Right at the base of our main upstairs shower tub spout there is a very small drip. This didn't seem like a big deal, but there is a dark brown line along the top of the tub and now I noticed this morning that the dark brown line/build up continues down the side of the tub and also goes right along the wall where the "top" of the tub meets the wall.

I know virtually nothing about plumbing and we will have a professional coming out to take a look, but in the meantime I would like any feedback as to if this is a big problem. I tend to think the worst is possible - can someone tell me what the worst might be? Or even better, if you understand what I'm explaining and have see that before let me know what the damage ($$) might be. Thank you.

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Originally Posted by hejohnson

Right at the base of our main upstairs shower tub spout there is a very small drip. This didn't seem like a big deal, but there is a dark brown line along the top of the tub and now I noticed this morning that the dark brown line/build up continues down the side of the tub and also goes right along the wall where the "top" of the tub meets the wall.

I know virtually nothing about plumbing and we will have a professional coming out to take a look, but in the meantime I would like any feedback as to if this is a big problem. I tend to think the worst is possible - can someone tell me what the worst might be? Or even better, if you understand what I'm explaining and have see that before let me know what the damage ($$) might be. Thank you.

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You have two problems. (1) The leaK. A minor problem that can be repaired easily by adjustments or replacing faulty parts in the tub valve and (2) the brown that you see is iron oxide,(rust). This can be caused by a number of things. If you're on a well it could be in your water but as a rule rust in your system comes from not flushing your water heater on a regular basis. Rust builds up in the tank and gets pulled into the system. Not having any details about your tub valve I can't help with that but I can tell you how to set up a monthly maintenance schedule on the heater.
For long life and fewer troubles you should keep your heater clear of mineral build-up by flushing on a regular schedule. Let me show you how. Attach a hose to the boiler drain at the bottom of the tank. With the pressure on, open the boiler drain and let it run until the water runs clear. You will see a spurt of red,(rust) followed by white grains,(lime or calcium carbonate). This shouldn't take more then a few minutes. Do this monthly to keep it clear. . Don't forget to flush it out every month. Your heater will thank you for it. As for the cost. I can't help you there. Not knowing service call and labor rates in your area prevent me from hazarding a guess. Hope this helps, Tom

Thank you for the speedy response! Thanks for identifiying the "brown stuff" as rust. Now I can stop calling it brown stuff.

Hopefully we caught the leak before it caused any real damage to the wall.

Thanks again.