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    gbarrows's Avatar
    gbarrows Posts: 2, Reputation: 1
    New Member
    		  
    #1

    Jan 31, 2009, 02:04 PM
    Tub drain leaking onto kitchen ceiling below.
    HELP! This only happens when my child showers, and closes the tub drain while showering. I get a water leak onto my kitchen ceiling, and I mean it really pours through. What could be leaking? Our house is 25 years old and has PVC plumbing. Hopefully it is the gasket between the drain and the tub! Thanks for the help. Gary
    massplumber2008's Avatar
    massplumber2008 Posts: 12,832, Reputation: 1212
    Senior Plumbing Expert
    		  
    #2

    Jan 31, 2009, 03:41 PM
    Hi Gary...

    Almost every time I have heard this one it turned out that the child/teenager was not pulling the shower curtain over far enough and caused water to leak outside the tub and then fall down between the tub and floor.

    Check the tub area between the floor and the tub, especially at the corners. A few times I had homeowners insist that there was no way water got out of tub and they made me open the ceiling only to find no leak and then we went upstairs and poured a cup of water on the floor (at corners) and went downstairs and there was the leak dripping all over.

    Anyway, this may not be the case here, but it is the first place to check. Let me know what you find!

    MARK
    gbarrows's Avatar
    gbarrows Posts: 2, Reputation: 1
    New Member
    		  
    #3

    Jan 31, 2009, 07:36 PM
    Massplumber, thanks for getting back to me! That was my first thought, and my first "postal moment" when it first happened. The most recent time it happened I went in the bathroom to check the shower curtain situation and it was dry, as well the floor was bone dry. My daughter pleaded that she even moved the shower head away from the curtain. However, she did have the drain closed again to "keep her feet warm"! That is the only time it leaks, with the drain closed. I can access the drain through the kitchen ceiling, as it is a tongue and groove recessed ceiling. Let me know what you think... Gary.
    massplumber2008's Avatar
    massplumber2008 Posts: 12,832, Reputation: 1212
    Senior Plumbing Expert
    		  
    #4

    Jan 31, 2009, 07:42 PM
    Hi Gary:

    If it only happens when the drain is closed go and shut the drain stopper and then run the shower and let me know if it leaks again... :)

    I'm here for awhile.

    Get back to me.
    mygirlsdad77's Avatar
    mygirlsdad77 Posts: 5,713, Reputation: 339
    Plumbing Expert
    		  
    #5

    Jan 31, 2009, 07:53 PM

    May even try closing drain and filling tub through the spout instead of the shower head. See if you get the leak then. It sounds like a leak at the drain of the tub, but it may also be a leak at overflow, or tub tile surround. Hoping we can give you some helpful advice. Please let us know what you find.
    massplumber2008's Avatar
    massplumber2008 Posts: 12,832, Reputation: 1212
    Senior Plumbing Expert
    		  
    #6

    Jan 31, 2009, 07:57 PM
    Gary...

    Test the shower head first... say for 10 minutes.

    Then test for the tub spout. One at a time... ;)

    As Lee (MGD77) has suggested this could be more an issue of water bouncing of the person then pipes... never know.

    Let us know...

    MARK
    mygirlsdad77's Avatar
    mygirlsdad77 Posts: 5,713, Reputation: 339
    Plumbing Expert
    		  
    #7

    Jan 31, 2009, 08:13 PM

    Basically a process of elimination. Please follow Marks advice. And please don't hesitate to ask more questions. We will do our best to help you locate the leak.

    Ps. Who are we going for in the super bowl.

    Sad part is, I don't even know who's playing(yep, I'm not your typical guy) I tend to make my mind up about two minutes before the game starts, and for some reason, I almost always go for the underdog. Yeahhh, go underdog, you can do it. I guess if the underdog loses, it won't be a big shock, but if they win, it makes us all feel good(unless you lost a couple grand on it).
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