The bathroom, with all of its plumbing fixtures, is the place that’s most susceptible to leaks. Most of the time, people don’t realise the bath is leaking until mould develops or they find water leaking from the ceiling under the bathroom.
Why is the bathtub leaking?
Bathtub leaks should never be ignored, even if they only seem small. They will get larger and may lead to flooding. You already know mould can develop, so that’s another reason to not postpone the repair. So why is your bathtub leaking underneath?
- The bathtub is cracked –the first and probably most obvious cause could be a cracked bathtub. It’s not always noticeable, some cracks can be as fine as a hairline. The easiest way to check is to fill the bath with water, and then look closely for any areas that seem to be “sucked down”. If it is caused by a cracked bathtub, you can buy repair kits that are easy to implement.
- Taps are leaking –this is a common problem that is ignored a lot of the time. The constant dripping may start corroding the area it hits. If you have a screwdriver and adjustable wrench, you should be able to fix this yourself. However, sometimes it’s the tap itself that is the problem. In this case, you’ll be better off getting in touch with our team, which is rated one of the best plumbers in Bolton.
- Grout issues –it’s possible that the leak isn’t coming from the pipework or drainage system, but from the shrinkage of grout. Grout can shrink around tiles, which are always hit by water. This is an easy fix, you’ll just need to regrout the tiles with a mixture of silicone and grout. The two combined should create a moisture barrier.
Can a leaking bathtub be repaired?
Yes! In some cases, you can fix this yourself, depending on how bad it is. It’s important to pinpoint the source of the leak so you can fix it properly and not damage anything.
How to repair water leaking from bathtub drain
If you live in a property that has two storeys, and you notice water leaking from the ceiling under the bathtub, you need to replace the bathtub drain. This is an easy repair that’s cheap to carry out, but you’ll need several items:
- Tub drain remover wench
- A flathead screwdriver
- Plumbers putty
- A new drain
- Vacuum cleaner
And this is how to repair it:
- Place the wrench in the drain. This tool has two different ends for different drain sizes, choose the one with a snug fit.
- Put the screwdriver in the hole in the wrench for extra leverage and turn the wrench left to loosen the drain.
- Remove the drain.
- Scrape off the old plumber’s putty using the screwdriver and vacuum the area to remove any small pieces.
- Remove the gasket. If it’s in good shape, clean it and pop it back in. If it’s cracked it will need replacing.
- Put the new gasket inside and be careful it doesn’t fall in.
- Get a ball of plumbers putty and roll it, so it resembles a fat piece of spaghetti.
- Put the putty around the drain gently.
- Screw the drain back into the hole and tighten it fully.
- Remove any excess putty.
- Let the putty dry for 24 hours.
- Close the drain and run some water over it to test for potential leaks.
Fixing a leaking bathtub overflow pipe
The overflow tube prevents flooding and each tub has it. Its purpose is to not let any water rise above a certain level by channelling it back down into the drain pipes. In time, fittings can become loose and some of the water can spill out and drip beneath the tub.
Here’s how to check if the overflow pipe is the cause of the leak:
- Find your access wall panel, it’s usually on the side of the plumbing wall of your bathtub.
- Remove the panel.
- Look for water dripping from the plumbing. If there isn’t any, look inside to see if water is pooling behind the wall. Puddles are a sign that you might have a leak.
- Run the shower and splash water on the taps.
- Check behind the access panel again, if there’s no water there, it’s likely your overflow pipe is the problem.
How to fix the overflow drain:
- Unscrew the overflow cover plate. If there’s a bracket underneath, unscrew that as well.
- Pull out the overflow drain assembly along with the plug.
- Inspect the assembly and gasket. Parts of the overflow drain might be loose, corroded or clogged. The usual culprit though is an old, dry gasket.
- Remove the old gasket, if it’s too hard, use needle nose pliers.
- Clean the flange with rubbing alcohol.
- Insert a new gasket.
- Position the gasket in a way that the thickest side is at the bottom. Work it into place.
- Reattach the overflow cover plate.
Summary
You might have a leak under your bath because of cracks, old washers in the taps or old, damaged gaskets in the drains. Always fix the leak as soon as you notice it or it could become more serious.
