Slow leak in master bathroom - what are the steps to proceed?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We had this issue a couple of months ago and fixed it ourselves. No plumber was needed. It was coming from the toilet seal, but it wasn't leaking on the floor. It had rotted. When we pulled the toilet off, I could see where the water had been dripping down into the kitchen ceiling below. That is where I would first check. You can find a video on YouTube.

Here is one that shows the kind of rubber seal we used (instead of a wax ring):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VUy2F6_F8qQ

It's totally worth trying this first as it would save a lot of money. We're not super handy around the house, and this was not difficult. Took less than 30 minutes to do.

OP here. Interested. The spots are nowhere near the toilet - they are near, but not underneath, the tub/shower. There is no way to lift these up or check anything without breaking/sawing tile, or alternatively cutting the drywall from below. These are both way beyond our skill level. I guess I will just call insurance since pipe leaks are theoretically covered.

Cutting the drywall requires no skill. It’s a good idea to cut a hole big enough for your head and a flashlight and see what you can see before you call anyone.

+1 Cutting drywall requires a $5 tool at Home Depot and no skill. Drywall patching a ceiling, which is painted in flat paint, requires like $20 worth of tools and no skill. It is also the first thing a plumber or handiman is going to do. Some water issues are plumbing issues, some are handiman issues. By getting eyes on the source of the problem, you can save yourself a bill from guessing wrong.

Water travels along the path of least resistance. Just because your leak is in one place, does not mean the source of the leak is directly above. Our leak was at least half the house away from the source of the problem. We also started working on diagnosing and fixing it the day it occurred so we didn't get mold or our bathroom upstairs falling down on our heads. I can't imagine ignoring it for years. Jeebus.

You could use a bread knife, even.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We had this issue a couple of months ago and fixed it ourselves. No plumber was needed. It was coming from the toilet seal, but it wasn't leaking on the floor. It had rotted. When we pulled the toilet off, I could see where the water had been dripping down into the kitchen ceiling below. That is where I would first check. You can find a video on YouTube.

Here is one that shows the kind of rubber seal we used (instead of a wax ring):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VUy2F6_F8qQ

It's totally worth trying this first as it would save a lot of money. We're not super handy around the house, and this was not difficult. Took less than 30 minutes to do.

OP here. Interested. The spots are nowhere near the toilet - they are near, but not underneath, the tub/shower. There is no way to lift these up or check anything without breaking/sawing tile, or alternatively cutting the drywall from below. These are both way beyond our skill level. I guess I will just call insurance since pipe leaks are theoretically covered.

Cutting the drywall requires no skill. It’s a good idea to cut a hole big enough for your head and a flashlight and see what you can see before you call anyone.

+1 Cutting drywall requires a $5 tool at Home Depot and no skill. Drywall patching a ceiling, which is painted in flat paint, requires like $20 worth of tools and no skill. It is also the first thing a plumber or handiman is going to do. Some water issues are plumbing issues, some are handiman issues. By getting eyes on the source of the problem, you can save yourself a bill from guessing wrong.

Water travels along the path of least resistance. Just because your leak is in one place, does not mean the source of the leak is directly above. Our leak was at least half the house away from the source of the problem. We also started working on diagnosing and fixing it the day it occurred so we didn't get mold or our bathroom upstairs falling down on our heads. I can't imagine ignoring it for years. Jeebus.

Jeebus, why would you think a non-plumber would be able to see the source of the leak by sticking their head in the hole? And a plumber is going to fix the leak anyway.

[Anonymous]

Make sure everything is caulked. Handles, on off water, the spout. Sometimes it’s a very easy fix

[Anonymous]

I would just call a plumber to come out and tell me what the problem is and how to fix it. I would rather pay a few hundred bucks to get it done right instead of trying to diagnose it myself. I also would not let any water intrusion issue go unfixed for so long. A little problem can turn into a big problem before you know it!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We had this issue a couple of months ago and fixed it ourselves. No plumber was needed. It was coming from the toilet seal, but it wasn't leaking on the floor. It had rotted. When we pulled the toilet off, I could see where the water had been dripping down into the kitchen ceiling below. That is where I would first check. You can find a video on YouTube.

