Shower/tub water leak

[David Gilley]

Bought this 1952 home a few months ago. As for any old house, always things to fix. The new issue that has me baffled is the lead in the shower/tub area. It is a tub with a shower assembly.

I noticed in the basement that when the shower was running there was a up of water coming from the area of the sub floor near where all the water and drainage lines are located. I opened the access door behind the shower to find the picture attached.

When the water is running to the tub only, there doesn’t seem to be a water leak. When the diverted is turned for the shower, there begins to be a water leak that seems to deep down between the tile and backboard, just under hot/cold/shower diverted pipes, to the tub lip and then drips to the sub floor.

I replaced the shower diverted but that didn’t fix the problem. Any suggestions on what the issue could be? Help. Please

 

[Reach4]

When the diverted is turned for the shower, there begins to be a water leak that seems to deep down between the tile and backboard, just under hot/cold/shower diverted pipes, to the tub lip and then drips to the sub floor.

You might try clarifying that description.
While viewing the area in your photo, what is the highest point that you see unwanted water?

 

[Sponsor]

 

[David Gilley]

Looking at the picture provided. The highest point I can see and feel water is just at the bottom of all the pipe fitting going to the tub. So the three ports in a line. Right at the bottom of those.

 

[Reach4]

Would that be place R in the marked-up photo?

 

[David Gilley]

K and L area down

 

[Reach4]

Tie a strip of cloth above A and see if that gets wet.

 

[David Gilley]

Just did that and the cloth did not get wet.

 

[Reach4]

You could try replacing the K-M and O-R elbow and the nipple the spout is on. It would be good to get rid of galvanized anyway.

Maybe a thin mirror could let you see where the water comes from, or maybe try wrapping a cloth strip at K and at L to see what gets wet then.

 

[David Gilley]

Just to give an update. The leak has been found and fixed. It was the hot water handle st assembly. Just a few minutes. One more trip to the plumbing supply store and no more leaks. Thanks for the help.

 

[David Gilley]

And now a new issue just started last night. So hot water pressure drops within seconds in the shower and then a loud rattle in the pipes. Any thoughts on this one?

 

[Reach4]

And now a new issue just started last night. So hot water pressure drops within seconds in the shower and then a loud rattle in the pipes. Any thoughts on this one?

See if the hot water flow from other fixtures is affected during this time.

 

[David Gilley]

Yeah. Kitchen and 1st floor bathroom sink(same bathroom) pressure gets low. Water pressure is low on 2nd floor too. Just not the shake.

 

[David Gilley]

When the shake and noise begin. The flow of hot water is completely gone in the shower.

 

[Reach4]

Just to give an update. The leak has been found and fixed. It was the hot water handle st assembly. Just a few minutes. One more trip to the plumbing supply store and no more leaks. Thanks for the help.

Get a garden hose thread pressure gauge. They are cheap and very available. Attach it to the drain for the water heater, and open the valve. If the problem is the water heater heat trap on the output, the pressure gauge will not show a big pressure drop during the problem. If that gauge shows a significant drop during the episode, look to the heat trap on the cold side.

The heat traps are not the only possibilities, but they would be the prime suspects.

 

[Jadnashua]

Did this all start after you shut the water off to the WH? The WH shutoff valve may need a new washer.

On the new valve stem, if the washer was loose, it can flutter and make banging noises...sometimes, enough to shut the water off.