plumbinggirl
Nov 29, 2012, 08:34 PM
Any idea what on earth this thing is for? (see pics)
After some hunting I have traced a huge leak to it's source. Luckily I have been able to open up the wall of the master bedroom to expose the back of the main and ensuite bathroom tub/shower plumbing. I can see both at the same time. The ensuite tub/shower plumbing (on the right in the pic) is totally normal.
The main shower is causing a huge leak to my master bedroom carpet and under my 2nd floor laundry room and down into the 2-pc-powder room below.
Turns out, there is a strange overflow contraption which has been sauldered into the line between the faucet and shower head. It is a 22 inch length of very skinny copper piping fully inserted into a 3/4 inch white translucent pvc tubing. The pvc tubing passes down into the floor and connects to the floor drain of the laundry room (9 feet away). When the shower is activated the water that is not flowing into the shower/tub, is flowing down the pvc tube and into the drain. What a waste.
I recently installed a low-flow shower head in the main shower and that's when the trouble started. The increased pressure to this overflow-like system is pouring with such force into the laundry room drain that it is flowing upwards and over the edge of the floor drain (though below the level of the laundry room floor tile) and dripping down the outside of the pipe to the elbow and then dripping down into the 2-pc powder room. Some water then also backs up to the top of the pvc tubing and runs down inside the wall and soaks the carpet.
Any idea what on earth this thing is for? It totally defeats the purpose of a low-flow shower head, as I am now sending most of my water directly down the drain. I am appalled.
After some hunting I have traced a huge leak to it's source. Luckily I have been able to open up the wall of the master bedroom to expose the back of the main and ensuite bathroom tub/shower plumbing. I can see both at the same time. The ensuite tub/shower plumbing (on the right in the pic) is totally normal.
The main shower is causing a huge leak to my master bedroom carpet and under my 2nd floor laundry room and down into the 2-pc-powder room below.
Turns out, there is a strange overflow contraption which has been sauldered into the line between the faucet and shower head. It is a 22 inch length of very skinny copper piping fully inserted into a 3/4 inch white translucent pvc tubing. The pvc tubing passes down into the floor and connects to the floor drain of the laundry room (9 feet away). When the shower is activated the water that is not flowing into the shower/tub, is flowing down the pvc tube and into the drain. What a waste.
I recently installed a low-flow shower head in the main shower and that's when the trouble started. The increased pressure to this overflow-like system is pouring with such force into the laundry room drain that it is flowing upwards and over the edge of the floor drain (though below the level of the laundry room floor tile) and dripping down the outside of the pipe to the elbow and then dripping down into the 2-pc powder room. Some water then also backs up to the top of the pvc tubing and runs down inside the wall and soaks the carpet.
Any idea what on earth this thing is for? It totally defeats the purpose of a low-flow shower head, as I am now sending most of my water directly down the drain. I am appalled.