![]() The overflow drain pipe has a flange which allows it to be connected to the bathtub. Its function is to create a watertight seal between the overflow drainpipe and the bathtub. The gasket is normally made of rubber or neoprene. As I had mentioned, a leaking bathtub overflow drain is caused by a bad gasket. If you are sure that the source of the leak is the bathtub overflow drain, half of the problem has been solved already. Replacing the wax ring will surely fix the problem. This problem is usually caused by a bad wax ring. With a leaking toilet drain, water may pool around the base of the toilet or leak through the flooring to the ceiling of the floor below. In that case you may want to turn off water supply to the bathtub or whole house until you have fixed the problem.Īpart from the bathtub or shower drain, leaks through a ceiling can also be caused by leaking bathroom sink or toilet drains. Note: If you see a continuous leak from the ceiling of the floor below the bathtub even when nobody is using the bathtub or shower, you could be dealing with a leaking water supply house.īathtubs are supplied with pressurized water using 2 pipes, one carrying hot water and the other one carrying cold water. You can go ahead and test it by forcing some water through the bathtub’s overflow opening. If there is no leak then the problem is with overflow drain. That is in most cases caused by a loose connection in the drain line or P-trap, which you again can fix easily using a wrench. If you see a leak the problem is with the main drain and not the overflow drain. If you don’t already know it, the main drain and the overflow drain use the same drain line and are connected together using a tee.Īfter locating the bathtub’s drain, turn on the faucet and let the water drain out through the main tub drain. ![]() To find out with drain is leaking, look for an access hatch or panel so that you can have a close look of the the tub’s plumbing. Both the tub’s main drain and overflow drain have the potential to leak. If the shower tiles caulk or grout is intact, the problem is with one of the drains. You can easily fill the gaps with caulk or grout without calling in a plumber. You will therefore need to fix that problem. If indeed it has, that creates gaps for water to leak through especially when showering. Check if the caulk or grout used between the tiles has come off. The first thing you will need to do is inspect the shower tiles closely. That is the first question you should ask yourself. Does the leak happen when taking a shower or when soaking in the tub? There is however a few steps you can take to determine the source of the leak. You will only notice stains in the basement ceiling or damp/moldy walls. This is especially trickier if you have a shower-tub combo.Īs a matter of fact, some leaks are so slow and therefore not that easy to notice. It is not always easy to find the source of a leak when you have issues with your bathtub drain. To find out which drain is leaking, you will need to test both drains independently but you may need to remove a section of the ceiling or use an access hatch/panel. If a bathtub is leaking through the ceiling, it could be the tub’s main drain or the overflow drain. ![]() The cover completely seals off the overflow drain so there is the risk of your bathtub overflowing. To stop the leak, remove the tub overflow drain cover plate and replace the gasket then install the plate back.Īnother thing you can do albeit a temporary one is use a bathtub drain overflow cover. Water may eventually start to leak from the overflow drain and damage your flooring or the ceiling of the floor below.īut why is the bathtub overflow drain leaking? And what can you do to stop it?Ī leaking bathtub overflow drain is caused by a cracked, worn out or misaligned gasket/seal. This fail-safe fixture can however be a problem on its own. A bathtub overflow drain is designed to channel excess water from the tub into the drain line and effectively prevent the tub from overflowing and flooding the bathroom.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |