Locating leak in tub/shower

[WetDreams]

I'd appreciate a hint where to look. My 2nd floor shower/tub leaked though to the first floor ceiling during use. About a drip per second for the last 5 minutes of a shower. I can't get it to recur. Trying to determine if it's supply or drain, I plugged the tub and ran the shower 10 minutes. No leak. Filled and drained the tub. No leak. Took another shower, no leak.

Years ago, I had the same trouble here, and the plumber told me the diverter valve needed to be replaced. Could the diverter leak intermittently in such a way that water gets into the wall? The faucet is a 1980-era 3-valve marked "Rockwell." I'd replace it myself if that seems likely, assuming I can find the part. I'm skeptical though, as it's hard to imagine this kind of failure. Am I wrong? Any other ideas? Thanks very much.

 

[WetDreams]

It was the caulking. It only leaked with a heavy person in the shower. It looked sealed without weight in the tub. Expensive Lesson learned about maintenance and old houses and old fixtures.

 

[Sponsor]

 

[WetDreams]

I'm wrong again. Still dripping after a long shower. I guess I will rip off the ceiling below. Alternative ideas welcome.

 

[Jeff H Young]

you gotta be able to isolate water from drainage ok you messed up on first test but dont give up . run a hose from out side to shower drain for a half hour?

 

[Reach4]

It is easy for water to get on the floor during a tub shower. Consider a couple of water alarms on the floor to test for that. Basement Watchdog has an inexpensive water alarm.

 

[Jeff H Young]

It is easy for water to get on the floor during a tub shower. Consider a couple of water alarms on the floor to test for that. Basement Watchdog has an inexpensive water alarm.

he has water coming out the drywall cieling below, looking for a way to trouble shoot

 

[Reach4]

he has water coming out the drywall cieling below, looking for a way to trouble shoot

I think water spraying/running past the shower curtain onto the floor outside of the tub is one way that water can work its way down to the ceiling below.

 

[Jeff H Young]

Ran shower for 10 minutes / only leaks last 5 minutes of a shower. how long are the showers taking ? maybe water is getting splashed all over? if you are going to have to remove sheet rock sooner is better as you want it to dry out.

making holes in walls is a good way to find but I avoid holes because of the cost /time to repair

 

[WetDreams]

Thanks for the input, everyone. Some responses: This is a tub with glass shower doors. There is no water escaping to the bathroom floor. First of all, that would be hard to do with shower doors (the frame of which is recently re-caulked), but also I checked during active dripping, and the floor was dry.

The shower leaks after approx 15 minutes. It could be that a quicker shower causes puddles that don't drip through, or that shower duration is not the real factor. Maybe the difference is the splashing pattern of the bather, or their weight, or height.

Thinking it through, it's either the pressure side, or it's not, right?. It does not leak when faucets are off, so if it's pressure-side, it would have to be leaking after the valves, which were just replaced. That's a very small length of pipe that could leak. I suppose I could replace the shower head with a cap, and turn on the valve and wait. If no leaks, that rules out pressure-side leaks altogether. Maybe instead I'll start with Jeff's suggestion about running water from a sink for a long period of time.

Something like this happened like 15 years ago at the same tub, and I was not home when the plumber "fixed" it. I'm not sure what he really did. But he did open the ceiling below. There was more than one plumber visit at that time, because the first "fix" did not work. Deja vu.

I don't know. That bath is off-limits for now until I get a better attitude and do more experiments. Thanks again for the input.

 

[Reach4]

You could run a garden hose in thru a window, play that down the tub drain, and see if water appears below. If no, then it may be a supply-side problem.

You could later play the hose around the caulking around the tub.

If still no water below, expect a supply-side problem.

Could you add an access panel on the other side of the wall? Some people have a closet on the other side of the wall, and that hides an access panel.

 

[WetDreams]

Once again, I think I have solved this problem. I removed (unscrewed) the tub drain, cleaned it, and reinstalled with new plumber's putty. After several showers, we seem to have no more drips. I also bought a cap to block and pressure-test the shower head pipe, but I won't use it unless I see another drip.