View Full Version : How to find why water is leaking from ceiling when washer and dryer is used above?
yaseph
Oct 27, 2009, 10:08 AM
I've noticed whenever I wash clothes the kitchen ceiling on the second floor becomes spotted with water. The wash room is over the kitchen floor. There is no water leaking from the Washer. I made sure the drain hoes from the washer was properly in the wall. My wife thinks it’s the dryer. It takes a while for the dryer to completely dry the clothes. I checked the lint screen. I replaced the aluminum hose from the dryer to the wall. I blew out the air vent in the wall that leads up and out to the roof. This helped a little but we noticed the water (not as much this time) did appear again on the kitchen ceiling. I don't know what else to do. Please help!:confused:
letmetellu
Oct 27, 2009, 03:11 PM
This will take a little time but what I would like for you to do is look under the washer and make sure that there is no water. No start to fill the washer, all the time you will be looking at the faucets behind the washer the connections where they connect to the washer and looking under the washer to see if you see any water. Now that the washer is full do the same again, look every where that there could be water. After the washer has ran for a few minutes start to drain the washer, this time I want you to do all of the looking in all of the same places but I also want you to watch the stand pipe where the washer drain hose goes into it. Also I want you to listen to the drain and see if you can hear the water draining into the pipe and if it may sound like he pipe is getting full of water.
This should prove if it is the washer or not.
Then you need to do about the same thing with the dryer, looking under the dryer, where the vent connects to the dryer.
Pay real close attention to the place where the drain hose goes into the drain pipe behind the washer.
yaseph
Oct 28, 2009, 08:18 AM
I checked around and underneath the washer for water. I let the washer fill with water and didn't see anything leaking out. I didn’t see any water coming from the hot and cold knobs leading into the washer. I then let the water drain out into the drain hose and I could hear the water going through the hose. I also checked the dryer for moisture underneath. I didn't see any dampness underneath.
What should I try next?
letmetellu
Oct 28, 2009, 07:13 PM
I really don't know of anything else to tell you. But I still have a suspicion that it has something to do with the drain hose. Since you did not see any thing on the floor it must be going down the wall.
speedball1
Oct 29, 2009, 04:23 AM
Is your washer standpipe outside the wall or do you have a washer box,(see image)? Let me know . Tom
yaseph
Oct 29, 2009, 08:36 AM
I have a set-up exactly like the one displayed in the picture.
speedball1
Oct 29, 2009, 04:15 PM
Yaseph,
I hate to tell youi this but either the ceiling or the wall must be opened up to locate the source of the leak. When you find out where it is get back to us and we'll help you do a repair. Good luck, Tom
yaseph
Oct 29, 2009, 05:37 PM
Opening the ceiling is the last thing I wanted to do. :( I was hoping to take care of the leak problem without adding a costly ceiling fixture to the situation.
jlisenbe
Oct 30, 2009, 10:02 AM
What is the ceiling... sheetrock? If so, then it can be a do-it-yourselfer... cheap! Just takes some time and an understanding wife due to some dust problems.
yaseph
Oct 30, 2009, 12:38 PM
Yes, it's sheetrock. Just hate to create a problem in order to fix one.
speedball1
Oct 30, 2009, 04:05 PM
Yes, it's sheetrock. Just hate to create a problem in order to fix one.
You don't have a choice. You have a leak inside your wall and you're forced to locat it. Going in from the ceiling will be the least intrusive. Cut a square hole and save it. Let it dry. When the leak's repaired simply tape it back, spackle it and paint to match. Good luck, Tom
jlisenbe
Oct 30, 2009, 04:35 PM
Just go for it! If you're patient, it can be done. The only real problem is matching the paint. That's where you have a HUGE advantage. You are working with a ceiling, so you probably have some version of ceiling white. If necessary, you can paint the whole thing. MUCH easier than having to paint four walls. Youtube and the internet are full of help on this. I've put a couple below. Heck, they make it sound so easy, I wish I was the one with the leak... not really.
Drywall Hole Repair in Walls & Ceilings (http://www.vertri.com/drywall_hole_repair.html)
YouTube - Repair a hole in plasterboard or drywall ceiling part one (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pedAiIzFZhM)
yaseph
Nov 10, 2009, 10:12 AM
I’ve washed and dried clothes for the last two weeks now and haven’t had any leaks. This week I dried a heavy load of clothes and the water appeared again on the ceiling. So it seems like when a heavy load of clothes are being dried, the water appears on the ceiling.
speedball1
Nov 10, 2009, 05:25 PM
it seems like when a heavy load of clothes are being dried, the water appears on the ceiling.
When this happened was there any back up in the washer box? Let me know, Tom
yaseph
Nov 11, 2009, 05:16 PM
No, there was no back up in the washer box. I took all the clothes out and put them in the dryer. No water or anything appear in the washer.