Imagine you’ve just stepped out of the bathtub after a relaxing session. You step onto the tiles only discover a massive pool of water on the floor. Yikes! Well, unless you got carried away and splashed about in the bath, you probably have a leak.
Depending on the source of the leak, you can either try to fix the problem yourself or hire a waterproofing specialist. Let’s take a look at what you need to do when your bath is leaking:
Find the Leak
There’s a few key areas where bathtubs leak and the most common places are:
- The faucet drip
- The grout
- Bathtub body
- Overflow pipe
- The drain
The faucet and grout are the easiest places to spot the leak. Simply let the water run and see if water spills out of either spot. If nothing comes out, then you can tick those areas off the list.
There’s a simple test you can do to find out if the bathtub itself is leaking. First, make sure the outside of the tub is completely dry. Then wrap old newspaper around the body of the tub and fill the inside with water. Once the bath is full, check the newspaper for any damp or wet spots.
If you discover any wet areas, the tub is most likely damaged and will need repairing. Your local waterproofing expert will be able to perform general surface repairs for cracks, chips and splits.
Not sure what to do when your bath is leaking? Call Shower Sealed on 1300 519 133 to find out the cause and solution to your leaking bathtub.
Inspect and Repair the Faucet
Before you check the faucet, be sure to switch off the hot and cold water supply. Then open the faucet and allow the water supply to drain completely.
How you disassemble the faucet will depend on the type you have. That’s because each type of faucet has different internal components. For most common faucets, you’ll need to remove a plastic cap that covers the screws and keeps the handle in place. Use the flat blade of a screwdriver to remove the plastic cap.
From there you’ll need to remove the packing nut along with any old washers and gaskets. Grab yourself a new batch of washers and gaskets then place them inside the faucet.
Finally be sure to replace the faucet and handle then tightly secure them in place. Turn the water back on and check for potential leaks.
Fix the Drain
After regular exposure to water, bathtub drains can begin to rust, corrode and fall apart. Therefore, they need to be replaced.
Just like before, there’s a way to test and find out if the bathtub drain is leaking. First, fill the bathtub with water and let it drain. If you see water start to trickle under the shoe tube connection (the shoe tube connects to a pipe that allows drain water to pass through), then you’ve got a leaky drain.
First, remove the drain stopper with your hand by turning it counter clockwise. From there you’ll need to remove the drain strainer. Depending on the type of drain strainer you have, you may need a special extraction tool. These can be found at your local hardware store. Once you have the tool, unscrew the bathtub drain strainer counter clockwise until it disconnects from the plug.
From there, you’ll need to thoroughly clean the drain seating area. The purpose of cleaning this section is because you’ll need to apply a fresh batch of plumbers putty onto it. What is plumber’s putty, you may ask? An odourless, non-staining compound that adheres to the surface of the bathtub. Thanks to its excellent water resistance, it’ll form a watertight seal around the drain plug.
After you’ve applied fresh putty to the surface, re-install the drain plug and the screen. Fill up the tub with water and drain to see if any leaks appear.
Still not sure what do you when your bath is leaking? Get in touch with the professionals at Shower Sealed for expert advice and support. For a free no-obligation quote, call 1300 519 133 or fill out the online form.
