| Author |
Message |
    
jersey Boy
Citizen
Username: Jersey_boy
Post Number: 504
Registered: 1-2006
| | Posted on Sunday, April 16, 2006 - 10:26 pm: | 
|
I'm sitting in my living room reading MOL and I hear water dripping.
There's a pipe leaking from the upstairs bathroom and a steady stream of water is running down the wall.
I turned off the main water supply and opened the faucets upstairs and down in the basement to empty the pipes. We're wiping the wet wall and a steady trickle continues. I believe the whole ceiling is filled with water that is slowly leaking out.
Should I poke a hole in the ceiling to let the water out and catch it in a bucket? Or just let it run down the wall? Of course there's an electrical socket RIGHT where the water is coming down.
HELP.
|
Elizabeth
Citizen
Username: Momof4peepers
Post Number: 63
Registered: 12-2005
| | Posted on Sunday, April 16, 2006 - 11:25 pm: |
|
Could you shut off the circuit to that electrical outlet before you poke said hole? Then cover the wall with a tarp?
UGH. I have no experience, but this sounded sensible to me.
|
Rick B
Citizen
Username: Ruck1977
Post Number: 1068
Registered: 8-2003
| | Posted on Monday, April 17, 2006 - 8:34 am: |
|
I'm no professional, but I'd poke a hole, let the water out and let things start to dry out. Sitting water above you is not going to be doing you or your walls any good. |
SOSully
Citizen
Username: Sullymw
Post Number: 1235
Registered: 5-2001
| | Posted on Monday, April 17, 2006 - 9:20 am: |
|
definitely poke a hole |
jersey Boy
Citizen
Username: Jersey_boy
Post Number: 506
Registered: 1-2006
| | Posted on Monday, April 17, 2006 - 10:02 pm: |
|
Thanks everyone. I waited last night, but no posts. Fortunately, the water just stopped after I turned off the main supply to the house.
So I went to bed. I spoke to a plumber today who told me to turn the water back on and not use the bathroom to separate out supply vs. waste problems. I did this and so far no wetness.
Good call Bob K!
I did not poke a hole. The water stopped. And there is a light fixture that didn't drip at all, so I concluded that the ceiling was not full of water or else water would have come through the light.
The weird part is no one had recently use the upstairs bathroom. I'll let you know.
Does that movie, "The Money Pit" have a happy ending?
J.B. |
Mergele
Citizen
Username: Mergele
Post Number: 382
Registered: 7-2003
| | Posted on Tuesday, April 18, 2006 - 8:41 am: |
|
I had one of those a couple of years ago - turned out that a bazillion years or so ago when the house was built, some bright soul ran a nail into a supply line when installing flooring. Took many years, but it finally rusted through. Had to rip up the floor in the third floor bathroom to get at it, but it was an easy fix. |
Bob K
Supporter
Username: Bobk
Post Number: 11237
Registered: 5-2001
| | Posted on Tuesday, April 18, 2006 - 8:58 am: |
|
Smarty, prior to WWII plumbers used lead pipe to connect the bath tub trap to the cast iron waste system. Depending on how old your house is and how old fashioned the plumber who did the original work was this can be a couple of feet to the entire drain system to the waste stack. Lead is soft and over the years can spring holes as it rubs against joists because of settling or vibration from home repair and renovation work.
The leaks are usually small and it takes time for them to become apparent.
Both our old houses (circa 1925 and 1916) ended up having a problem with the lead drains.
Good luck.
|
jersey Boy
Citizen
Username: Jersey_boy
Post Number: 519
Registered: 1-2006
| | Posted on Tuesday, April 18, 2006 - 3:01 pm: |
|
I had plumbers in today. They cut a hole in my wall about one foot square, saw wet studs. Turned on the water in the bathroom and flushed the toilet.
No new water. Two days ago it was running as fast as I could wipe the wall with a towel.
The plumber said, "it could be a roof leak. They usually show up two days after it rains." That leaked past my attic and second floor bathroom to the first floor unnoticed?
W.T.F.?
I did have a roofer over also. Guess what he said? It's not the roof leaking. Now I can't relax and I keep going into that room to check.
I wish it were blood. Then I could just call a priest.
J.B.
|
Bob K
Supporter
Username: Bobk
Post Number: 11245
Registered: 5-2001
| | Posted on Tuesday, April 18, 2006 - 3:30 pm: |
|
Fill up the tub and drain it. If I was a betting man.....
We have always been happy with using the Corragio Brothers for mystery leaks. Kevin and Joe are good, experienced and don't cut corners. |
Rick B
Citizen
Username: Ruck1977
Post Number: 1079
Registered: 8-2003
| | Posted on Tuesday, April 18, 2006 - 4:24 pm: |
|
Was anything happen during the leak?
There is a pretty standard checklist to go through when looking for leaks. Supply/Drain. I assume your plumbers went through something like that?
