leaking shower

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Katherine B

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Salt Lake City, Utah
Help! I have a leak in my master shower. The plumber says its the tile, the tile guy isn't so sure.

There is only a leak when I run water into the shower. I have turned the water on , reached the removable shower head over the side of the shower, and let it run into the nearby sink..no leak.

I have read on numerous sites that plugging the drain and seeing if the water leaks is the next step. If there is a leak, its the shower pan, no leak means the pan is fine. So, my shower is all tile..floor and walls. So, if I clog the drain and let water sit and there is a leak, how do I know if it's the tile grout or the shower pan? Maybe I am missing something obvious.

Thanks!
 
Not an expert, but if you stopper the drain, and you see water leaking, I believe that means your shower pan has failed and needs to be replaced, regardless of whether it is due to grout failure, or some other failure of the waterproofing membrane.
 
If you stopper the drain and do not see a leak, that would suggest that it is the plumbing, rather than the tile or grout, or membrane. That would typically be far easier to fix, since you can likely do it from below by cutting a hole in the drywall ceiling.
 
I run into the a lot at work.....to eliminate the tile/grout put a spring loaded shower curtain rod and curtain up on the wall In question use it for a day or 2 and see what happens....ar there any loose tiles or is there grout missing?????
 
I would try ticking things off by one by one starting with showerhead. Check the inside of showerhead if it's leaking at the back from the metal cover piece being loose which in this case seems its not the case. Then move on to the shower tile by plugging the drain, and pouring a layer of water there to see if it leaks. If it does leak then it's either tile grout on the floor or the drain that's leaking. Find out which one it is. Then look at the silicone caulking or tile grout around the tile edges and everywhere else to see if it needs to be redone. Also check the drain by opening it up. I think I covered it all?
 
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