[marier4him]

Hi,

I have an upstairs tub/shower combo with tile walls and a tile bathroom floor. It is leaking intermittently to the ceiling in a downstairs bathroom. I have been trying to diagnose it for 2 weeks and I have a group of youth boys coming in 4 days who will need to use the downstairs bathroom---the one with the big hole in the ceiling, please help. I added silicone caulking around the tub where the tile meets it. I added it behind the handles. I added it where the tile floor meets the tub. I accessed the pipes leading to the shower head and the hot/cold handles, but no leaks. I can see the drain from the downstairs bathroom, no leaks. It is coming from the floor under the tub, but I can't find the origin. It only leaks when somebody is actually taking a shower, so weight must be a factor (the person showering is only 110 pounds). The hot/cold handles do leak, but only inside the tub and it doesn't leak when I run the tub or the shower with no people in it.

Thanks in advance,

Marie

[creahands]

What is tub material?

If it is not cast iron, the tub should be bedded in mortar to keep movement at drain to a minimum. If not bedded and drain pipe has no flexibility the added weight will give u a leak around drain.

Chuck

[ballengerb1]

So there is no leak during a tub use or filling of the tub, only during the shower use, right? Sounds like a problem at the mixer, diverter or shower arm. Remove the knob and escutheon and inspect the valve body, turn on the valve and see if any water runs down the pipe or from the valve body. Back to you

[marier4him]

Thanks for your help. I finally located the drip. I was able to squeeze my head into an exact location with a flashlight in the downstairs bathroom. I finally saw the water dripping off some metal part on the side of the tub. I then went upstairs and removed the board that allows access to the pipes and way off in the corner was a very small almost invisible trail of water. It is somehow coming from the shower doors, I just don't know how yet. I will try again tomorrow to locate the exact spot or I will take down the doors and put up a nice shower curtain and call it solved. I am so thankful that it was not a "real" plumbing issue.

[marier4him]

Thanks for your help, I posted my answer above. I've almost solved the problem. I just need to inspect the shower doors and track better tomorrow.

[marier4him]

The tub is cast iron and I finally traced it back to the shower doors. I just don't know the exact location, but I'm within a few inches. Thanks.