How do you find a leak ??

E

efm

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I wonder can anyone help with this query?

If anyone read this post they would know I have a leaky ensuite shower that is leaking into the master bedroon and downstairs into the sitting room. The problem is I don't know where the leak is coming from - the shower has been re-sealed but it is still leaking. The plumber I have approached to fix it has said either all the tiles around the shower have to come off or the stud / partition wall that backs on to the ensuite has to come off in order to see what the problem is.

Is this reasonable ? Is there any other way to find out where a leak is coming from besides taking everything apart ?

Anyone have any experience / advice in this area ?

Thanks in advance
 
In my experience, where a shower enclosure is concerned, it is next to impossible to see where the water is coming fron in the case of a leak which is not obvious. Water will track along the smallest gap and capillary attraction will ensure that these leaks are difficult to trace. Hate to be the bearer of bad new but your plumber is probably right, I ripped out my old ensuite earlier this year having been frustrated by such a leak. I'm now (some time this year) going to redo the lot except this time I'm using the Sealux sealing strips. If money were no object i think i'd go for one of those self contained shower cubicles- does away with a lot of hassle, except they're hugely expensive.
 
Carpenter thanks a million for the reply. My gut was telling me that the plumber was right (and I trust the team he works on as they have done excellent work for me before) but I needed to get a quasi second opinion.

My better half is very concerned about the mess and upheaval that the repairs will cause and the builder and plumber aren't doing her any favours by warning that it could be a messy job (there was a lot of shaking of heads and sucking of teeth and grimacing when the lads saw the water damage initially)

BTW are those self contained shower cubicles really the best thing ? Can you tile over the inside to match the rest of the bathroom ?

Thanks again for the advice
 
....have the exact same problem..... does anyone know does such a product exist where you can spray the entire showed cubicle with something that is watertight...such as a clear laquer which may help...it's the only thing I can think of bar ripping out the unit!

ninsaga
 
I have a shower upstairs which I don't use as I experienced a shower leek in a previous house.
There must be some type of super duper sealer that can be applied to the shower area to insure no leakes ??
 
usually the leaks are in the pipework/drainage pipes behind the shower... not aroud the shower tray i.e. rip it all out.
 
efm,
The self contained showers I know are completely finished inside so you just tile up to the exterior face. The inside is generally finished in a neutral plastic cladding, so the tile you use will not match anyway- but I wouldn't see that as an issue, the shower units are so well designed and made they'd look good in any setting. In a power shower installation it is advised to "tank" the shower area before tiling. This a layer of waterproof membrane which is bonded to the shower area and directs any leaking water back into the shower tray. However I think the Sealux option is probably a good (and easier) alternative. Even if you sprayed or painted a sealer on the interior wall surface it would not seal all the hairline cracks which can develop over time as the structure shrinks -so this is not an option. Plasterboard can be neatly cut out to allow access for inspection- it always looks terrible until patched up and made good. The amount of mess made will depend on how successful the leak finding operation is. a leaking plumbing joint is the easiest fix, a leaking tray or seal is not. check out the Sealux site for more info on sealing showers and potential problems that may arise
 
efm, does the leak seem to be affected by shower usage? If it's a regular consistent leak regardless of usage, then that would point to a problem with the feed plumbing. If you're unsure, would it be possible to not use the shower for a few days to check this out? If the problem is with the tray/seals/trap/etc., then it should dry out with non usage.

Couple of things you could try:
With elecricity off, take the shower off the wall (you'll have to remove the cover and take out the mounting screws), take a look at the pipes for any sign of leaks or corrosion.

If you can't get a good look with the above, make a hole (doesn't need to be too big) in the bedroom wall behind where the shower is located and take a look for signs of water or corrosion again.

If both those show everything to be bone dry, try another hole in the bedroom wall at low level. This might help you find traces of a leak from the seal on the tray.
Leo
 
Carpenter, thats great info, thanks again.

Would you recommend getting someone to fit sealux strips into the shower as part of the work I will be getting done ? Are the Sealux products recognised by most tradesemen as being the best ?

