Overflow and Water in the Ceiling

[N Steven Harris]

Just last night I was drawing my daughter a bath and left the bath tub. Now usually when I do this there is no problem. However this time I did that and I hear my apartment door knocking. It's my land lady's son complaining of water coming through the ceiling to the next floor. As I have come to understand it, this should not happen because the overflow valve should divert the water elsewhere. There was no flooding in my bathroom or apartment, but, there is ceiling damage on the next floor. Is this my fault or is there something wrong with the overflow valve or other mechanism.

Thank you for your time


N Steven Harris

 

[Cass]

If there was no water on the floor from overflowing my first exam would be of the overflow gasget and area. Steel tubs are known for rusting out in this area and or the gasgets may not have been installed right or may be degraded to the point that they no longer work. Then it could be a leak elsewhere in the waste and overflow specificly the nut between the barrel stop and overflow gasget. This can only be inspected from the back access pannel, if there is one, behind the tub. If there is no pannel someone will have to cut the wall behind the tub for inspection.

When plumbed correctly A tub should not leak unless the speed of the water filling the tub is faster than the the speed of the water draining out or someone plugs the overflow. My money is on the overflow gasget.

 

[Sponsor]

 

[Plumber1]

Agreed..........

 

[Verdeboy]

Is this my fault or is there something wrong with the overflow valve or other mechanism. N Steven Harris

I've worked in the apartment maintenance/management business for years. Unless you flooded the floor, it's not your fault. Just have the maintenance man come by and remove your plumbing access panel and find the source of the leak. He'll run some water to troubleshoot the problem. Once he fixes the plumbing, he'll have to repair the drywall below.

 

[Geniescience]

plumber can fix

Correct.

Most likely: A previous plumber didn't close something. Why? There was too much water for it just to have come through a gap opened by rusting steel.

Decades ago I had the same problem. I called the landlord and had him listen to the sound of water pouring out my door frame. The upstairs occupants had taken a bath. He called a plumber immediately. It was not a minor leak, but the fix was a minor thing; I mean it was not a technical challenge, from what i heard.

david