How To Repair Plumbing Under Foundation
I of the worst feelings you tin can become as a homeowner is when you see a watermark on the ceiling below a bathroom.
The next thought that crosses my mind is how much this little water issue will cost.
This verbal problem has happened to me numerous times at my ain firm as well as at my rentals.
The latest result I encountered dealt with a bathtub leak into my rental's dining room.
Fortunately the dining room has a dropped ceiling (classy, right!) and the panels aren't difficult to supervene upon.
But I wanted to solve this leak trouble ASAP and this tutorial deals with that process.
Here are the supplies you need
- Screwdriver
- Plumber's Putty or
- 100% Silicone Caulk
- Tub Drain Removal Tool
- Tub Bleed Extractor Tool for ane.v″ Drains or
- Drain Key for Unlocking or Installing Drains
- Channellock Pliers
- These Amazon links aid support Habitation Repair Tutor, many thanks for using them
How to Inspect for Leaks
The offset action I took was to remove the access panel to the bathtub waste and overflow pipes.
Then I checked for leaks. Possible leak locations are
- The showerhead and shower arm connection
- Shower arm and shower pipe connection
- Leaks getting backside the shower escutcheon plate that covers the shower faucet handle
- The faucet body behind the faucet handle
- Shutoff valves (if you lot have whatever to the shower or bathtub)
- Bathtub overflow gaskets or washers (usually accessible in the access panel)
- Overflow pipe & cover plate, drain T, bleed tailpiece, waster bleed tube connections
- Bleed flange, gasket, and shoe tube in the bathtub
- P-Trap and branch drain connections
- Hot & Cold supply line water connections
Past the way, if y'all want to install shutoff valves it'due south really like shooting fish in a barrel to practise with SharkBites.
I ran the water and determined the leak wasn't coming from whatever of the shower faucet connections or from water splashing backside the escutcheon plate.
Too, there were no leaks from the common cold and hot water lines.
The adjacent step was to make full up the bathtub only below the overflow cover plate.
Since my tenant takes baths and said the leak is deadening I decided to see what would happen one time the tub was full of h2o.
Remarkably no leak occurred when the tub was filled.
Just when the water drained that's when a deadening trickle formed from underneath the shoe tube connection.
This leak was coming from the drain flange/gasket/shoe tube connection.
How to Get to the Drain Leak
I removed the strainer screen and looked at the bleed flange.
Use a screwdriver to remove the bathtub strainer screen and drain comprehend plate.
Then remove the drain using a special wrench that attaches to the bleed arms.
You lot can as well use a pair of channel locks to remove the drain flange by inserting the handles downwardly into the strainer basket.
But I prefer the strainer wrench because it's sturdier.
One time the strainer wrench is downward in the drain yous can use either a screwdriver (inserted through the wrench holes) or channel locks to loosen the bleed flange.
Merely turn the drain wrench counterclockwise.
What if your strainer arms are broken?
If that's the example using either a tub drain extractor tool for 1.5″ drains or a drain fundamental tool. Nosotros got a lot of questions about this trouble downward in the comments. So these tools are the solution.
In one case the drain flange/strainer basket was removed, I turned it over to discover the plumber's putty was missing in one section.
How to Set a Bathtub Bleed Leak
Fortunately, I e'er take plumber's putty in my toolbox (it'due south amazing how often you need this stuff!).
You can become this product at any hardware shop or on Amazon.
Sorry for the vivid flick below.
The bodily leak was occurring in between the gasket that sits on superlative of the bathtub shoe tube and the bathtub drain hole.
The gasket can be seen in the picture beneath equally a black ring.
And the bathtub shoe tube is the threaded department directly beneath the black gasket.
The leak occurred because the bathtub tin flex when someone is standing on it or when excessive water weight exerts down pressure repeatedly over fourth dimension.
And then the gasket seal tin fail practice to normal expansion and wrinkle forces.
I placed a generous bead of plumbers putty on the drain flange such that the putty sealed the entire black gasket.
The next step I took was to clean off the quondam plumber's putty on the bathtub itself equally well equally any left inside the bathtub shoe tube.
Now that everything was clean I inserted the drain flange back into the threaded bathtub shoe tube and tightened it with the drain wrench.
When yous do this the plumber's putty with be squeezed effectually the bathtub shoe tube gasket and create a flexible water-tight seal.
I made sure to make clean off the plumber's putty that oozed out from the bleed flange.
At this point, I put the bathtub strainer screen back onto the drain flange and filled the bathtub until the water level reached the bottom of the overflow cover plate.
No leak!!
I then allow all the water drain to see if the downwards pressure would cause the leak and once again I didn't see whatsoever water coming from underneath the bathtub shoe tube.
The sweetness smell of success or in this example plumber's putty.
What's Next
If yous're doing a bathroom remodel and demand assistance, join one of our online courses – they'll brand your bathroom renovation much easier!
Permit me know if you have any questions and I'll do my best to help.
Thank you as ever for reading, watching, and being function of our awesome customs.
Cheers,
Jeff
Bathtub Drain Repair
Source: https://homerepairtutor.com/bathtub-drain-repair/
Posted by: dambrosiosheast.blogspot.com
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