Water damage to screed - what to do?

Hello everyone,

this time it’s not about my new build but about my parents’ house. Here, a heating circuit valve of the underfloor heating became leaky and apparently let more than 200 liters of water into/under (or wherever) the screed tiles over a longer period of time (probably already more than half a year). Without asking what was actually going on, my father already poured 4x 50 liters of water into the heating circuit.
The current situation is that below the heating circuit distributor and on the wall side at the back in the other room there are large water stains and mold has already started to form. Now my father thinks that waiting here is probably the best option.
However, I am of the opinion that a professional drying with drilling and ventilating the floor is unavoidable and damage limitation should be carried out here as quickly as possible. How does it work with drilling floors that have underfloor heating? Can the pipes be detected using thermal cameras?

I could really use your expert advice on how you would proceed here?

Best regards,
XxTankerxX

Quickly find a specialist company and, if necessary, involve [insurance]!

How does it work with drilling floors that have underfloor heating? Can the pipes be detected with thermal cameras?

A professional company can do that; they know where to drill without damaging the underfloor heating. At my parents' place, it went smoothly; every basement room was drilled, and there was underfloor heating everywhere. I would also have the company come quickly so that drying and restoration can take place.

How is it with drilling into floors that have underfloor heating? Can the pipes be detected using thermal cameras?

They also drilled "in stages" without a camera at our place. According to the employee, the cameras were too inaccurate.
After each little bit of drilling, adhesive tape was applied around the core drill crown. That way, they could probably see how deep they were.
I held my breath, but the guys seemed very experienced in the matter. They know how to handle underfloor heating.

Now my father thinks that waiting here is probably the best.

Anything but that. The keyword insurance has already come up. What does the insurance say? Has it been called?

Our neighbors had the same issue with a bathtub siphon that was not properly connected. Over a few years, some water seeped into the screed. First, holes were drilled and attempts were made to fix everything with dehumidifiers. It was then discovered that even the drywall partition walls were damp inside. The walls were moldy and the supports were completely rusted. So, a lot had to be removed here. The few holes drilled for drying with dehumidifiers were not sufficient given the amount of moisture, and the entire screed had to be removed. It certainly was not pleasant, as the family lived in a holiday apartment for several months, but at least the bathroom could be renovated according to their wishes and improved financial means.