Case Study – Leaking Shower in Avondale Heights

Matt, our Operations Manager, received a call from a concerned customer whose parent’s home in Avondale Heights had a significant water leak coming through the ceiling into the kitchen downstairs. The customer, Kon, was concerned as there was a light fitting in the leak area that was creating an even greater risk. From the customer’s description, it appeared water was leaking through the ceiling every time the shower was being used upstairs.

Matt explained the charge out rates and Kon was happy to proceed, so Matt decided it to be a job for an emergency plumber and organised a plumber to attend at a time that suited both Kon and his parents.

Arrival on Site & Investigation

Kasey, one of our expert female plumbers, arrived on time at 7.30am and after discussing with Kon where the leak was occurring, she began to carry out her initial visual inspection.

From her initial inspection, it was clear that the problem was directly related to the upstairs shower.

Identifying the Cause

Kasey began by carrying out a pressure test on the hot and cold water pipes to the shower head by removing the shower head and installing a pressure gauge. She then turned on the hot water tap, which showed no sign of a leak. Kasey then followed the same procedure with the cold water tap and once again no leak was apparent.

A visual inspection of the shower enclosure showed no obvious signs where water could be leaking through to downstairs. All tile grout and silicone caulking appeared to be in sound order, so was eliminated as the cause of the water leak.

The next test Kasey tried was to run the shower. She explained to Kon that she suspected this would cause water to leak through the ceiling as it was looking like it was the shower drain that was leaking as she had eliminated all other possibilities. Unfortunately for Kon and his parents, this was the most intrusive cause as she needed to cut a section of plaster below the shower to gain access to the shower drainpipe. Kasey showed Kon where the hole needed to be cut and gained approval before installing her drop sheet and removing the section of plaster.

Once the plaster was cut away, Kasey was able to access the ceiling space and the shower drainpipe.

The plaster area and insulation were soaked, she ran the shower briefly and sure enough water started to leak from the PVC shower waste trap.

The water was turned off, then further investigation of the trap was carried out. Kasey’s initial thought was the rubber O-ring seals in the trap may have perished but upon a closer inspection she found something we don’t often encounter when looking for water leaks…

It appeared a thirsty rodent had chewed through the water trap from the shower. A section of the trap had been chewed through and the cause of the water leak. Every time the shower was used, it would leak into the ceiling and through to the kitchen below.

Repairing the Drainpipe & Testing

Kasey showed Kon what was causing the leak and advised him to engage pest controllers to eliminate the possibility of it occurring again. She then proceeded to carry out the necessary repairs.

Whilst onsite, Kasey was asked if she could also repair some leaking taps that Kon’s father had attempted to repair himself without any luck. Once all jobs were complete, Kasey cleaned up and removed all the rubbish from site.

Another Happy Customer

Kon was extremely happy with the outcome and the efficiency with which Kasey was able to diagnose the fault and carry out the repairs. Matt, our Operations Manager, received a text message from Kon that evening simply reading…

“Kasey is a gun”. Thanks Kon!

Do you have a water leak in your home?

Essendon Plumbing Services have been maintaining, repairing, and replacing leaking pipes for over 30 Years. So, call us on 1300 193 298 and we will send one of our experienced and registered plumbers to investigate.