Is camera down tub drain an option?

[TimR]

I have water from a tub coming through the ceiling downstairs.

Looking close, I see an old patch at that location, it appears the previous owner had the same problem. The patch is small though, about 2 inches square, so I don't see how they fixed it.

I'm pretty sure I'll need to cut the ceiling to do it right but I'd like to know what I'm getting into first. Has anyone succeeded in running one of those cheap cameras down a tub drain, or is that a lost cause?

I've run the water with the access plate behind the tub open, and there's no trace of a leak there, so I think it has to be the drain. I've measured, and the spot on the ceiling is directly under the tub drain.

[trader_4]

Why waste time when you know the ceiling has to be opened to fix it anyway? I'm all for using a camera where it can save work, locate where a problem really is, etc, but that isn't the case here. And the camera is good at showing blockages, a totally broken pipe, which you don't have here. A camera inside the pipe isn't likely to show anything for a typical leak. You'd be better off drilling a hole in the ceiling and putting a cam in there, but again, why bother?

What kind of drain pipe? How old? If it's steel and 50 years old, then you might have a bigger project than just an isolated leak. If it's ABS/PVC, then you just have the leak.

[Bill]

Drywall is cheap.  Cut an access hole, fix your plumbing and then tape, mud and paint and your done.

[BQ340]

Drill a small hole into the patch & run camera up thru it, you will prob see more than from inside of the pipe?

Mike

[TimR]

Can't do that, I haven't bought the camera yet. This is partly just an excuse to buy one more tool. You can never have too many.

Any recommendations?

[Tekkie®]

trader_4 posted for all of us...

+1 It may be a leak around the tub...

[krw]

If you then drill a small hole in the pipe, you'll _know_ where your leak is.

[Tekkie®]

[e-mail] posted for all of us...

If one drills a 4" hole through the ceiling through all piping and into the tub then a certainty exists. Get a 55 gal drum and place strategically under the hole. Problem solved.

So how is the problem troubleshooting?

[TimR]

revious owner had the same problem. The patch is small though, about 2 inc hes square, so I don't see how they fixed it.

like to know what I'm getting into first. Has anyone succeeded in running one of those cheap cameras down a tub drain, or is that a lost cause?

ere's no trace of a leak there, so I think it has to be the drain. I've me asured, and the spot on the ceiling is directly under the tub drain.

Here's my update. A little googling said the most likely causes were a lea k around the drain connection or bad caulk around the tub.

I managed to get the foot joint out of the tub. The washer came out in tin y little 1/8th inch brittle pieces and the plumber's putty was in bad shape . so that's job one, I got a new washer last night and will redo that part tonight after work. I tried Home Depot and they said no such thing, just use a lot of putty. Lowes had the right washer.

I also found places where the tub caulk had gaps, so that's next.

I'm hoping not to have to cut the ceiling but if this doesn't fix it that s eems to be next. We have another shower so I can do this job slowly.

[Tekkie®]

TimR posted for all of us...

Be prepared to remove all the old caulk because the new won't stick to the old.

[TimR]

That was the second hardest part of the job.

The hardest part was smoothing the silicone caulk. I never used silicone c aulk before and it is a bit trickier. I really wish I'd watched a youtube before instead of after, as there are some tricks to smoothing it.

It says to wait 24 hours so I'll test it tomorrow.

[krw]

That was my problem.

Good plan.

Cutting the ceiling isn't usually a problem. Often the ceiling is damaged by the time the leak is noticed and really needs to be repaired anyway. The hardest part is repainting the ceiling. It's not a big job.

[TimR]

leak around the drain connection or bad caulk around the tub.

tiny little 1/8th inch brittle pieces and the plumber's putty was in bad sh ape. so that's job one, I got a new washer last night and will redo that p art tonight after work. I tried Home Depot and they said no such thing, ju st use a lot of putty. Lowes had the right washer.

t seems to be next. We have another shower so I can do this job slowly.

Last night I did what I should have done first.

I ran a length of tubing into the drain past the footjoint so the gap I'd f ound where the bad putty and gasket were wouldn't be a factor. I ran a gal lon of water into the drain with no drip downstairs.

That makes me confident the new gasket and caulk may work. I got the gaske t in last night, that was a pain in the rear. It's bigger than the hole an d the drain has to be depressed a little to get it in, I needed three hands . Today I'll silicone it up after work.

[TimR]

Update: I replaced the gasket and silicone caulked the drain joint.

I re-caulked the inside of the tub at the wall.

The next day I noticed there was caulk on the outside of the tub at the floor in bad shape, so I replaced all that too. Silicone caulk is nasty stuff to do a neat job with, if you're not used to it.

And finally. Ran the shower last night, no drip on the ceiling downstairs.

Thanks for the help.

Now I need to replace a small piece of damaged drywall on the downstairs ceiling.

The only bad part, I didn't get to buy the camera. Maybe for the next job.

[Tekkie®]

TimR posted for all of us...

Be creative, you need it for the next job!

[krw]

What I do is place some toilet paper around where I made the repairs (and elsewhere I think there may be a leak). Wetted toilet paper is obvious, even after it dries. Also, make sure you take a bath/shower/whatever in the tub and check for leaks before you declare victory. Weight in the tub can change everything.

You'd better be prepared!

[Tekkie®]

[e-mail] posted for all of us...

Your post reminded me what to tell the OP. He should fill the tub with water prior to caulking. That's so caulk compresses. I am probably too late as I think he has already finished...

[TimR]

e floor in bad shape, so I replaced all that too. Silicone caulk is nasty stuff to do a neat job with, if you're not used to it.

I would definitely have done that with a vinyl tub, but this one seemed to be ceramic, so I skipped that step. Especially since I had to be inside th e tub to do the caulking.........

[Tekkie®]

TimR posted for all of us...

the floor in bad shape, so I replaced all that too. Silicone caulk is nast y stuff to do a neat job with, if you're not used to it.

airs ceiling.

o be ceramic, so I skipped that step. Especially since I had to be inside the tub to do the caulking.........

Did the rubber duckie get in the way? ;)

[trader_4]

e floor in bad shape, so I replaced all that too. Silicone caulk is nasty stuff to do a neat job with, if you're not used to it.

Funny, I thought the whole idea of putting water in the tub was so the weight will expand any gaps around where the wall tile meets the tub so that the caulk better fill it.