How to know if the shower pan or the pipe is leaking?

by delavin home
Sources SVG
Sources
How we test for leaks in your bathroom or shower cubicle
findleakdetection.com.au favicon
findleakdetection.com
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1
How To Detect a Shower Leak Behind the Wall? | Austest
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aus-test.com
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2
How to Detect a Shower Leak Behind the Wall - Build with Ferguson
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build
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3
Answer SVG
Answer
To determine if the shower pan or pipe is leaking, you can perform the following tests:

Shower Pan Leak Test

  1. Turn off the water supply to the shower.
  2. Remove the shower drain cover and plug the drain with a rag or test plug.
  3. Fill the shower pan with a few inches of water and let it sit for 24 hours.
  4. After 24 hours, check for any water leakage below the shower pan or on the ceiling below (if on an upper floor). If there is leakage, the shower pan is likely the source of the leak.13

Pipe Leak Test

  1. Turn on the shower and let it run for a few minutes.
  2. Visually inspect the pipes and connections for any water dripping or moisture buildup. Pay close attention to areas where pipes connect or penetrate walls.12
  3. Use a flashlight and mirror to inspect hard-to-see areas behind the shower walls.2
  4. If you notice water leakage around the pipes or connections, the pipes are likely the source of the leak.14
If both tests fail to reveal the source of the leak, the issue may be related to the waterproofing membrane behind the shower walls or tiles. In this case, further investigation by removing tiles or drywall may be necessary to locate the exact leak source.13 It's important to address any shower leaks promptly to prevent water damage, mold growth, and potential structural issues.23

References

1. How we test for leaks in your bathroom or shower cubicle2. How To Detect a Shower Leak Behind the Wall? | Austest3. How to Detect a Shower Leak Behind the Wall - Build with Ferguson4. Finding a shower leak that's causing water damage5. How to Detect a Shower Leak Behind the Wall - Sarasota Plumber



Author: This Old House



Key insights

  • Finding the gasket underneath the tub drain and checking the toilet are crucial steps in detecting and fixing the bathroom leak.
  • The wax seal gets compromised if the toilet rocks and some water can come down to the ceiling.
  • ️ Removing the panel in one piece allows for a better understanding of what's going on.
  • Sometimes the source of a bathroom leak may not be where you expect it to be, so it's important to thoroughly investigate.
  • Water leaking from the shower door can show up downstairs, causing damage to the floor.
  • Replacing old grout with caulking can ensure a tight seal and prevent water from leaking out.
  • Reusing old drywall as a template for a new piece can save time and effort in bathroom repairs.

Timestamped Summary

  • 00:00 Detect and fix bathroom leaks by checking tub drain gasket and toilet.
  • 00:23 Check for leaks in the bathroom, fix any compromised wax seals, and be prepared to open up the ceiling to fix the issue.
  • 00:50 Cut along the seam to remove the panel and inspect for leaks.
  • 01:33 There's a leak from the tub causing water to settle on the floor and leak through the ceiling below.
  • 02:05 Check for leaks around the shower door and fix any water dripping to prevent damage.
  • 02:37 Use a door sweep to stop water from leaking around the shower door, and replace old grout with caulking for a tight seal.
  • 03:17 Smooth out the ceiling, use old drywall as a template for the new piece, screw it in, apply tape and compound, then paint.

Video Full Text

  • 00:00 Okay richard here's our bathroom all right well. Today we are going to tell a little detective story. We have to figure out how the water got from this bathroom to the ceiling below a couple of prime suspects first is right here. The tub drain there's a gasket underneath. Here we want to check and another one right. Here. We also want to look at the toilet.
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  • 00:23 Many times. The wax seal gets compromised if the toilet rocks and some water can come down to the ceiling. We also want to figure out if there's any way that water got through the tile or through the shower door and get down through the floor right here alrighty. I'm going to recommend something pretty dramatic okay and open up the ceiling down below you ready for that. I guess you want to fix it once and fix it right. All right sounds good. The toilet drain is right about here. The tub drain is right about here. This is the front edge of the tub and you can see.
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  • 00:50 It also coincides where our tape joint exists between the two pieces of sheetrock. Now. I have to assume that there's some structure above this some wood to tie into so a perfect place to cut is right here along the seam. Also you can see there's a seam right here. Then we can remove this whole panel and see what's going on. I'm going to snap a line and cut it with a reciprocating saw good pull down yeah good. You know. It's actually good that this came out in one piece because we can use it as a map.
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  • 01:33 I'm looking for signs of leaks and there's no visible signs underneath the toilet drain or out of the tub drain but look at right where we saw the original stain. This is soaking wet and all rotted and moldy. I'm going to take a measurement and that's about 30 inches so let's see where that brings us upstairs. All right well 30 inches off the wall brings us to right here. What I think is happening is that the water is actually getting outside the tub and settling on this floor and getting to the ceiling below. So let's run a little bit of water and see if we can make it leak all right still dry all right.
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  • 02:05 Now. I want to check the shower door can. I hand this to you sure okay now close the door as you normally would and start spraying around the door. Okay okay. So see this. I'm getting some water dripping just spray it right in this corner hard all right so it's definitely showing out here. Let's see if it's showing up downstairs okay all right yep. I see it coming right through the floor all right so every bit of water. That's getting outside of that tub is showing up right down.
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  • 02:37 Here now you remember from our test. We've gotten a fair amount of water coming right around this edge of the shower door. We want to stop that so what I've got here is a door sweep. It's designed for a shower door that swings but we're going to use it here. On the edge of the slider. We can push it shut and makes a nice tight seal right. There now but there still is a chance that some water will get out here. So we want to make sure that we now come along here and remove some of this old grout and replace it with caulking squeeze that trigger just get a nice steady flow coming out go back and forth. If you need to this is a silicon caulking so it stays flexible so it'll keep a nice tight seal.
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  • 03:17 There. You're doing great make it nice and smooth okay are you ready to just put that ceiling back. Yes all right last step the nice thing about that old piece of drywall coming out. In one piece is we could actually use it as a template for our new piece. Okay you good there square all set okay push it in and in good let me just pop a screw in there all right so I'm going to put some screws. In this some tape some compound. I'm going to leave the painting to you all right. I think I can handle it all right.
    Read More


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