Found a leak in the bathroom? Here's what to do

By Benjamin Clarke | Published on 11th May 2021

If you've discovered a leak in your bathroom then it's very important to identify the source and deal with it quickly. Leaks do not tend to go away on their own and small leaks can quickly turn into big leaks, with water damage often proving very costly to repair.

Often, the first time a bathroom leak is noticed is when watermarks appear on the ceiling of the room below. This is a sign of a serious problem within the plumbing and you must call a plumber immediately to stem the flow and get to the heart of the issue.

Leaks in bathrooms normally originate from the same places, so if you're aware of where these spots eye then you can keep on top of the situations and nip any issues in the bud before they become big, expensive problems.

Leaks from the shower

Check that your shower head is clean and spraying water directly down into the shower, not at weird angles out of the side of your shower cubicle. Likewise, routinely check your shower hose is in good working order and that it isn't leaking any water outside of your shower.

You should also check the rubber seals on your shower door to ensure that they have not perished and letting water through. Additionally, checking the silicone seals around your shower tray are solid and not full of holes or mould is also very important.

Even something simple like making sure your shower door is shut or your shower curtain hangs inside the shower can make a huge difference to stop water from leaking out of the shower enclosure.

The reason this is so important is because these types of initially innocuous leaks can cause some serious damage over time. Wooden floorboards and joists that consistently get wet can swell and rot, often leading to major repair work to your flooring. Walls that are regularly soaked with water can become damp, mouldy and crumbly, making them look unsightly and possibly structurally unsound.

Keep an eye out for puddles on the floor and try and locate the source of them as quickly as possible so either you or a professional can get them dealt with.

Leaks from your bathtub

Similarly to showers, water leaking out of bathtubs can cause serious damage to walls and flooring.

The seals around your bath should be checked to ensure they are secure and not letting water down the side of the bath. Any shower-over-bath set-up should either have a good quality shower screen with firm rubber seals or a shower curtain that falls inside the bath.

The big difficulty with a bath is that most of the pipework is hidden behind a wall or under a bath so any leaks from the pipes are often not discovered until a large amount of damage has been done. If you are able to access the plumbing for your bath, periodically check and see if everything is dry. If not call a plumber immediately.

Leaks from your toilet

A toilet leak can be very messy and very expensive if not dealt with quickly, so any concerns about the integrity of your toilet's plumbing should be addressed immeditely.

The most common place for a leak is the connection between the toilet and the waste pipe. If your toilet is loose and moves around slightly when you sit on it, then get this seen to as soon as possible. A loose toilet can rapidly get very loose and cause the main body to pull away from the waste pipe. Additionally, keep any eye on the point the toilet meets the floor and check that the seals between them are firm and secure.

If any water is leaking from a toilet in your hoe then don't delay and call out a plumber as soon as you possible can.

Leaks from a sink or basin

If pipes or pipe joints on a sink become compromised, then water will slowly leak out onto the floor at regular intervals. Over time this can causes swelling to the floor below and cause similar problems to the floorboards and joists to a leaking shower.

Keep an eye out for water forming at the base of a sink and every now and then feel around the underneath where the pipes connect to the taps and make sure the connection is tight and dry.

Fortunately, leaks from basins and sinks are generally discovered more quickly and cause less water damage than a shower leak, but they should nevertheless be fixed as soon as possible.

Call a professional plumber

If you have discovered leak, or you think that a fault in your bathroom could potentially lead to a leak then get it look at by a professional plumber. Water damage is among the most destructive and expensive to deal with when it comes to problems in the home so it's absolutely worth taking an overly-cautious approach and getting something inspected by a professional at the first sign of trouble.

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