Leaking ceiling

[MiikeB]

So I have a small area, about 3" in diameter in my first floor ceiling (underneath second floor bathroom) that has a small hole in it. I had covered the whole with a drywall repair kit but there is water that seems to drip out of the whole when something is running like the dishwasher or a toilet upstairs is flushed.

Any idea if this is something I can fix myself? If I have to call someone any estimates on what it might cost to repair? Should I call my homeowners insurance about this (no home warranty though)?

[noppenbd]

You probably have a leaky waste pipe (possibly a supply pipe but that would leak all the time, not just when something is running). Either way you should call a plumber immediately. It should not be too expensive to fix. Get 2-3 estimates if possible. Don't bother with your homeowner's insurance for this.

[maat55]

If you are not handyman inclined, call a plummer. If you like a challenge, cut a 8 inch square out around the hole and see if you can find the leak. It may be running down the pipe a ways before it drips. If you can see the leak, fix it and put in a new cut of drywall.

Doing this yourself will save a ton, but you have to know how to fix the ceiling as well as the leak. Good luck.

[cipixul]

ofcourse doing it yourself would be the best thing. if you can do it, do it, but this is no light bulb switching job to just do it yourself. maybe it's wise to ask someone to fix it but don't wait any longer.

[Fern]

If you pay for city water and have a meter in your basement like i do, you can first confirm that it is a leaky pipe by taking a meter reading in the a.m. before you go to work, then doing a second reading when you come home at night (assuming no one's home during the day). If the reading has changed, you know you have a leaky pipe.

Making a homeowners claim for such a relatively small item isn't really worth it as it could make your policy premium go up. Call a plumber. But before doing that, make sure the water you see on the ceiling isn't caused by someone not properly using the shower curtain when showering and allowing water to seep out thru the floor.