|
- over 500,000 plumbing related posts
- The popular plumbing tips and advice forum and blog. Ask any toilet, sink, faucet, pump, water quality and plumbing related questions.
|
Author:
crzycicada (TX)
Hello everyone! This is my first post but I've been lurking for a long time. Now is the time I need to ask for help as I don't see a similar post so far as I can tell. Here's the situation; there is a leak behind the wall of my bathroom. I know this because the sheetrock underneath the sink has been removed since I bought the house and I can see it dripping water. I can't tell what's causing it though. There are two pipes there; one is the vent/drain for the sink and then there's another vent pipe to the left of it that is right next to it that I'm only guessing is a vent pipe? There is a small hole in it which is why I say that. In looking up into the wall, so far as I can tell, there is a P-trap on the pipe on the left and then they both go up into the attic where they then join together, make a 90 degree angle, join the toilet vent pipe then go up through the roof. In the problem bathroom, there is a toilet right next to it. I had installed new internal guts (a BlueSource HydroFix Water Saving Toilet Fill Valve and Flapper Kit by MJSI) a few months ago and ever since then, I notice that the water level inside the bowl gets really low after a little bit of time and when I flush it, a big air bubble comes out and it flushes fine. I never thought anything of it but now it concerns me and am wondering if the two are related. I can't really say if it leaks when I flush the toilet or when I turn the sink on since there's a delay between the two and it's not like it's gushing water; it's just a small drip that stops after a small while. I read through many of the posts here about air in the system which is why I ask. Any suggestions? Do I need to make a whole in the wall to investigate? Being that the leak is up inside the wall, I'm worried it's an actual leak over something being clogged because I wouldn't think it would leak where I'm seeing it. Any help would be appreciated!!
Edited 2 times.
|
|
|
Author:
RWP (SD)
Open the wall until you find the leak. Fix the leak and then repair the wall. A plumber would do this so you might as well if you want to find and fix the leak.
- - - - - - - - - -
Retired after 50 years of plumbing and heating.
|
|
|
Author:
Fixitangel (NC)
I'd say the toilet is another issue, since the tank/flush issues developed after the tank was reworked. Your leak seems to be associated with the sink drain, otherwise it would puddle up all the time. Can you post a pic of that 'vent pipe' with a small hole in it? Is the P trap glued in or fitted? What kind of pipes and how old are they? Small hole in a pipe is usually not good news.
Edited 1 times.
|
|
|
Author:
dlh (TX)
usually a p-trap in a wall suggests it is for a washer drain. it is possible it is an illegal condensate drain tie in in which case it may just be the p-trap is blocked and it is dripping from where the condensate enters the drain
- - - - - - -
PLUMBERS "Protecting The Health Of The Nation"
|
|
|
Author:
jimmy-o (CA)
Not trying to be harsh here...but you have a leak in the wall and you are just living with it???
Bad things happen when there is water in the wall!
Now, you mention a pipe with a hole in it. There should be NO HOLES in any pipe in the wall! That is a problem!
If you can't see exactly where the water is coming from, you probably need to open more wall, but before you get carried away, a good plumber for the cost of a basic service call would look at all this, explain what the pipes are that you are looking at, and give you a more detailed idea of where you need to proceed.
|
|
|
Author:
hj
Call a plumber before you start tearing out walls that you do not need to.
|
|
|
Author:
NICK (CA)
chances are you need to access inside the wall anyway. I would open it up and check. Especially if you have a vanity and the wall doesnt show. It could also be a water supply leak. If the drywall was replaced recently, they could have nicked a pipe. Dont know your weather situation but i've had similar calls and found that the vent on the roof needed tarred because of rainwater following the vent pipe down the wall. Be careful of mold inside the wall.
|
|
|