Edit: Ok no worries guys it was definitely just the tub leaking! It just took several hours for it to stop dripping afterwards which is why I was confused at whether or not it was the tub or something else. All is well! It’s a very infrequently used shower/tub so I hadn’t noticed anything prior.
I’m guessing it’s likely the tub drain itself that was leaking or it’s possible one of the outflow pipes leaked from there. Either way it’s not an urgent fix thankfully! I just posted this a bit hastily I suppose. I appreciate the comments!
Hello. So the other night I had a tub filled up with water for a prolonged period of time. I do not typically use the tub in that bathroom. The tub water was stagnant and thus the leak would not have been caused by inadequate caulking between the tub and wall.
Today I have awoken to find that my ceiling below the upstairs bathroom is wet and there is a dripping noise in the wall downstairs roughly under the tub.
I have drained the tub about 20 minutes ago, but there is still a slow, but continuous dripping noise in the wall below the bathroom. Since the dripping noise is still occurring at the same slow pace, does that mean it is unlikely to actually be dripping from the drain or pipework that drains from the tub?
My unit has a shared wall with the neighbor, so there is a chance that there is actually something leaking from their unit instead of mine.
Is there a way I can troubleshoot this a bit further without immediately ripping out the walls? Even if I can’t find the exact source, just narrowing it down to something with the neighbor versus my own bathroom would be helpful.
I can’t call a plumber right now because we literally just had a hurricane so they are going to be tied up for a bit.
Thanks all.
Try to see if the local tool rental place has a thermal cam available to rent, that can be really really helpful to find the source of the leak. Another thing would be to use a horoscope, you’ll potentially have to drill one, or more, small holes to feed it through but they would be no bigger than a medium sized wall anchor.
Thank you for your comment, but stores aren’t going to be open for a bit still. Do you have any toolless ideas in the meantime?
What type of tub is it? Free standing or one with a panel on the side?
If one with a panel on the side you can remove them by cutting the silicone, which will enable you to see the drain pipe and the trap, and you can then inspect it for leaks (use a dry piece of paper towel to test if a leak continues after drying it initially)
If it’s due to a leak from the water supply pipes you could try turning off your water at the source/stop tap, open up your all the taps in the house and drain your system (I wouldn’t suggest doing this if you have a water storage tank). If the dripping stops after doing this, it’s likely to be your water supply pipes, as opposed to the drain.
It’s not free standing, but I don’t see anything that resembles a panel. It’s one of those fairly standard tub/shower combos.
How wet is the ceiling? If the drywall has water damage you’ll have to replace it anyway. Cut out a section and inspect the plumbing from underneath
water flows down so look at points above the wet zone