wide each. Rat each
channel 2 to 3mm wide, don't know what squirel damage looks like.

rats. squirrels are rats with tails.


Insulating jacket against the extremes of hot and cold in a loft, one
assumes? (this being a cold water tank afaict)

Yes, the lid is probably the most important to stop moisture entering the
roof space and condensing on cold areas.

Roger R wrote:
"Neil" wrote in message
...
Any idea whether this looks rodent-caused?

The concensus here is for a rodent and that is probably the case, but I
would have thought you would see some droppings around the area on top of
the fibre fill.. Can't see any in the pictures. The size of the droppings
and the teeth marks will tell the size of the culprit.

Many here have suggested poison, but consider that if taken the creature may
crawl into some inacceesible cranny and die subsequently producing a very
unpleasent and hard to elimnate smell.

Thats waht you have soffit vents for.

The smell only lats about 6 weeks.

ASfter that full dessication sets in, and you have a 'flat pack rat'


Better to find some way to get him
out or someone to capture him alive to make sure he is out.
NOT speaking from experience.


No, that much is pretty clear..

Roger R

On Fri, 03 Nov 2006 14:12:48 +0000, Neil wrote:

One rodent down...chocolate does seem to work, even mint chocolate

Well done, what was it? One down, 6 to go, you rarely have just one
rodent, where one has been others will follow...

They do like chocolate, we use Nutella in the live capture mouse trap.
They like peanut butter as well but that goes rancid after a while,
Nutella last for months.

--
Cheers
Dave. pam is missing e-mail

Clint Sharp wrote:
In message , Alex
writes

do not even try to patch as it is unlikely to be successful,and if the
rodent does come back and gnaws the hole bigger you are in real ****
,especially if he does it when you are out.

However, if he does patch it and the rodent returns, there's a good
chance that a sudden catastrophic failure of the patch will drown the
offending creature, so there is a bright side.

Well currently I'm just trying to catch the leakage as best I can, and
putting out traps - but on the bright side, the loft hatch isn't in
place, so its at least a *little* harder for the damn things to get to
the hole...

--
Neil

Dave Liquorice wrote:
On Fri, 03 Nov 2006 14:12:48 +0000, Neil wrote:

One rodent down...chocolate does seem to work, even mint chocolate

Well done, what was it? One down, 6 to go, you rarely have just one
rodent, where one has been others will follow...

Looked like a mouse to me, the same sort that I trapped one of
downstairs about maybe 3 months earlier. Going to reset the trap
tonight, and get more when I can get to the shops.

They do like chocolate, we use Nutella in the live capture mouse trap.
They like peanut butter as well but that goes rancid after a while,
Nutella last for months.

This was actually a holiday gift that was lying in the wrong
mouse-available position and got one corner already nibbled-off...so it
seemed like a reasonable choice to use as bait

--
Neil

On Fri, 03 Nov 2006 14:21:37 +0000, The Natural Philosopher wrote:

don't know what squirel damage looks like.

rats. squirrels are rats with tails.

Rats have tails... I think you mean squirrels are rats with furry tails.
B-)

--
Cheers
Dave. pam is missing e-mail

On Fri, 03 Nov 2006 15:26:36 +0000, Neil wrote:

Well done, what was it? One down, 6 to go, you rarely have just one
rodent, where one has been others will follow...

Looked like a mouse to me,

You can't tell the difference between a mouse and a rat? What is the
world coming to? Yer average adult mouse has a nose to tail length of
around 3" (75mm), a rat 8" (200mm). Tails are extra and are more or less
equal the body length. Rats can be much bigger I've seen 'em up to 12"
body length...

--
Cheers
Dave. pam is missing e-mail