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I have a major plumbing problem,Water is leaking into from my upsstair shower into my lower bathroom ceiling!

I can see the water marks on the ceiling and now it is beginning to drip,I dont want to spend 1000 of dollars on a plumber was just wondering if anyone had a clue what I should do before calling a professional?

Public Comments

  1. do you have an access panel to the plumbing? If so take a look where its leaking. If you dont you'll have to remove some drywall to find the problem.
  2. I wish I had a good "fix" for you, but your best bet is to call a plumber ASAP....it may cost you more, but delaying getting it fixed is only going to cost you more and more as the water does more damage.
  3. First, stop using the upstairs shower. Most shower leaks are from the drain connections ( not all) If you only notice the leak while, or shortly after some one has showered it would point to drainage. If it is all the time you can suspect the water valve( supply) and pipes. One way or another the ceiling will have to come down ( at least in part) If this is your home ( not a rental) , Cut a hole into ceiling with a sharp cutting tool or hole saw. This will allow the water to start drying out and may give you a view of the leak itself. The wet drywall MUST be removed to prevent health problems ( black mold!). Wear a mask to prevent breathing drywall dust and pre-existing mold that will be present. Wear protective gloves and glasses also to be safe. good light is a must; but don't allow a 110 volt light source to be exposed to dripping water. Have a helper stand by for assistance. Step 1..
  4. check ur caulking around faucets where they meet wall, if old and cracked, recaulk!
  5. Shower drains do leak a lot, but I find that shower doors leak most of the time. Take some water and splash it onto the door. Either have someone watch for it to come out or put down a towel against the door on the outside and take a shower - then see if the towel is wet when you are finished. I usually test a shower by pouring a bucket of water from somewhere else into the shower base. This will tell me if the drain is leaking. Don't turn on the shower valve though - yet. after you do that a few times with the bucket see if the water is shows up downstairs. If not then I remove the shower head and cap it off and turn on the shower valve - this tests the shower valve to see if that is the problem. If that doesn't show a leak then I test the shower walls and doors as mentioned above. ALSO check the toilet - are you SURE its the shower. People use the toilet and then get in the shower and think its the shower leaking. Use the shower only for a while if the leak does not show up during the tests
  6. First thing, figure out what is leaking so start by blocking off the drain to the tub assuming you have one upstairs. Run the tub half full of warm water. If it's leaking at this time, then it's your tub faucet o-rings leaking back into the wall or the tub spout is bad. If it's not leaking, then continue to fill the tub using the shower. If it starts leaking then, it's either your diverter or bad caulk or grout along the tub. If it's still not leaking, let the water level go slightly above the bottom of the overflow plate on the front of the tub. If this is the leak, then you'll have to re-seal your overflow. And finally, if at this point there is still no leak, then open the drain. If it don't leak until then, you have a leak in the drain. Once you've found the leak, ask another question in this forum about how to fix it because there are so much involved with each, it would take way too long to try to explain how to fix each one. Hope this works for you
  7. First you must find the source of the leak, Most often its just a caulking problemat the corners and the sides and bottom of your tub fill in any noticible gaps you find with silicone .I myself use the door and window type of silicone instead of the kitchen and bath type. Observe tub surroundings after you have showered and see if there is any water pooling up around if none maybe it is the drain pipe under the tub itself which you will have to call a plumber . also try to look behind the shower handles by unscrewing it and the collar and take a peak and make sure all is well