DaddyLogan
New Member
Hi folks...been a while since I been here but I have an issue that is eating me up. I will start with a summary and then go back what lead up to everything.
Basically I have a very small drip right now coming out of my tub spout. The water forms a slight puddle around the drain lip in the tub. Nothing major, but it is there. I have your classic 80's rough in plumbing with the 3 valve stems (Price Pfister) of Hot-Diverter-Cold and your up route to the shower nipple and the down route to the tub nipple (spout). Basically I replaced the hot water valve and seat, the diverter valve and seat and the cold water I replaced the washer at the end (where the screw holds it in) and the seat. Everything tightened down nicely to hand tight and then just a good snug until tight. Ok...so after all that I still have a slight drip...no sound of an open valve or any noise to indicate something is flowing. So I don't get it...how? The tub should be dry as a bone and everything should be sealing up nicely...right? And yes, I installed all those in the fully open position.
Ok...you have my end point right now but let me tell how this evolved as it may help in some sort of diagnosis.
1) First indication of something wrong was I noticed water dripping into the tub from behind the knob on the hot water valve. I figured since it was dripping into the tub that is was no big deal. Been doing that for a year or more. I know it was probably the packing washer but as long as it was coming into the tub I blew it off.
2) A couple weeks ago while working in my garage I looked up to the ceiling and noticed a very small spot that had formed. I climbed up and touched it and it was damp. That part of the ceiling is directly below the tub upstairs. Now I am worried.
3) As of this point, the tub spout is NOT dripping any water into the tub when not in use and it is bone dry at the drain.
4) I also noticed my overflow cover was upside down so I turned that 180 degrees to put it into the right position. Years of oversight on my part but water could have been getting into the wall and dripping down that way. I don't know or you would have thought I noticed a wet spot on my garage ceiling long before this?
5) So I decided to tighten down the packing nut a bit on the hot water valve. The leak stopped for about 30 minutes and as soon as I put it all back together it was leaking again. I really could not tighten any more or the stem would not turn.
6) I decided to buy a new valve (since they are only $12) and a new set of seats. I removed the old hot water valve and seat and installed new ones. This solved the leak from the packing washer of course but now that drip has started in the tub. So I removed everything and redid it just in case I didn't get something right...and I did it right and tightened everything down but still have the drip (mind you...it's not a tradition drip...it drips maybe once every 3 or 4 minutes and the end of the spout is always wet now).
7) So now I decide to buy a new diverter valve just in case and since the cold water side was working fine I just replaced the washer that fits against the seat and the seat itself. After all that I still have the slight drip.
8) Now I have noticed when I shower there is no wetness on the garage ceiling below, but if I run the tub solid for any length of time, then the ceiling in the garage gets slightly damp. Not a major leak but small amount is getting in the ceiling.
So I guess I have 2 problems. The slight tub spout leak and water getting into the ceiling when I run the tub but not the shower. Oh...and BTW I had a plumber come out and reset the drain in the tub just in case something was leaking there. The only thing I can think of for the garage leak is that maybe the nipple the spout screws onto is leaking behind the wall where it is joined in? Other then that I am out of ideas....but as for water escaping into the tub when everything is shut off...that is a mystery to me and I have no other answer or solution I can think of.
Sorry if this is long...but I want to list all the conditions that might help in figuring this out, so with that all said.......
Any ideas?????? ;-)
peace out,
daddylogan
Basically I have a very small drip right now coming out of my tub spout. The water forms a slight puddle around the drain lip in the tub. Nothing major, but it is there. I have your classic 80's rough in plumbing with the 3 valve stems (Price Pfister) of Hot-Diverter-Cold and your up route to the shower nipple and the down route to the tub nipple (spout). Basically I replaced the hot water valve and seat, the diverter valve and seat and the cold water I replaced the washer at the end (where the screw holds it in) and the seat. Everything tightened down nicely to hand tight and then just a good snug until tight. Ok...so after all that I still have a slight drip...no sound of an open valve or any noise to indicate something is flowing. So I don't get it...how? The tub should be dry as a bone and everything should be sealing up nicely...right? And yes, I installed all those in the fully open position.
Ok...you have my end point right now but let me tell how this evolved as it may help in some sort of diagnosis.
1) First indication of something wrong was I noticed water dripping into the tub from behind the knob on the hot water valve. I figured since it was dripping into the tub that is was no big deal. Been doing that for a year or more. I know it was probably the packing washer but as long as it was coming into the tub I blew it off.
2) A couple weeks ago while working in my garage I looked up to the ceiling and noticed a very small spot that had formed. I climbed up and touched it and it was damp. That part of the ceiling is directly below the tub upstairs. Now I am worried.
3) As of this point, the tub spout is NOT dripping any water into the tub when not in use and it is bone dry at the drain.
4) I also noticed my overflow cover was upside down so I turned that 180 degrees to put it into the right position. Years of oversight on my part but water could have been getting into the wall and dripping down that way. I don't know or you would have thought I noticed a wet spot on my garage ceiling long before this?
5) So I decided to tighten down the packing nut a bit on the hot water valve. The leak stopped for about 30 minutes and as soon as I put it all back together it was leaking again. I really could not tighten any more or the stem would not turn.
6) I decided to buy a new valve (since they are only $12) and a new set of seats. I removed the old hot water valve and seat and installed new ones. This solved the leak from the packing washer of course but now that drip has started in the tub. So I removed everything and redid it just in case I didn't get something right...and I did it right and tightened everything down but still have the drip (mind you...it's not a tradition drip...it drips maybe once every 3 or 4 minutes and the end of the spout is always wet now).
7) So now I decide to buy a new diverter valve just in case and since the cold water side was working fine I just replaced the washer that fits against the seat and the seat itself. After all that I still have the slight drip.
8) Now I have noticed when I shower there is no wetness on the garage ceiling below, but if I run the tub solid for any length of time, then the ceiling in the garage gets slightly damp. Not a major leak but small amount is getting in the ceiling.
So I guess I have 2 problems. The slight tub spout leak and water getting into the ceiling when I run the tub but not the shower. Oh...and BTW I had a plumber come out and reset the drain in the tub just in case something was leaking there. The only thing I can think of for the garage leak is that maybe the nipple the spout screws onto is leaking behind the wall where it is joined in? Other then that I am out of ideas....but as for water escaping into the tub when everything is shut off...that is a mystery to me and I have no other answer or solution I can think of.
Sorry if this is long...but I want to list all the conditions that might help in figuring this out, so with that all said.......
Any ideas?????? ;-)
peace out,
daddylogan
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