Delta 1300 Series- Cold Water Leak Behind Shower Wall

[ivan1261]

I have a question on troubleshooting a leak in a remodel installation. Remodeled second floor bathroom- new toilet/tub/tile walls/tub/shower door and new Delta Monitor 1300 series w/ diverter- all installed by remodeling contractor

Three months after installation, I noticed the downstairs bathroom (condo, wet "column" build- downstairs bath under toilet/tub traps) ceiling "soft"- obvious water leakage. I opened up the ceiling and noticed a leak behind the wall coming down when the shower was in use- no matter if shower occupied or just water running - the water appears to be cold water only and is a pretty considerable leak- appears to be too much for leakage through wall. Leak takes about 45 sec-1 minute to develop.

No water leak when shower is off; does not "appear" to leak if tub only used- hard to tell, water is leaking down cold water copper (1/2 type L annealed) riser as well as inside wall.
I have retaped as well as pipe doped shower arm- no effect
Reviewed schematics for Delta 1300 series faucet- can there be a defect that would cause the cold water only leak during shower operation?

Have not taped a tarp to the wall to prevent water splash, but the size of the leak and the fact it happens occupied/unoccupied seems to rule out leak through new tile installation- any suggestions and guidance before I stick it to the remodeler and start ripping out walls?

[master plumber mark]

the 1300 valve is a pretty good one for the money

its not their best but seems to work pretty well...



if you can cut an access panel behind that faucet in a closet

or drywall in a hallway, you are probably going to find the pipe going

up to the shower head has not been soldered too good at the brass connection to the faucet..... thats a good guess anyway...


take the face plate off the faucet and look inside through the hole

if it is large enough.... if it is not , you can expand that hole in the tile

out to about 1/2 inch under the size of the face plate and possibly check it

out through there... and your contractor might be able to re-solder that

fitting through the front (if he knows what he is doing)

[hj]

By occupied/unoccupied I assume you mean whether or not someone is in the shower. That is not always a valid test of the tile, but in this case I would assume a leak at the shower arm's elbow, or, more likely, a crack in the shower arm outside the elbow where tape would not seal it.

[ivan1261]

Thanks for the responses- it's a little confusing in that the water leaking is dead cold even when I have the faucet hard over max hot. It couldn't cool down that quickly so it has to be a cold water side leak. I will check out the suggestions.

I don't believe it's a leak through the tile- the tile is new, grout sealed and underlayment is Durock (replacing the sheetrock there previously).

[ivan1261]

PS- unable to cut access as the piping is in the common wall of a multi unit townhome.