Is there a mysterious leak that’s suddenly shown up in your bathroom? A mysterious bathroom leak can have many causes and solutions. Let’s check some of the most common ones before you panic or your floor gets damaged. Most of these are very easy to fix, so you’ve probably got nothing to worry about. So, let’s get to it.
Toilet Tank Is Loose
If you’ve been noticing some water near the base of your toilet, or running away from it, you might be thinking the worst. Is the toilet cracked? Is the seal broken? Probably not! If the stream of water is slow enough that it’s drying up before making it very far, it’s probably the tank.
The tank of your toilet is filled with water. This is so that, when you flush, there’s immediately a high pressure source of water to fill the bowl and push everything down. Unfortunately, because of that high pressure, if the bolts holding it to the base of the toilet get even slightly loose, it can leak a bit. The great news is, it’s extremely easy to fix.
On either side of the toilet, under the tank, there are bolts. Sometimes they’re plain bolts and sometimes they’re large wingnuts that can be turned by hand. By hand or with a wrench, tighten these up. Over the following day, a bit more water may appear. If, after drying that up, there is more water, you may need to call a professional from Reliable Drain & Plumbing in Toronto. If it goes away, your problem is solved.
Sink Drain Pipe Is Loose or Cracked
If there’s water in the cabinet under your sink, it’s probably from the sink drain pipe. This may seem obvious, but many people don’t notice this until the water leaves the cabinet. Whenever there’s a leak in your bathroom where the source is a mystery, check the cabinet. The curved pipe directly under the sink is often the culprit of bathroom leaks.
If the drain pipe doesn’t stop leaking when its bolts are tightened, there’s a good chance it’s cracked. Because these drain pipes are often made of plastic, they’re sensitive to temperature changes. If your home gets cold each winter and hot each summer, it’s probable that it simply began to develop cracks over time. Replacing this pipe is easy, as most hardware stores have them in abundance.
To prevent this from happening to the next one, take a further look into bathroom drain insulation and antifreeze.
People Aren’t Closing the Shower Curtain Enough
Embarrassing though it may be, one of the common causes of a “mysterious bathroom leak” is people not closing the shower curtain enough. This is common in households with many people. One person leaves a 6 inch gap between the curtain and wall, some of the water sprays out and gathers into a puddle, and someone else finds it later, thinking it’s a leak. If you have kids, check with each of them that they’re shutting the curtain all the way and drying the floor when they’re done. See if anything changes.
None of These?
If none of these seem like the right cause for your mysterious bathroom leak, you might just need a professional to come and take a look. Give us a call at Reliable Drain & Plumbing and we’ll come and check things out for you. If there’s something bigger going on, we can get to the bottom of it in no time.
