Tips To Troubleshoot A Leak

Tips To Troubleshoot A Leak In Your House

You just never know when water will come out of nowhere. With some great Tips To Troubleshoot A Leak In Your House from Murrayville Plumbing & Heating Ltd. your house and office is n good hands. Need help? Call a plumber 778.888.6451

Tub and shower: Splash leaks

Test a shower door

Splash water all around a shower door. If water seeps out from behind the frame, caulk the frame on the inside. Run a new bead along the floor/tub joint.

Splash leaks are simply water escaping past a shower curtain or a shower door. The most common type of bathroom leak. Although it may sound minor, this leak causes major damage when water seeps into the sub-floor where flooring meets the tub or shower. Before long the vinyl flooring or tiles begin to loosen. Even worse, the plywood sub-floor rots, requiring a huge, expensive tearout and replacement project.

Signs of trouble:

Curling vinyl flooring or loose tiles next to the tub.
Peeling paint or flaking, chalky-looking wood finish near the shower.
Water stains on the ceiling or joists below.
Mold spots on the wall or floor near the tub or shower.
If you use a curtain, look for standing water on the floor after you shower.

How to find the source:

If you have a shower door, splash water all around the door and frame. Leaks around the frame may take five minutes or longer to show up.
If the door has rubber gaskets or a rubber door sweep, check them for gaps.
Also check for any gaps in the caulk where the shower or tub meets the flooring.

Tub and Shower Leaks

The most damaging tub and shower leaks occur when water splashes out of the enclosure. Tile and drain leaks can also cause major damage.

Tub and shower: Drain leaks

Test a drain

Plug the drain with a test plug and add water. After an hour, check to see if the water level has dropped. Measure the drain diameter and buy a test plug to fit.

Drain leaks allow water to sneak around the outside of the drain where it’s connected to the tub or shower. This is especially common with plastic or fiberglass tubs and shower pans, since these materials flex slightly when you stand on them, often breaking the seal around the drain. These leaks can stain or destroy the ceiling below or rot floor joists. In the case of a tub set on a concrete slab, the leak will ruin flooring in the bathroom or adjoining rooms.

Signs of trouble:

Water stains on the ceiling or joists below.
Loose flooring near the tub or damp floors in adjoining rooms (if the tub is on a concrete slab).

How to find the source:

If you can see the underside of the drain through an access panel or open ceiling, partially fill the tub and then release the water. In a shower, plug the drain with a rag and then release the water. Check the drains and traps for leaks from below through the access panel.
If you don’t have access to the underside of the drain, plug the drain and add enough water to form a small puddle around the drain (photo). Mark the edge of the puddle by setting a bottle of shampoo next to it. Then wait an hour. If the puddle shrinks, the drain is leaking. Don’t rely on your tub stopper for this test; it may leak. Remove the stopper and insert a 1-1/2-in. test plug (find them at home centers). Remove the grate and use a 2-in. plug for a shower.

Tub and shower: Tile leaks

Tile leaks occur when water seeps through deteriorating grout or caulk and gets into the wall behind the tile (Figure A). Depending on the materials used to set the tile, this can lead to tile falling off the wall, severe rotting of the wall framing, and damage to the sub-floor, joists or ceiling below.

Signs of trouble:

Loose tiles.
Persistent mold.
If the shower is against an exterior wall, you may find an area of peeling paint outside.
Stains on the ceiling under the shower.

How to find the source:

Examine the grout and caulk joints for gaps. You almost always find mold here.
If you have loose tile behind the tub spout or faucet, open the access panel behind the faucet and look for dampness or stains.

Toilet flange leaks

Take measurements from stacked walls to find the source of a ceiling stain. In most cases, the stain occurs close to the source.

Check for flange leaks

Unscrew the toilet bolt nuts and remove the toilet. Scrape away the wax and look for leaks. Also check for cracks around the toilet’s horn.

