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Author:
doc (CA)
I have a leak that makes no sense to me. I discovered a wet spot in the ceiling below an upstairs shower. I opened the ceiling and can see a tee joint where the vent pipe (confirmed) joins the line coming from the shower drain. While water is running in the shower, I can hear water running through the drain line and there is no leak. But when the shower is turned off, water begins dripping from an area at the top of the tee. The top flange of the tee rests against the bottom of the sub floor above so I cannot see exactly where the drip is coming from. But it runs down the middle-outside of the tee fitting. This is an older house that we have lived in for 30 years. I suspect that this problem has occurred before as I painted over a similar (but less severe) stain when we moved in and have noticed some slight discoloration from time to time of the acoustical ceiling material. But now there is a serious drip that must be addressed. I cannot figure out why the drip only occurs after water stops running down the drain. I have observed this same phenomenon two times when the shower was being used.
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Author:
North Carolina Plumber (NC)
It could possibly be condensation from inside the vent pipe, or the drain is leaking and pooling up on the subfloor and eventually making it's way over to the vent pipe and down.
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Author:
Fixitangel (NC)
I've seen several cases where the seal where the vent goes thru the roof is bad. That can leak anytime it rains, regardless if the shower is used or not. If you have a "pretty" roof, you can replace the vent pipe cover with a new one with a new rubber seal. If you don't care what it looks like up there ( I don't) just get a tube of that black roof caulk/repair and smear a good dose of it all around the old seal and flashing where it tucks into the roof. Stuff works great, my nickname for that stuff is "good old black nasty". Use cheap gloves and a throw-away paint brush.
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Author:
srloren (CA)
Or you could have a leak in the shower valve. This would account for it leaking after you shower or while the valve is open. It could be a bonnet leak if it is a stem valve. What kind of shower valve do you have? Take a photo and post it. If it is a small leak, it could drip inside the wall and you would not be aware of it until it stains the ceiling. If you happen to have a closet backed up to the shower valve wall, you could open the wall to view the valve and install an inspection panel or repair the hole, after you determine the source of the leak. This is but one possibility. The more information you share the better the solution will be and the quicker you will learn of it. Good luck.
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Author:
doc (CA)
Not a leaky drain. The sub floor boards are oriented perpendicular to a line between the drain and where the water is dripping. Water would come through the cracks first and I do not see any drips or wet boards closer to the drain (and I can see the drain itself). Condensation inside the vent pipe could surely be occurring but would not be dripping onto the ceiling from within a properly closed system. The possibility of a corroded joint allowing condensation to get outside has occurred to me. Opening the wall would be necessary to check this as I cannot see the bottom of the vent pipe from below. The flashing around the vent pipe above the roof is newly checked and sealed - did it myself in anticipation of El Niño. And we have had no rain... yet (while this has been going on). It could be a leaking valve and I will have to open the wall as the next step. I don't know what type of valve it is. I like the idea of repairing the hole with an inspection panel since I am lucky enough to have a closet on the other side of the shower wall. Glad to hear any more suggestions.
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Author:
DaveMill (CA)
I'm not a plumber, but I had a similar problem with a mystery leak, it turned out to be a hairline crack in a drain pipe that only leaked intermittently. Figured it out with food dye (on the second try).
No rain yet: Can't be vent pipe through roof. That leaves supply, drain and shower pan. Pour water colored with red food dye directly into the drain. If the leak turns red, you know it is the drain pipe, look for cracks.
Next pour water colored with BLUE food dye all around the floor of the shower, especially along the corners/caulk joints. If blue water shows up, you have a nasty tile/shower pan problem.
Still no colored water, but the leak continues? It's the supply lines, start at the valve as others have suggested.
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Author:
srloren (CA)
Doc, I started plumbing in 1955 and have a wide range of experience from High Rise to Remodel but can you post a photo....it is worth a thousand words, I am told.
Edited 1 times.
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Author:
SunnydayNC (NC)
Sorry everyone for posting an off-topic question on this thread. I am not sure how things work here and I couldn’t connect with anyone on what appear to be older threads on this topic.
Hello Fixitangel. Do you have a recommendation for how to create a new faucet mechanism for a late 1940’s Crane kitchen sink (the one with the plastic plate) or access to an old faucet and spout for that sink? I have a plate and a sink but need the underlying faucet and the spout/handles that the plate sits on.
Any guidance would be much appreciated.
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