Here is one that shows the kind of rubber seal we used (instead of a wax ring):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VUy2F6_F8qQ

It's totally worth trying this first as it would save a lot of money. We're not super handy around the house, and this was not difficult. Took less than 30 minutes to do.

OP here. Interested. The spots are nowhere near the toilet - they are near, but not underneath, the tub/shower. There is no way to lift these up or check anything without breaking/sawing tile, or alternatively cutting the drywall from below. These are both way beyond our skill level. I guess I will just call insurance since pipe leaks are theoretically covered.

Cutting the drywall requires no skill. It’s a good idea to cut a hole big enough for your head and a flashlight and see what you can see before you call anyone.

+1 Cutting drywall requires a $5 tool at Home Depot and no skill. Drywall patching a ceiling, which is painted in flat paint, requires like $20 worth of tools and no skill. It is also the first thing a plumber or handiman is going to do. Some water issues are plumbing issues, some are handiman issues. By getting eyes on the source of the problem, you can save yourself a bill from guessing wrong.

Water travels along the path of least resistance. Just because your leak is in one place, does not mean the source of the leak is directly above. Our leak was at least half the house away from the source of the problem. We also started working on diagnosing and fixing it the day it occurred so we didn't get mold or our bathroom upstairs falling down on our heads. I can't imagine ignoring it for years. Jeebus.

Jeebus, why would you think a non-plumber would be able to see the source of the leak by sticking their head in the hole? And a plumber is going to fix the leak anyway.

Because I'm not a plumber and literally did just that. While the plumber on the phone told me that it wasn't a plumbing issue, because the water was coming from around and above the pipe, not the pipe, due to a defect in my shower pan installation. Plumber told me to call a handiman, and the handiman fixed it.

But you know it all! Go ahead.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We had this issue a couple of months ago and fixed it ourselves. No plumber was needed. It was coming from the toilet seal, but it wasn't leaking on the floor. It had rotted. When we pulled the toilet off, I could see where the water had been dripping down into the kitchen ceiling below. That is where I would first check. You can find a video on YouTube.

Here is one that shows the kind of rubber seal we used (instead of a wax ring):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VUy2F6_F8qQ

It's totally worth trying this first as it would save a lot of money. We're not super handy around the house, and this was not difficult. Took less than 30 minutes to do.

OP here. Interested. The spots are nowhere near the toilet - they are near, but not underneath, the tub/shower. There is no way to lift these up or check anything without breaking/sawing tile, or alternatively cutting the drywall from below. These are both way beyond our skill level. I guess I will just call insurance since pipe leaks are theoretically covered.

Cutting the drywall requires no skill. It’s a good idea to cut a hole big enough for your head and a flashlight and see what you can see before you call anyone.

+1 Cutting drywall requires a $5 tool at Home Depot and no skill. Drywall patching a ceiling, which is painted in flat paint, requires like $20 worth of tools and no skill. It is also the first thing a plumber or handiman is going to do. Some water issues are plumbing issues, some are handiman issues. By getting eyes on the source of the problem, you can save yourself a bill from guessing wrong.

Water travels along the path of least resistance. Just because your leak is in one place, does not mean the source of the leak is directly above. Our leak was at least half the house away from the source of the problem. We also started working on diagnosing and fixing it the day it occurred so we didn't get mold or our bathroom upstairs falling down on our heads. I can't imagine ignoring it for years. Jeebus.

Jeebus, why would you think a non-plumber would be able to see the source of the leak by sticking their head in the hole? And a plumber is going to fix the leak anyway.

You can often learn a lot by sticking your head in a hole, actually. You may be able to see where the water has traveled and is pooling, and where it's dripping down. Especially if you experiment by flooding the shower, putting water on the floor by the toilet, etc. Or you might see that it's actually coming from a window.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We had this issue a couple of months ago and fixed it ourselves. No plumber was needed. It was coming from the toilet seal, but it wasn't leaking on the floor. It had rotted. When we pulled the toilet off, I could see where the water had been dripping down into the kitchen ceiling below. That is where I would first check. You can find a video on YouTube.

