Mystery Leak. Advice?

Question

My downstairs neighbor told me this morning that he heard dripping on his ceiling around the time I was in the shower (first time he heard it). He said it was really loud and thinks that I'm doing serious damage. He claims a leak ocurred with the previous owner--toilet gasket? And that there was a pipe leak once before several years ago. #1. I know NOTHING about plumbing. So I'm anxious about what kind of repairs I could be in for and how even to begin #2. I have limited info. How do I find this mystery leak? Even if I call a plumber will the whole floor/ceiling need to be opened up to find it? There is space between my floor and his ceiling. #3. A friend suggested that it could be the tub drain and that the tub might have to come out. I bought this place a year ago & the bathroom is really ugly. The previous owner had bathfitters -- or the like installed to create a shower stall with the tub. If the tub comes out, will this require me to completely re-do the bathtub/shower stall?

Answer 1

If your neighbor is cooperative, you can start with a little narrow down of your own, before you call a plumber. Close the tub drain and begin to fill the tub from the spout. How long after you started to shower did he hear the drip? Do you hear a drip as the tub is filling? If yes, you may want to pull the cover plate off the shower valve and see what you can see in there. Could be a bad o-ring or bad cartridge and may be easily fixable without opening anything.

No drip after a while of tub filling, switch to shower but with the drain still closed. Now does it make drip noise? Then is the chrome arm that stick out of the wall and connects to the shower head tight? Or is there an issue with caulking where the walls meet the tub or around the valve cover, or you splash out really badly and the floor is not caulked to the tub, etc.

Still no dripping noise? turn off the shower and drain your now nearly full tub. Does it start to make dripping noise now? We're pretty much sure that's a drain leak - you'll likely be paying a plumber to fix it and a drywall guy and painter to fix the neighbor's ceiling too.

If the problem is supply (i.e. you get leak when the drain is closed) you are not necessarily screwed. Some things can be fixed with no tearout like a bad cartirdge or a loose shower arm. And if not, then what does the shower back up to? If backs up to a closet if the architect was good. You can cut out drywall in the closet, repair the plumbing, and reapir drywall for a fraction of what tearing out and later replacing tile or a fiberglas shower will cost. OTOH, you were wanting to update your bathroom tile, yes? and you have Homeowners insurance, yes?

Finally, absolutely, do it now. the water can run along the top of his ceiling for great distances and run down into all sorts of places. If you pretend there is no problem then the extent of the damage, cost of repair, and bad mood of your neighbor will be an order of magnitude worse. Call your insurance agent and ask for advice.

Answer 2

I think your mechanic has taken you for enough money. He replaced the cats and muffler, that set you back some bucks for nothing. And now he wants to pull the engine down for a possible head problem, you said it runs fine at normal speeds, whats he think the valve is okay then? My word would be to keep it simple and look again for that vacuum leak and the EGR sticking that might be and what is this O2 sensor not being connected, why not? How about a compression test the valve would show up right away. And clean the throttle body and IAC they are always a problem with the Fords.

Answer 3

well i think that you should try to look for the leak if you find it then call a plumber and get it fix if you don't find it still you need to call a plumber.

Answer 4

It could be any of the things you mentioned. You will have to call a professional to solve this one