Water leaking from wall

[dustnbones]

I know this may sound strange but I’ve got water leaking out of the bathroom wall. Errr.. let me try and explain.
Last March the whole bathroom was gutted and a new shower installed. I’ve recently noticed the on the wall next to the shower, the paint became blistered. I stripped the paint away to see a damp salty deposit about 18 inches long. Then after having a shower I noticed drips of water below the salty deposit on the painted part of the wall. My problem is that I can’t see where the water comes from. It seems to just just slowly seep out of the wall. This happens all the time now and it’s driving me nuts It has nothing to do with water from the shower because the droplets appear at least ten minutes. Any ideas what it may be pleasseeee!!

 

[joe-90]

Check the seal between the shower tray and the wall.


joe

 

[dustnbones]

Check the seal between the shower tray and the wall.


joe

Hello Joe. The droplets are away from the seal and the mastic.

 

[Agile]

Do I take it that the pipework supplying the shower have been burried in the wall and plastered over?

Its not good practice but typical of a builder!

If thats the case then the normal thing to do would be to dig out the plaster and expose the pipes are fix the problem!

Tony Glazier

 

[dustnbones]

Do I take it that the pipework supplying the shower have been burried in the wall and plastered over?

Its not good practice but typical of a builder!

If thats the case then the normal thing to do would be to dig out the plaster and expose the pipes are fix the problem!

Tony Glazier

Hello Agile.
I think they have been fiited as you say.How should the pipes have been fiited? Have you heard of this problem before? I've never seen anything like this. It'll be a right pain if the tiles n plaster have to be removed.

 

[Softus]

Hello Agile.
I think they have been fiited as you say.How should the pipes have been fiited? Have you heard of this problem before? I've never seen anything like this. It'll be a right pain if the tiles n plaster have to be removed.

I see this all the time, and I daresay Agile does too.

It's usually one of two things - corrosion in copper pipe caused by attack from cement or flux, or a leaking coupling/fitting that should never have been buried.

It's inevitable that someone will have to break into the wall, even if it breaks your heart.

If I'm forced to bury copper in plaster then I avoid all fittings and wrap it in Denzo tape. If I can box it in then I do, still avoiding use of any fitting that can't be reached.

Quite often I use plastic pipe - if in plaster then run through conduit, if boxed in then no need.

 

[dustnbones]

Duhhhhhh...... sorry all. The shower isn't electric. It's plumbed from the taps. Still don't know what's causing the drops though.

 

[ChrisR]

The shower isn't electric

.
That wouldn't mak ea huge difference - they all have water..!
You haven't said where the pipes are! If you aren't sure what's behind the wall you could use a stud&pipe finder.
You've waited a few months, sooner or later you'll have to bite the bullet and break the tiles.

 

[Softus]

It's plumbed from the taps. Still don't know what's causing the drops though.

At the risk of stating the obvious, the drops are probably water coming from pipes that have been buried in the wall.

Can you recap on the type of shower and bath taps? It isn't clear what you mean when you say that the shower is plumbed from the taps, given that earlier in the posting you appeared to agree with Agile.

If it turns out that the shower pipes are not buried, then could you post information about the height of the shower head and the height of the damp patch?

 

[dustnbones]

The pipe runs under the bath which lead to the tap/shower mixer. The damp/salty deposit is about two feet down and two feet to the right from the shower head on the wall. The shower head is surrounded by tiling. The dripping is about two feet down below the salty/damp deposit.

 

[ChrisR]

http://www.screwfix.com/sfd/i/cat/81/p1122681_l.jpg

and

then.

 

[dustnbones]

Errrrr...me thinks I don't need a pipe locater if I know the pipe is under the bath

 

[Gasman1015]

Confusing, is the shower hose and head connected to the bath mixer tap.?

 

[Softus]

Errrrr...me thinks I don't need a pipe locater if I know the pipe is under the bath

Well, how is the shower head connected to the mixer? Surely there is a riser pipe buried in the wall - it's this wall that you're going to be attacking with the hammer. You can deduce where the pipe is, and risk getting it wrong, or alternatively you can make sure by using the pipe locator.

 

[dustnbones]

This is confusing to me. I thought that a pipe is connected to the sower mixer from under the bath, just like basin taps are connected to pipes.The shwer head is connected to the mixer tap via a hose