If I remember correctly when I was having the bathrooms tiled I bought sealux strips with the tiles but the tiler refused to put them up saying they were useless and that silicone was better (looking at the mess I am in now he was obviously full of bull poo) but I want to make sure that I never have this problem again
 

Are you sure it was the Sealux strip, complete with the matching Sealux Sealant? I haven't used the Sealux yet but i did my research on line and I like the technology behind it. It is used by Jurys in their bathroom fit-outs I believe. Check out the Sealux site and make your own mind up. It's more work for a tiler (who just prices by floor/ wall area) so they might be reluctant to deal with it. It does take more work than silicone but I wouldn't rely on a silicone seal alone, silicone degrades over time and loses its elasticity.
 
Sealux was highly recommended to me by a tile shop. Also, the Sealux silicone sealant (Sealux-N) has a higher silicone content than most, so lasts longer and does a better job.
Leo
 
i sealed between the tray and the wall with slicone before tiling at all. I then used the sealux strip that sits behind the tiles and on top of the tray when tiling. I felt at least that there were two (Hopefully!) water tight seals and that if one failed the other would stay good.

Finally carpenter, i would have thought that the sealux strips themselves rely on silicone. You have to fill the insiide of the strip with silicone so is the strip not only as good as the silicone its filled with surely?
 
legend99 said:
Finally carpenter, i would have thought that the sealux strips themselves rely on silicone. You have to fill the insiide of the strip with silicone so is the strip not only as good as the silicone its filled with surely?
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Yes and no: the Sealux silicone is a high performance product (as stated by Leo) and in fact only the Sealux silicone should be used with the Sealux strip. The Sealux sealant has a higher modulus of elasticity compared to a standard silicone. Also the Sealux technical literature explains how the design of the strip actually protects the Sealux sealent from direct exposure to harmful UV rays, which break down silicone over time.
 
legend99 said:
would you have that many UV rays in ensuites with no windows I wonder...
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No, but then my ensuite does have a window, lucky me! However I think the Sealux design also protects the sealant from mechanical damage and prolonged exposure to chemicals as well.
 
This might not ne relevant but I was just wondering if you checked the sink for the leak. Our ensuite developed a leak when we noticed a stain on the living room ceiling and thought it was the shower, which we immediatedly resealed to make sure but the damp still kept appearing. I decided to investigate further and found that the waste pipe from the sink was leaking each time we used it but it made no sound, it trickeled down the side of the pipe. When i checked previously, the leak was dry as we weren't using the taps.
 
After 7 visits from the plumber and 2 from the tiler, we are still no nearer to finding the source of a leak from - it appears - the upstairs ensuite shower.

We have had the tiler remove the bottom layer of tiles and put a sealux seal on and replace all the tiles again and seal with silicone. We've poured buckets of water down the walls and over the fittings - no water leaks out. It only seems to happen when someone is actually in the shower and then a small amount of water comes through the floor boards into the living room.

We've opened up the ceiling in the living room and can see where the water is coming in, but cannot find the cause.

Anyone had anything similar happen or have any idea where it could be coming from?

The plumber is totally fed up and I fear he may not even answer my call today to tell him that there's still water comng down!
 
Just a wild guess but could it be that a seal is streched or broken only when someone is standing in the shower?
 
MAJJ said:
Just a wild guess but could it be that a seal is streched or broken only when someone is standing in the shower?
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delgirl: I reckon MAJJ has the right answer here. I had the same problem with a leaking ensuite shower that would leak during use. I got my brother to stand in it while I inspected the silicone and could see that it was stretched to the point where a small gap appeared when his weight was shifted to a certain corner. Then it was just a matter of pulling off the skirting, packing some wood under the shower tray to eliminate any possible movement, then removing the old silicone and reapplying liberal quantities new silicone, then sticking the skirting back on. No leak since.
 
I had a shower leaking got the builders out and it seemed to be fixed for a while but now it's back.The grout on the floor tiles seems to be getting wet outside of the shower absolutely everything that can be sealed /Siliconed has been sealed,So I'm suspecting it's the drain pipe underneath that's leaking.I've two questions if the pipe is only cracked can I use the radiator stuff for your car to seal it?
If not how big a deal is it to get the shower tray up off the floor to check the pipes?
 
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