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vinceKahn · Apr 21, 2006, 12:59 PM

I'm going crazy, I can't find the leak in my shower. I've run water from a hose flowing over the base and through the drain for 30-40 minutes, no leak. I've capped the shower head turned the water on, still no leak. I've plugged the drain filled the base up with 2 inches of water and let sit for 4-5 hours, still no leak. As soon as I run the shower, 10-15 minutes later I have water in my closet. I thought this might be the seam between the fabricated shower wall and base, so I recaulked it. This made no difference.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks,
Vince

speedball1 · Apr 21, 2006, 05:13 PM

Originally Posted by vinceKahn

I'm going crazy, I can't find the leak in my shower. I've run water from a hose flowing over the base and through the drain for 30-40 minutes, no leak. I've capped the shower head turned the water on, still no leak. I've plugged the drain filled the base up with 2 inches of water and let sit for 4-5 hours, still no leak. As soon as I run the shower, 10-15 minutes later I have water in my closet. I thought this might be the seam between the fabricated shower wall and base, so I recaulked it. This made no difference.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks,
Vince

Hey Vince,
Did you step in the shower whan you filled the base up with water? Sometimes the weight of your body will cause the floor to flex a little thus rupturing the seal under the drain lip especially if the floor gives a little. Try that and get back to me. Good luck, Tom

vinceKahn · Apr 23, 2006, 06:51 AM

Whether I'm in or out of the shower it leaks, and only leaks if I turn on the shower itself.
The shower is a pre-fabricated stall, on the first floor on the concrete slab. They did a good job of setting the pan in mortar.

speedball1 · Apr 23, 2006, 07:03 AM

"Whether I'm in or out of the shower it leaks, and only leaks if I turn on the shower itself."

Verrry interesting! You don't have a pressure leak, you don't have a drainage leak and yet there's this pesky leak that shows up when you run the water. This tells me that it's somewhere in the pressure side and not the drainage. Have you pulled the cover plate and checked for moisture around the valve body? Perhaps it's leaking from the cartridge behind the plate where you can't see it. Let me know what you find. Regards, Tom

vinceKahn · Apr 23, 2006, 12:23 PM

I actually cut from the closet side wall next to the shower. I couldn't find any water damage or moister. Just to be sure I removed the handle and wall plate and checked the valve body, no moisture at all.

-Vince

lkj84 · Apr 24, 2006, 01:49 AM

I am reading as the closet is on the other of the shower? I wonder if you have a leak below your shower pan? You can connect a hose from the shower head to the drain. If no leak, put a test weight in the shower or ask a buddy to stand in the shower. I am guessing that ground settled and caused a crack in the (ABS plastic?) drain.

Originally Posted by vinceKahn

I'm going crazy, I can't find the leak in my shower. I've run water from a hose flowing over the base and through the drain for 30-40 minutes, no leak. I've capped the shower head turned the water on, still no leak. I've plugged the drain filled the base up with 2 inches of water and let sit for 4-5 hours, still no leak. As soon as I run the shower, 10-15 minutes later I have water in my closet. I thought this might be the seam between the fabricated shower wall and base, so I recaulked it. This made no difference.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks,
Vince

lkj84 · Apr 24, 2006, 01:50 AM

I am reading as the closet is on the other of the shower? They share one common wall. I wonder if you have a leak below your shower pan? You can connect a hose from the shower head to the drain. If no leak, put a test weight in the shower or ask a buddy to stand in the shower. I am guessing that ground settled and caused a crack in the (ABS plastic?) drain.

Originally Posted by vinceKahn

I'm going crazy, I can't find the leak in my shower. I've run water from a hose flowing over the base and through the drain for 30-40 minutes, no leak. I've capped the shower head turned the water on, still no leak. I've plugged the drain filled the base up with 2 inches of water and let sit for 4-5 hours, still no leak. As soon as I run the shower, 10-15 minutes later I have water in my closet. I thought this might be the seam between the fabricated shower wall and base, so I recaulked it. This made no difference.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks,
Vince

vinceKahn · Apr 24, 2006, 04:49 AM

That's what I thought, as well. Like I said I tried running water, from a hose, swirling around the base and down the drain for 30 minutes. I never saw a leak. The only time the leak shows up is when the shower is on, running hot or cold water. This whether I'm in the shower or not.

Thanks for your help,
Vince

speedball1 · Apr 24, 2006, 12:17 PM

You haven't much choice Vince,
If you can see the water you should be able to track it back to the source. Let it dry out, turn on the water and when you see moisture start tracking it back. Until you find the source of the leak you can do nothing to repair it.
Let us know what you find. Regards. Tom

vinceKahn · Apr 24, 2006, 03:17 PM

That was my thought as well. The problem I'm having is I can't see under the stall to follow it all the way back.

Thanks for your help,
Vince