Greetings!
I have a second-story bathroom shower stall and a small area of water damage on the ceiling of the room below. I measured the spot and it is directly underneath the drain or trap. It is a very peculiar leak. Here is what I attempted so far to nail down its source:
-- Stopped using the shower for several days. During this time, no further water damage appeared. The problem does not appear to involve the trap leaking.
-- I filled a bucket and poured several gallons of water directly down the drain. No additional water damage, so it appears the leak does not involve the drain pipe.
-- I caulked certain areas near the base of the stall along two outer walls where the original adhesive between the tiles had become cracked and/or chipped. If there are additional cracks to caulk, they are not readily visible. This did not stop further water damage from appearing.
The drip is intermittent. Water damage does not appear each time the shower is used. I've not determined if it's tied to how long a shower is taken or how a person is splashing about. But it seems to me that somehow that water is getting underneath the stall and onto the outside of the trap, from where it drips.
That's enough of me going on. The absolute last thing I want to do is cut through the ceiling. Experts, please help!