Help with mystery ceiling leak

[Mr.B-Campag]

I've got a leak in the ceiling above the bathroom which I can't figure out. Hive mind please help! I've attached a couple of pictures here. The ceiling has beams running across it that slope slightly downwards towards the centre of the house (no idea why) and the other day water started leaking from one of them at the lower end. There is a storage space above the bathroom but it's dry as far as I can see, certainly above the spot where the leak is there isn't any moisture and there doesn't appear to be a leak from the roof anywhere else in that space (which I can only look into, not fully access). The boiler is up there but on the other side away from this leak (and so not touching this beam). The beam doesn't go through the external wall and I don't see any signs of moisture ingress there either. Am I missing something obvious?

 

[classic33]

Condensation forming on the lowest point, which is under the heater?

 

[Ming the Merciless]

Is @Accy up there?

 

[Mr.B-Campag]

Condensation forming on the lowest point, which is under the heater?

It's not under the heater, and also coincides with the first rain for ages...

 

[Mr.B-Campag]

Am I assume what look like beams are, at least to come extent, hollow - as otherwise water could not flow through them? Not that it solves the mystery...

 

[classic33]

Am I assume what look like beams are, at least to come extent, hollow - as otherwise water could not flow through them? Not that it solves the mystery...

If the beam is load bearing I doubt it'd be hollow.

What makes you think it's hollow?

 

[Mr.B-Campag]

If the beam is load bearing I doubt it'd be hollow.

What makes you think it's hollow?

Actually you're right. It just that it appears the water comes from the middle of the beam, but on closer inspection it looks like it is running down the side into the middle and then dripping down...

 

[MontyVeda]

Is there a chimney with loose/missing flashing on the roof?

 

[fossyant]

Water tracks, so I'd get up there to see what's leaking - the boiler is a likely cause. We had a leak from the bath, water tracked across the lounge and started dripping through some 10 feet away into the lounge, not directly below where the leak was.

 

[Mr.B-Campag]

Water tracks, so I'd get up there to see what's leaking - the boiler is a likely cause. We had a leak from the bath, water tracked across the lounge and started dripping through some 10 feet away into the lounge, not directly below where the leak was.

Thanks. I can't really access it - I'm not sure it will hold my weight - but I'll take a look. Maybe the coincidence with the first rain was just that.

 

[Mr.B-Campag]

Thanks. I can't really access it - I'm not sure it will hold my weight - but I'll take a look. Maybe the coincidence with the first rain was just that.

Thanks Fossyant I managed to take a look at it - looks like you were on the money. The boiler has some sort of tray fitted beneath it, which had about 15 litres of water in it! Lucky the whole shitty ceiling didn't collapse. There was also a yoghurt pot and sponge suggesting that someone was aware this was happening/going to happen. Funny no one mentioned it to us (the tenants)...

In the pic the white is the side of the tank, the pond and the tray it is sitting in. I've managed to get about 3/4 of the water out, hopefully that will see us through to the end of our tenancy (and no landlords don't fix things over here).

 

[annedonnelly]

Thanks Fossyant I managed to take a look at it - looks like you were on the money. The boiler has some sort of tray fitted beneath it, which had about 15 litres of water in it! Lucky the whole shitty ceiling didn't collapse. There was also a yoghurt pot and sponge suggesting that someone was aware this was happening/going to happen. Funny no one mentioned it to us (the tenants)...

They were never going to get 15 litres of water in a yoghurt pot!