Here is one that shows the kind of rubber seal we used (instead of a wax ring):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VUy2F6_F8qQ

It's totally worth trying this first as it would save a lot of money. We're not super handy around the house, and this was not difficult. Took less than 30 minutes to do.

OP here. Interested. The spots are nowhere near the toilet - they are near, but not underneath, the tub/shower. There is no way to lift these up or check anything without breaking/sawing tile, or alternatively cutting the drywall from below. These are both way beyond our skill level. I guess I will just call insurance since pipe leaks are theoretically covered.

Cutting the drywall requires no skill. It’s a good idea to cut a hole big enough for your head and a flashlight and see what you can see before you call anyone.

+1 Cutting drywall requires a $5 tool at Home Depot and no skill. Drywall patching a ceiling, which is painted in flat paint, requires like $20 worth of tools and no skill. It is also the first thing a plumber or handiman is going to do. Some water issues are plumbing issues, some are handiman issues. By getting eyes on the source of the problem, you can save yourself a bill from guessing wrong.

Water travels along the path of least resistance. Just because your leak is in one place, does not mean the source of the leak is directly above. Our leak was at least half the house away from the source of the problem. We also started working on diagnosing and fixing it the day it occurred so we didn't get mold or our bathroom upstairs falling down on our heads. I can't imagine ignoring it for years. Jeebus.

Jeebus, why would you think a non-plumber would be able to see the source of the leak by sticking their head in the hole? And a plumber is going to fix the leak anyway.

Because I'm not a plumber and literally did just that. While the plumber on the phone told me that it wasn't a plumbing issue, because the water was coming from around and above the pipe, not the pipe, due to a defect in my shower pan installation. Plumber told me to call a handiman, and the handiman fixed it.

But you know it all! Go ahead.

I guess PP should have said a good plumber. A good plumber will have a sense of where to cut to have the best odds of finding the leak with minimal holes.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We had this issue a couple of months ago and fixed it ourselves. No plumber was needed. It was coming from the toilet seal, but it wasn't leaking on the floor. It had rotted. When we pulled the toilet off, I could see where the water had been dripping down into the kitchen ceiling below. That is where I would first check. You can find a video on YouTube.

Here is one that shows the kind of rubber seal we used (instead of a wax ring):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VUy2F6_F8qQ

It's totally worth trying this first as it would save a lot of money. We're not super handy around the house, and this was not difficult. Took less than 30 minutes to do.

OP here. Interested. The spots are nowhere near the toilet - they are near, but not underneath, the tub/shower. There is no way to lift these up or check anything without breaking/sawing tile, or alternatively cutting the drywall from below. These are both way beyond our skill level. I guess I will just call insurance since pipe leaks are theoretically covered.

Cutting the drywall requires no skill. It’s a good idea to cut a hole big enough for your head and a flashlight and see what you can see before you call anyone.

+1 Cutting drywall requires a $5 tool at Home Depot and no skill. Drywall patching a ceiling, which is painted in flat paint, requires like $20 worth of tools and no skill. It is also the first thing a plumber or handiman is going to do. Some water issues are plumbing issues, some are handiman issues. By getting eyes on the source of the problem, you can save yourself a bill from guessing wrong.

Water travels along the path of least resistance. Just because your leak is in one place, does not mean the source of the leak is directly above. Our leak was at least half the house away from the source of the problem. We also started working on diagnosing and fixing it the day it occurred so we didn't get mold or our bathroom upstairs falling down on our heads. I can't imagine ignoring it for years. Jeebus.

Jeebus, why would you think a non-plumber would be able to see the source of the leak by sticking their head in the hole? And a plumber is going to fix the leak anyway.

You can often learn a lot by sticking your head in a hole, actually. You may be able to see where the water has traveled and is pooling, and where it's dripping down. Especially if you experiment by flooding the shower, putting water on the floor by the toilet, etc. Or you might see that it's actually coming from a window.

Yup, this is what we did too.