Leaky pipe - $$$

[disneysteve]

DW went downstairs to get the laundry last night and discovered water running down the wall. Just what every homeowner wants to see, especially at 10:00 on a Sunday night. I called the plumber and got a call back about 10:30. He showed up about 11:15. An hour and $250 later, we knew not much more than we had. A drain pipe was leaking, probably from our shower, but he couldn't identify the exact location of the leak because the wall on which the water was dripping has no plumbing in it. That means the water is leaking somewhere else and running along a beam somewhere in the wall/ceiling to escape along that wall.

He said he could start cutting holes all around to find the source, but he doesn't recommend it. He gave us the name of a leak detection company that uses other equipment to locate the leak without cutting into the walls and ceilings. I called them this morning and am waiting for a call back.

All I know is that however this plays out, the EF will be taking a hit. I guess that's what it's for, right?

[myself]

Originally Posted by disneysteve

DW went downstairs to get the laundry last night and discovered water running down the wall. Just what every homeowner wants to see, especially at 10:00 on a Sunday night. I called the plumber and got a call back about 10:30. He showed up about 11:15. An hour and $250 later, we knew not much more than we had. A drain pipe was leaking, probably from our shower, but he couldn't identify the exact location of the leak because the wall on which the water was dripping has no plumbing in it. That means the water is leaking somewhere else and running along a beam somewhere in the wall/ceiling to escape along that wall.

He said he could start cutting holes all around to find the source, but he doesn't recommend it. He gave us the name of a leak detection company that uses other equipment to locate the leak without cutting into the walls and ceilings. I called them this morning and am waiting for a call back.

All I know is that however this plays out, the EF will be taking a hit. I guess that's what it's for, right?

Ouch!

Another reason that I video-taped our entire house, before sheet-rock was put on (and all electrical/plumbing/duct-work was in place).

Good luck with that!

[disneysteve]

Originally Posted by myself

Another reason that I video-taped our entire house, before sheet-rock was put on (and all electrical/plumbing/duct-work was in place).

That's a great idea. Of course, our house was built in 1964 and we didn't buy it until 30 years later, so no such luck here.

[Joan.of.the.Arch]

Oh, sorry that happened to you, Diz. Hey, "myself," that is smart--videoing the guts of the home before the skins of the walls go up. But if you built, don't you have plans, too? Also, Diz, I appreciate learning that there is such a thing as a leak detection company. Never heard of it before.

Fortunately the plumbing in our house is clustered all in the same area and a lot of it is accessible through cabinets or closets where we do not have to tear up viewable walls to get to it. Ooo, except there is that area where pipes come and go to the second floor behind floor-to-ceiling antique vitreous tile. Still, I think we could pull those pipes from above or below.

My biggest plumbing fear is having a leak in the sewer line which is rather long, very deep, and passes underneath the floor of our garage. And there have been a lot of sewer problems in the neighborhood, so we've got our fingers crossed.

[disneynutt]

Ouch - I definitely feel your pain. I just paid the plumber $50 for 5 minutes worth of work! We had a "sewage smell" between our three bathrooms (the smell was in the area of the staircase and we have 2 bathrooms on the second level and one on the first). The plumber came in and said the cause for the smell was the shower on the first level. We never use it, and because the tray was empty, the smell was permeating. So I paid $50 for the plumber to tell me to turn on the shower every few days so it won't smell. Oh well, at least we found the cause of the odor!! Could have been worse!

[myself]

Originally Posted by Joan.of.the.Arch

Hey, "myself," that is smart--videoing the guts of the home before the skins of the walls go up. But if you built, don't you have plans, too?

Yes, we do have the plans too. However, the plans don't show all electrical/plumbing/duct-work runs. All they show, is basically the elevation of the house, how far off the road that it sits, and the walls with only a rough structure of what the walls really look like.

[shopgirl]

Ugh what a pain! Was the plumber at least able to turn the water off until the detection people could get there?

[disneysteve]

Originally Posted by shopgirl

Ugh what a pain! Was the plumber at least able to turn the water off until the detection people could get there?

Thankfully, it is a drain pipe leaking, not a supply pipe. As long as we don't run that shower, there is no leak. We've got another shower we can use until it is repaired.

[Fern]

oh, what a nightmare. Horrible. Cutting holes in walls to find a leak. My sympathies.

[LivingAlmostLarge]

Go to it. Hurry before mold sets in and you have to dry out the walls and insulation. That's expensive and a pain.

[dreamweaver]

Must be in the air. Walked by the spare bedroom on my way out the door to work yesturday....and heard water dripping. From the ceiling.

So I ripped off work clothes, got the ladder and crawled into darkness. It seems that the person who installed the heat pump didn't feel the need to glue the elbow where the condensation pipe (pvc) connects. So. I glued it. Today went to the company and informed the person who installed it that it was a sad day when I could plum better than he.

Figure replacing the drywall in the ceiling, the wall and the custom paint is going to cost a bit. And this house is less than two years old....

Insurance company asked if I had taken a picture of the pipe before I fixed it....to prove it was disconnected. Well......no. But my glue is purple...

[boefixepa]

dream I hope it is the insurance company form the heat pump people and not your own, you shouldn't have to pay for those repairs.

Disneynut, during my college days I heard a similar story, but it was a very different reaction. Went something like this:

A lady could not get rid if the 'sewer' smell in her mchanical room in her basement. Finally in desperation she broke down and called a plumber. He took one look, much like yours, and knew it was because the trap in the floor drained had dried up. The traps 'trap' a bit of water in them, thus blocking the sewer gas from coming back up the drain and smelling. If water is not run down them they eventually evaporate dry and thus the smell. Well he went over to sink filled a small bucket and poured it down the drain and explained it to the women and asked for his $50.00. The women was soooo beside herself that the solution was so simple and that he had the nerve to ask for $50 for pouring a bucket of water down the drain, that she took the bucket and beat him with it all the way out of the house....

It happened to my teachers plumber friend back in the day... it was a good story, needless to say the plumber didn't bother with trying to collect his well earned fee. Sometimes knowledge is more valuable then skill.

Disney Steve, You probably felt like I did when I noticed water dripping from my ceiling speaker....water is not suppose to drip from a ceiling speaker! Mine was a simple overflowing washer courtisy of a lazy roommate and easily fixed thank goodness, but oh that sinking feeling....