We remodeled our home recently and this included removing a tile shower and replacing it with a fiberglass shower which was on the second floor. The installation was done by a plumber. We noticed it leaking almost from the start. It drips into the room below down the ceiling fan only when my husband showers. When I shower there is not a leak atleast enough to drip down the fan. Is there any way to identify the problem from above without having to cut into the ceiling? We called the plumber, but he said it was probably the tub drain in the other bathroom, replaced it and charged us a couple of hundred dollars. It still leaks.... Any suggestions?

PalmMP3

Boy, wait till Tom (a.k.a. speedball1) hears about this!

(In case you don't know Tom, he is a veteran plumber with over 50 years of experience. One of his pet peeves is when incompetent so-called "plumbers" have no clue what they're doing - and then have the bloody nerve to charge you for their mess-ups, too)


While I think Tom or the others would be best at answering this, here's my humble opinion: the shower was not probably not set properly, and when there's someone in it, some part of it deforms somewhat allowing water to run out. That would explain why it only seems to leak when your husband showers - your husband probably weighs more than you, so when he stands in the shower it deforms more, opening the leak wider. On the other hand, when you stand in the shower, it does not deform as much (or not at all), so there is no noticeable leak.

Sorry to say this, but if I am right, you may have to redo the whole shower. But like I said before, you should wait for Tom or someone else to answer before you take my word for it.

Cheers,
Moishe

speedball1

Hey Georgia Girl, greetings from a Florida Boy.

It sounds like your plumber failed to bed the shower base properly. This results in the shower floor "flexing" a bit when weight is put on it. The more weight the more "give" to the floor. In time this flexing can result in the seal between the lip of the drain and the base opening a little when weight is applied. So your husbands added weight opens the crack more then you do and so it loeaks more when he's in the shower.
"We called the plumber, but he said it was probably the tub drain in the other bathroom, replaced it and charged us a couple of hundred dollars. It still leaks.... Any suggestions?" Yes!! Sue the incompetent bastard!! Ya got crapped on twice. Once when he installed a fiberglass shower base without bedding it,( putting mortor or cement under the floor to block it up) and he really showed his lack of plumbing knowledge when replaced a drain in a bathroom that didn't leak and ignored the one that did. Complain to his boss, the Better Business Bureau, find out if he was licensed. and if he was have it called into question. And if he wasn't DEMAND that the company send a licensed plumber out to repair the shoddy work that he did for you. Oh yes! And demand your two hundred dollars back for the unnecessary work that was done because the braindead plumber couldn't even find the correct bathroom to work on the leaky drain.
What should be done, at no cost to you, is the shower enclosure pulled and reinstalled after first bedding the floor. You are the injured party here, you should be able to take him to court and collect damages if you wish. On behalf of plumbers everywhere that hate "rip-offs" and "incompetence" I apologize for this mans work. please keep us in the loop on this. regards, Tom

PalmMP3

See Georgia Girl, I told you. I just wish my dad would've known Tom 17 years ago when our "plumber" screwed up the new shower in our house, resulting in a shower pan whose drain is "uphill" from the rest of it. My dad (who by nature is not a pushy person, and didn't have the courage to fight the plumber) didn't have anyone like Tom to encourage him to go after the plumber, and now we're suffering from that 'til this very day.

Just make sure you take Tom's advice RIGHT AWAY - do not wait around too long like my dad did, or it may never get done.

Good luck!
Moishe

Georgia Girl

We'll that's not the answer I hoped to hear, but rather the one I feared. I fear I may have put this off too long. It has been about 2 1/2 years since the original install. Do you think I can still get him to see it's his problem? We called them out probably 3 months after the install about the problem, but when it wasn't fixed by replacing the tub drain I guess I didn't have much faith he cared to fix it and was scared what he would charge to fix it. My husband has talked to him about it and he said "call me." I have hesitated because I'm scared what excuse he'll come up with and somehow make it my fault and my responsibility to pay for the repair. Should I just call him and have him come out and fix it and if he sends me a bill fight it at that point? I really appreciate your advice.

speedball1

Hey Girl,
You're a little late with your complaint. Over two years too late. Why did you wait so long?
" Should I just call him and have him come out and fix it and if he sends me a bill fight it at that point? I really appreciate your advice."
Sorry Girl, you lost all your clout by waiting too long to call him back. He'll just say that since you didn't complain for 2 1/2 years that everything was hunky-dory for all that time. If you call him back, (and I wouldn't let that dude touch one single pipe in my house) he will charge you, and if you refuse to pay and take him to court because of shoddy workmanship, after so long a time, he will win. This is a classic case of , "if you snooze, you lose." you had a solid case 2 1/2 years ago but not today. Sorry I couldn't be more upbeat. Good l;uck, Tom