Wall leak

[SRdenny]

I have a customer who has a leak in a shower wall. The back side of the wall is plaster and would have to be completely redone if any holes were to do made in it, plus it has plywood underneath. The shower has a steamer, so it has bituthane behind the tile and the wall's insulated top to bottom.

Any ideas as to finding the leak without causing a lot of damage?

 

[Mike Swearingen]

Can you tell if it's a supply line leak at or before the faucet control or if it leaks only when the shower is on?
If you can't tell, one alternative is to go in from the shower side to find it and replace the shower faucet and controls with a large estucheon made for the purpose. They come in chrome and polished brass, and are available at plumbing supply stores.
If the wall is already damaged, however, you may have to tear it out anyway.
Now let the pros (I'm not one) give you their advice.
Good luck!
Mike

 

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[Jadnashua]

You might want to also ask this over at www.johnbridge.com. They deal in tiled showers everyday. Plug the drain and fill the pan up to just below the curb and see if anything leaks. If you use a bucket and get your water from outside of the shower, that would allow you to determine if it is the pan or not. If that doesn't leak, then put a cap on the shower head and turn the water on. Look behind the eschuteon and see if there is anything leaking. If none of those show what's up, let us know.

A steam shower requires very close attension to detail. From what I remember in reading the TCNA manual, bituthene isn't an approved membrane.