These leaks occur where the toilet meets the waste pipe below. They allow water to seep out at every flush, which will wreck flooring, rot the sub-floor and joists, and damage the ceiling below.

Signs of trouble:

Water seeping out around the base of the toilet.
Loose or damaged flooring.
Stains on the ceiling below.
A toilet that rocks slightly when you push against it. This movement will eventually break the wax seal between the toilet and the closet flange.

How to find the source:
If you have ceiling stains, measure from stacked walls before you go through the hassle of removing the toilet. If the stain is near the toilet, a leaking flange is the most likely source. Remove the toilet (Photo 2) and look for these leak sources:

The flange is level with or below the surrounding floor surface.
Cracks in the flange.
Bolts or the slots they fit into are broken.
The flange is loose, not screwed solidly to the sub-floor.

Toilet Leaks

Toilet leaks can come from the water supply or tank, but the most damaging leaks occur at the flange and wax ring.

Sinks: Sink rim leaks

Test for rim leaks

Dribble water around the sink rim and faucet base with a sponge. Then look for leaks below using a flashlight.

Sink rim leaks allow water to seep under the rim or the base of the faucet. They will gradually destroy your cabinets and countertops in kitchens and bathrooms.

Signs of trouble:

Puddles, dampness or water stains inside the cabinet.
Loose plastic laminate near sink.
A loose faucet base.
Deteriorating caulk around sink.

How to find the source:

If you have a plastic laminate countertop, examine the underside of the countertop using a flashlight. Look for swollen particleboard or other signs of water damage.
Dribble water around the sink rim and look for leaks (photo).

Sink Leaks

Sink leaks can occur at any plumbing joint. But the most common leaks happen at the sink rim, shutoff valves, supply line connections and slip joints in the waste lines.

Under Sink Plumping: Supply leaks

Check for supply leaks

Don’t rely on your sense of touch to find tiny under sink plumbing leaks. Wipe each connection with a dry tissue. Then look for a wet spot on the tissue.

Supply leaks under the kitchen sink or bath vanity can go unnoticed for a long time since they’re usually at the back of the cabinet. Water can run down the pipes into the floor or sub-floor, rotting the sink base, the floor and the framing.

Signs of under sink plumbing trouble:

Puddles, dampness or water stains under sink plumbing and inside the cabinet.
Stains on the ceiling below.

How to find the source:

Dab shutoffs and connections with a dry tissue or paper towel and look for wet spots (photo).
Run the dishwasher and check for leaks under it.

Sinks: Drain leaks

Drain leaks in kitchens and bathrooms usually occur at the drain or at the slip joints in the drainpipe. Hidden behind boxes and bottles, these leaks can damage flooring, cabinets and even ceilings below before you notice them.

Signs of trouble:

Puddles, water stains or a dank odor in the cabinet.
Loose or damaged flooring in front of the sink.

How to find the source:

Fill the sink bowls, then as they drain check all joints from the sink to the wall with a dry tissue (see photo above).
Run and drain the dishwasher and check the waste hose connection.

Two Slow Leaks That Signal Catastrophe

If you notice puddles near your water heater, check the pressure relief valve and the drain valve. If either is dripping, replace the valve. If not, the tank is leaking and you need a new water heater. Don’t delay. Tank leaks often start slow and then suddenly burst days or weeks later, causing a major household flood. The same goes for washing machine supply hoses. If you notice a tiny leak in the hose itself or at the crimped metal fittings at the ends, replace the hose. Otherwise the hose may eventually burst, releasing a continuous flow of water.

Test for Hidden Leaks

The vast majority of leaks occur at or near plumbing fixtures like tubs, sinks and toilets. But if you suspect a leak in the water supply system, there’s a simple way to check it— even if the pipes are hidden inside walls. First, turn off all your faucets. If you have drippy faucets or a toilet that runs between flushes, close the shutoff valves. Then go to your water meter and check the position of the “1-cubic-foot” dial. Check the dial again two hours later. If the dial has moved, you have a leak in the water supply.