Had a cold spell last winter and our upstairs shower started leaking into our family room. It was a steady stream at the time but hasn’t leaked since. Had the plumber come out and scratch his head, told us to use it untill it leaks again. The drain pipe is all pvc.
I want to fix the dry wall but I know if it leaks once it will leak again. Has anyone had a similar mystery?
TIA
Replies
Had a mystery shower leak myself a few years back, found water in the light fixture directly below the upstairs bathroom. It turned out to be the caulking was bad around the back shower wall. It would not leakall the time just when the shower was on warming up and no one was in it.
Check all of the caulking around the tub/shower.
Good luck.
If the shower was leaking badly enough that it was a steady stream...........you need to find it and fix it, even if it doesnt do it now.
Leaks dont ever "heal themselves". That sucker is waiting for the right conditions and it will do it again, probably worse, guarantee it.
Possible reasons for the current "fix" could be things like, a faulty joint in a pipe. Cold weather making the the pipe/joint contract enough to open it.
A gap in the sealant somewhere, same deal, movement opening it up. I have had showers leak only when the jet was pointing in an odd place whilst being cleaned, the rest of the time was OK. Another was water getting behind the mixer face plate when the owner leaned against the wall and water ran down her arm and straight behind the plate. Made a good sized puddle on the other side of the wall too. Simple fix was to take the plate off and apply a bead of sealant to the wall in an upside down "U". put the plate back on and problem solved.
I ripped out a bath once. Owner said dont turn on the cold tap cos it leaks into the kitchen ceiling. Thought this was odd, turned out none of the joints had been crimped and the cold water had enough pressure to force the joint apart. When the water was off...........no leak. Whole damn bathroom was just as dodgy.
Everything, 100% of it, depends on how you look at it.
DW
I think you shouldn't wait to get at this. It could be dripping right now and the drip soaking into the ceiling drywall. Drywall will soak up an amazing amount of water befdore it comes crashing down.
Ron
Not meaning to hijack this thread, but I too have a question regarding a leaking shower that someone might be able to answer. Instead of starting a whole new thread, here it is:
The clear acrylic grab bar/towel bar on the back wall of a one-piece tub/shower leaks where the bar goes into the fiberglass. What is a good way to seal that. And please don't say put a bead of silicone around it.
Thanks!"Objects in mirror appear closer than they are."
Klakamp Construction, Findlay, Ohio
Remove the grab/towel bar and put the caulk under it.~ WebTrooper ~
"But don't take my word for it. I was wrong once and it could happen again!"
First off, plug the drain and fill the pan with an inch or so of water. Let it sit for several hours and see if you get any leaks.
Given that it's seasonal, it may be that a crack is opening up somewhere when it's cold/dry. The corners and near the pan are the most likely places for this.
Check that the water isn't simply splashing back into the control or even spraying back into the wall from the shower head. Remove the control bezel and make sure it's sealed to the wall well (though with a weep hole at the bottom).