Need Help With Shower Leak

[ottobord]

Hello,

Your opinion needed, I have a leak somewhere in my shower wall, it will leak when the shower is not being used, so I cant turn the water on in the house. Before I go into the drywall should I replace the shower arm or valve? Your thoughts.

Thanks, John

 

[Terry]

If it leaks when the shower is not in use, then it's not likely the shower arm. That would leak during use.
I would pull the wall plate off and see if you can locate a leak that way first.
A water leak that happens without the shower in use could be from the supply lines, maybe the valve.
Or depending on weather, from something else.

 

[Sponsor]

 

[ottobord]

If it leaks when the shower is not in use, then it's not likely the shower arm. That would leak during use.
I would pull the wall plate off and see if you can locate a leak that way first.
A water leak that happens without the shower in use could be from the supply lines, maybe the valve.
Or depending on weather, from something else.

Hello,

By wall plate what do you mean? Sorry for the stupid question.

Thanks its a shower/tub combo, I can hear it hissing from behind the wall, weather has been above freezing here,

Thanks, John

 

[Jadnashua]

Sounds like you have a water supply plumbing leak...Terry is talking about taking the escutcheon (cover plate) off of the valve and see if you can see anything behind. If you're really lucky, you can see where it's leaking, and fix it without tearing up the tile, or from the other side of the wall after removing some drywall...if it's on an outside wall, not a great idea for the plumbing buried in the wall, you may have to do more destruction to fix things.

An inspection camera with a thin, flexible head might be an ideal test tool, if you have or can borrow one, once the cover is off.