How is the seal around your tub? If someone is standing in there, the tub might go lower (sink) allowing for an unseen crevice. Better yet, if tub is filled with water, that could lower your tub opening a crevice for water to get in. Was anyone taking a bath? Shower? Anything? |
Dennis J O'Neill
Citizen
Username: Plungy
Post Number: 16
Registered: 6-2005
| | Posted on Tuesday, April 18, 2006 - 5:47 pm: |
|
Had you noticed that your basin drain was getting slow to drain before this happend? A favorite place for the galvanized basin drain to rust through is on top of the tee fitting in the wall where the vent connects. This means it will only leak when the drain is slow and the water backs up to that point. |
upondaroof
Citizen
Username: Upondaroof
Post Number: 624
Registered: 4-2003
| | Posted on Tuesday, April 18, 2006 - 7:54 pm: |
|
"The plumber said, "it could be a roof leak. They usually show up two days after it rains.""
Sweet! |
jersey Boy
Citizen
Username: Jersey_boy
Post Number: 522
Registered: 1-2006
| | Posted on Tuesday, April 18, 2006 - 8:39 pm: |
|
Here's the time line. Two people took showers. We went to my mother's for Easter dinner. Came home. Put the kid to bed. Watched T.V. Then I'm reading/posting on MOL and I hear water dripping. It was running continuously until I shut off the water and drained the pipes.
It cannot be the shower.
Another plumber was in tonight. He theorized that whatever the leak was it was probably a corroded cold water supply. Turning it off for 24 hours allowed mineralization that resealed it. That's why there's no leak now. This is the only thing that makes sense.
Of course that means it's a time bomb. I'm going to have shut off valves put in for just that bathroom and probably shut it off temporarily. We'll use the other bathroom until we have the money to allow another leak and then go looking for it.
Anyone got a better idea?
J.B. |
Dennis J O'Neill
Citizen
Username: Plungy
Post Number: 17
Registered: 6-2005
| | Posted on Wednesday, April 19, 2006 - 12:28 pm: |
|
Definately don't go for the mineral theory, it just doesn't happen that quickly. You said they found wet studs in the bathroom wall? Can you be more specific as to location and what fixture is located above or near the wet studs? |
jersey Boy
Citizen
Username: Jersey_boy
Post Number: 540
Registered: 1-2006
| | Posted on Wednesday, April 19, 2006 - 2:12 pm: |
|
Dennis, I liked the mineral theory.
Wet studs near the ceiling under the bathroom. One floor up is the sink and toilet, both of which were dry on the top side.
Another important fact: The previous owners ran pipes up that wall to the attic bathroom, but they were never hooked up, just capped.
I can't see through the wall, but alot of the new plumbing that is visible in the basement is crimped not soldered. One spot started to leak spontaneously and I had it soldered.
New theory: crimped pipes in wall up to attic that are capped sprung a leak which closed from a combination of prayer, magic and temperature change.
Or an ex-girlfriend of mine is studying witchcraft.
J.B. |
Dennis J O'Neill
Citizen
Username: Plungy
Post Number: 18
Registered: 6-2005
| | Posted on Wednesday, April 19, 2006 - 7:47 pm: |
|
Capped water pipes with long dead ends can trap air. Air causes oxidation and oxidation causes pin hole leaks in copper pipe. We see this in hot water recirculating lines that have become airbound. Mineral deposits would not have formed so quick but a particle of something can plug the pin hole temporarily.
All is speculation without first hand diagnosis. |
Jersey Boy
Citizen
Username: Jersey_boy
Post Number: 549
Registered: 1-2006
| | Posted on Wednesday, April 19, 2006 - 8:32 pm: |
|
Dennis,
First, thanks for your interest. The pipes are less than five years old. Still possible?
I think "particle plugs pinhole" is a winner. But now does it matter which pipes or why? I'm waiting until it starts again, and then all that matters is where.
Any comment on my idea of installing a shut off valve for just that bathroom. As a plumber, wouldn't that be convenient? I don't know why that isn't standard. Down in the basement there should be shut offs for each bathroom. Like electrical fuses, but for plumbing.
J.B. |
Dennis J O'Neill
Citizen
Username: Plungy
Post Number: 19
Registered: 6-2005
| | Posted on Wednesday, April 19, 2006 - 10:58 pm: |
|
JB 5 years is more than enough time for pinholes to develop. The pumbing code says no dead ends longer than 2 feet for this reason.
We had a customer last year with this scenerio. When we pulled the old pipe down out of the wall it was what we call in the trade a "flute" because of all the holes.
Yes every set of hot and cold risers should have riser valves. Preferably ball valves.
Again, this is all hypothesis without a look see. I've had these mystery leaks turn out to be nothing more than an overly zealous cleaning lady with a very wet mop or a little boy who's A.D.D. kicks in while peeing. |
Closed: New threads not accepted on this page