Leak in your bathtub
Before you can repair the leak in your bathtub, you will first need to identify where the leak is coming from. Here’s a list to help make finding that leak easier. If you have had no experience at all, finding a leak all by yourself can be a never ending cat-and-mouse game. There are generally five different areas where a bathtub leak may occur.
- Faucet
Aged faucets are the most like cause of bathtub leaks and they can be easily fixed by replacing the washer and sealing the valve threads with plumber’s tape. Before you start unscrewing any faucets, make sure you have the water supply shut off or be prepared to face an unwanted waterfall in your bathroom. Also, always use the proper tools when dealing with faucets as some faucets can get easily damaged, especially if they are made out of PVC.
- Grout
This type of leak is not actually a leak. After a period of time, the tile grout where the shower stream hits and splashes shrinks around the tiles, causing water to rundown behind the tiles on the floor. All you need to do is to locate the area where the tile grout has shrunk and to re-grout the tile.
- Bathtub Body
For this kind of leaks, fill the tub up with water and turn off the taps. This leak is easily identifiable as there will usually be a reddish-brown rust stain along the crack. When this happens, it is time to replace your existing tub with a new one. However, not all reddish-brown stains indicate a crack in your bathtub body. When you notice such stains, fill the tub up with water as you would to identify whether or not it is a crack. It might just be a stubborn rust stain that you can easily remove with proper cleaning supplies.
- Overflow Pipe
You know when your overflow pipe is leaking when the ceiling directly beneath your bathtub starts getting mouldy. To overcome leaking overflow pipes, simply replace the bevelled rubber washer that can be found between the back of the bathtub and the overflow pipe.
- Drain
Drainage leaks usually result from outlet pipe clogs. You should first try to use chemical cleaners to unclog the pipe. If that does not work, try pouring a half-cup of baking soda followed by a half-cup of vinegar down the clogged drain. Wait for three hours and then try your drain again. Be prepared to clean up a very big mess created by the vinegar-baking soda combination.
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