Part of owning a home is maintaining it. These responsibilities get bigger if you have an older home. In fact, you may not have even realised just how much work it actually needed when you bought it. If the problems you clash with include shower leaks behind the wall, you could end up with lasting damage to your walls and a sky-high water bill.

Typically, the leaking shower you see are the ones that are relatively easy to fix. It’s the leaks you can’t see that are the real threat. Often, you don’t even know there is a problem until you notice the damage. If you are facing these issues, we have a few quick tips on how to fix the problem and prevent more damage from occurring.

If shower leaks behind walls are a bigger project than you feel comfortable handling, then you must contact a professional shower leak repair service. There are times when you need to call in a professional, and this may very well be one of them.

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1. Signs of a Shower Leak Behind Wall

Shower leaks behind walls are not always easy to spot. In these cases, your detective skills will be most important. While you may not “see” an internal leak, you will find its evidence.

• If your shower is on the first floor and you have a basement you may find water dripping from the ceiling onto the basement floor.

• One of the tell-tale signs of a water leak coming from a shower valve behind the wall is water stains. If you have an upstairs bathroom, you may notice dried water stains on the ceiling below the shower. Most times shower valve leaks behind the wall are very slow. Usually, they are pinhole leaks from a faulty valve or sloppy soldering from the water connection points to the valve.

2. Determine Where Your Shower Is Leaking 

If your shower leaks behind the wall, most times you can’t tell from the front side of the shower. So, you have to do one of the two things.

1. Remove the shower plate to see if you have enough room around the valve to inspect the valve connections.
2. If you can, remove a portion of the wall behind the valve so you can inspect the valve and all associated piping.

3. Turn on the Shower 

The reality is many homes don’t have access to the shower valve from the backside of the valve. So, for many front side access is a must. Be that as it may, being able to watch the valve and surrounding piping while the water is on is the true test to see if your shower leaks behind the wall.

While it is running look for signs of water leaking. If you feel water trickling down the sides of the pipes, you have found your source. Sometimes, the leaks are faint, so you may need your flashlight and mirror to look for minute drops of water forming around the joints of the water pipes.

4. Fix a Leaking Shower Valve

Fixing a leaking shower valve to stop shower leaks behind the wall is a little trickier. When you turn on your tub/shower valve the hot and cold water enters the valve and mixes to the desired temperature.

If the valve is leaking from the valve stem you may simply have to turn off the water to the valve and replace the cartridge. If it is a leak from the valve body itself then the valve needs to be cut out and replaced. 

Fixing shower leaks behind the wall saves you money in water bills and expensive repairs. If the culprit is a leaking shower arm, the fix should be easy. A leaking shower valve may require a professional if you do not have the experience. Any time that you feel unsure, it is better to Call a Megasealed Shower Leak Repair expert than to let the problem persist.