The Plumbing Detective

By Billy Aldridge

Being a homeowner means sometimes having to make like a gumshoe, especially when it comes to hidden leaks.  Most leaks around the home are relatively easy to find.  Look for a wet spot or discoloration or listen carefully for a persistent drip, drip, drip behind a wall until the leak is located.  Other leaks, particularly those associated with shower enclosures can be particularly difficult to localize.  That’s when you need to call in the Plumbing Detective. 

Shower Power

Showers can be one of the worst offenders when it comes to leaks.  This is due to the fact that there are so 

many places from which a shower can spring a leak. Everything from the door, to the drain to the tile backsplash can develop nearly imperceptible leaks that can cause real damage behind the wall or to the subfloor.  If left unchecked this can also be a chief source of mold in the home. 

Signs of a leak can include such things as loose tiles, peeling paint, obvious signs of mold and any standing water on the floor after using the shower.  Once it seems that water is making its way beyond the shower enclosure, then it’s time to start doing a little detective work.  If the source of the leak appears to be emanating from the periphery of the enclosure and you see standing water on the floor every time the shower is used, then the likely culprit is the shower door or frame. 

Round Up the Usual Suspects

Sealing this kind of leak is one of the simplest fixes since all you need is a tube of caulk.  The hard part is localizing the leak itself.  To do that, splash a little water around the door and frame.  If you don’t see water oozing out the other side, wait a minute or two.  Water has a way of working its way through the tiniest or gaps.  But sometimes it takes a little time to do the deed.  Another source of door leaks can be a faulty gasket.  If the door has a rubber gasket or door sweep check these for cracks or gaps.  Once you determine the cause of the leak, simply replace any worn gaskets and/or cracked caulk and then test for water intrusion a second time just to make sure you haven’t missed anything.  Sometimes the shower could have multiple leaks, particularly if it is more than ten years old.

Down the Drain

Drain leaks can be even more insidious to detect, simply because the source of the leak is ought of sight and mind.  .  Even in prefabricated plastic or fiberglass shower stalls this kind of leak is not at all uncommon.  However, these leaks can be quite costly to repair if left unchecked.  It is not unusual to have to tear out a shower enclosure and replace the subflooring in homes where these leaks have been left to their own devices for months or years.  If the bathroom in question is on the first floor which happens to be on a concrete slab, it isn’t unusual for the leak to create water intrusion in adjoining rooms, all of which will need to be repaired once the leak is found and sealed.  If the bathroom in question is on the second floor, the ceiling on the room below may also need to be ripped out and replaced.  So any way you slice it, water won’t be the only thing going down the drain if your home has one of these leaks.

Detecting these leaks can be kind of tricky, since it isn’t always possible to see beneath the stall.  If the shower has an access panel, sometimes it is possible to see beneath the shower, or at least snake a fiber optic viewing scope beneath the drain. If it is impossible to see beneath the shower stall then the second way to detect if you have a drain leak is to plug the drain and then add just enough water to form a puddle around the drain.  Delineate the boundary of the puddle by placing a tube of toothpaste at the edge of the puddle.  Then walk away for five minutes or so and return to see if the water is still touching the tube.  If it is not then you have a leaky drain.  (Make sure the plug is fully engaged so that it doesn’t leak before you attempt this test.)

Replacing a leaking drain isn’t all that difficult.  To remove the existing drain, simply unscrew the flange that is located above the drain.  Remove and clean the flange.  Then set this aside.   Next, remove the drain and gasket and take the flange to any hardware store, plumbing supply house  or big box home center .  While your there, pick up a tube of silicone caulk.  You will want to apply a bead of this below the flange when you reassemble the drain.  Then it’s just a screwdriver job.

The Trouble with Tile

Last but not least on our rap sheet of leak perpetrators is tile, or more likely the caulk surrounding the tile.  If your bathroom has tile and the tile is anywhere in, on or under the tub, then it can and will deteriorate over time causing unwanted water intrusion.  Whether it is the thin-set holdiog the tile to the wall or the grout between the tiles, these need to be checked and sealed every now and then.   Loose tiles are a dead giveaway that you need to remove the tile and re-grout.  If a number of tiles are loose in any given area, or if the wall feels spongy to the touch beneath any removed tile, then it is time to replace the backer board before replacing any loose tiles.

While leaks are problematic, they don’t need to be catastrophic, provided that you catch them early and correct the situation.  Leave them to their own devices and these fleeing felons can cost you and your family much more than correcting a simple leak.  So don’t let these little leaks rob you blind.

Billy Aldridge is one of the Doctors of Plumbology at Aldridge and Sons Plumbing in Jacksonville, Florida.  For even more helpful plimbing tips and DIY videos, go to http://plumbers-jacksonville-fl.com