How do I find a leak coming from my shower and tub?

Here's How You Find That Pesky Leak

Here at the Twin Plumbers, the Los Angeles Home Experts, we wanted to share with you some steps you can take to locate the source of a leak coming from your shower or tub. This should give you some insight before you choose to hire a plumber, so you know what you’re paying for and are able to to talk the lingo upon his arrival. Speaking his language should give you an advantage and hopefully save you some money! First, we wanted to paint a picture for you as to what it looks like inside the wall , that way you have a better idea on the necessary steps to take for the leak detection process.In addition to this image, there are about 20 connections total that must be looked at within a tub and shower that can cause a leak or multiple leaks. The first step we always recommend here at the Twin Plumbers is to perform moisture readings using a moisture device. (You can pick one up for about $25.00) This will direct you to a point of where to start accessing: if the moisture levels are higher in one area and not the other, then more than likely you’re getting closer to the actual source. The other benefit of using a moisture reader is that you can determine how far the water is migrating to control the clean up or dry down once you have repaired & stopped the leak. Here’s a video of our own Dave, one of the Twins, using a moisture device:

Most of the time, a shower or tub has easy access behind the plumbing, meaning you don’t need to open the tile inside the shower or tub to access plumbing. Look behind the shower stall or tub, if your really lucky there will be an access panel or simple dry wall that you can open up and very cost affective to replace right behind the plumbing.

If you need to open up, measure from the center of the fixture inside the shower then mark it off on the other side. We always recommend to start opening near the base boards and from there follow signs of water dripping from there. It may lead you to go up further or to the sides. Keep in mind if you think its a long term leak, please be cautious, there can be a significant amount of mold that had been created. We have seen even professional plumbers open up a wall, causing a secondary issue with cross contamination into the indoor air.

You can do your own test to help locate your own leak! Here’s a video of Jim with some leak detection advice:

If your shower or tub is on slab foundation, and ruled everything out above, then more than likely you will need to hire a company that has leak detection equipment to pin point where the leak is below the foundation.

When it comes to pricing for leak detection for a shower or tub, you can expect to pay between a low $89.00 to $950.00. Just make sure you ask your service provider before you hire for a quote before they start the work, this will prevent a surprised bill at the end.

If your need of some more information or would like to use the twin home experts for your leaks, feel free to contact our Los Angeles or Arizona locations, we are here to help. We want to thank you for visiting our site today.

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