After taking a shower (1 piece shower-bath unit), I can hear what
sounds like a dripping in the wall. The plumbing on the shower in in
the wall to the bedroom, so placing ear on both sides I can hear it.
The sound is constant, every 8-10 seconds it will drip. Due to
consistency, I ruled out noise from tub expanding/contracting from hot
shower. No leaks show in the wall, under baseboard in bedroom, or
from down below (downstairs). After an hour or so the dripping stops.

Is this an actual drip or maybe pipes just making noise? If the pipe
were to leak/drip at a slow rate, wouldn't the water run down the pipe
rather than fall hitting floor in wall? I have considered cutting a
2'X2' in wall from bedroom to look at pipes and see if there is a
leak, but dread doing this as I am unfamiliar on patching the hole up
again so you wouldn't be able to see it was ever cut out (guess as
good a time as any to learn) as well as wall has a faux finish on it,
so attempting to redo that and blend it is also daunting.

Any hints or ideas? Thanks in advance

- Clayton

Malathan wrote:
After taking a shower (1 piece shower-bath unit), I can hear what
sounds like a dripping in the wall. The plumbing on the shower in in
the wall to the bedroom, so placing ear on both sides I can hear it.
The sound is constant, every 8-10 seconds it will drip. Due to
consistency, I ruled out noise from tub expanding/contracting from hot
shower. No leaks show in the wall, under baseboard in bedroom, or
from down below (downstairs). After an hour or so the dripping stops.

Is this an actual drip or maybe pipes just making noise? If the pipe
were to leak/drip at a slow rate, wouldn't the water run down the pipe
rather than fall hitting floor in wall? I have considered cutting a
2'X2' in wall from bedroom to look at pipes and see if there is a
leak, but dread doing this as I am unfamiliar on patching the hole up
again so you wouldn't be able to see it was ever cut out (guess as
good a time as any to learn) as well as wall has a faux finish on it,
so attempting to redo that and blend it is also daunting.

Any hints or ideas? Thanks in advance

- Clayton

Rule out pipe expansion by running the shower with only cold water for
ten minutes and listen for drip, then run full hot and listen. It is
usually the hot pipe that makes noise as it creaks through clamps.

Does it only leak when showering as opposed to just filling the tub?

Take off the trim plate for the valve(s) and look at the seals, water
may be getting behind them. You may need to put plumbers putty on the
back of them.

If it is only when showering try taking the showerhead goose neck off
with pliers and a rag. Replace the teflon tape and reinstall.

If you still hear the dripping go he
http://tinyurl.com/hp94w

good luck.

Malathan wrote:
After taking a shower (1 piece shower-bath unit), I can hear what
sounds like a dripping in the wall. The plumbing on the shower in in
the wall to the bedroom, so placing ear on both sides I can hear it.
The sound is constant, every 8-10 seconds it will drip. Due to
consistency, I ruled out noise from tub expanding/contracting from hot
shower. No leaks show in the wall, under baseboard in bedroom, or
from down below (downstairs). After an hour or so the dripping stops.


SNIP

If the waste piping is PVC, dripping *inside* the pipe
will sound like that and is normal.
Jim

On Mon, 25 Sep 2006 13:39:29 GMT, Speedy Jim wrote:

Malathan wrote:
After taking a shower (1 piece shower-bath unit), I can hear what
sounds like a dripping in the wall. The plumbing on the shower in in
the wall to the bedroom, so placing ear on both sides I can hear it.
The sound is constant, every 8-10 seconds it will drip. Due to
consistency, I ruled out noise from tub expanding/contracting from hot
shower. No leaks show in the wall, under baseboard in bedroom, or
from down below (downstairs). After an hour or so the dripping stops.


SNIP

If the waste piping is PVC, dripping *inside* the pipe
will sound like that and is normal.
Jim

Any way of telling the type of piping? House was built in 2000.

- Clayton

Excellent site for patching walls, Thank you.

Will do some additional checking/tests tonight. (fingers crossed)

- Clayton


On 25 Sep 2006 05:37:52 -0700, "RayV" wrote:


Malathan wrote:
After taking a shower (1 piece shower-bath unit), I can hear what
sounds like a dripping in the wall. The plumbing on the shower in in
the wall to the bedroom, so placing ear on both sides I can hear it.
The sound is constant, every 8-10 seconds it will drip. Due to
consistency, I ruled out noise from tub expanding/contracting from hot
shower. No leaks show in the wall, under baseboard in bedroom, or
from down below (downstairs). After an hour or so the dripping stops.

Is this an actual drip or maybe pipes just making noise? If the pipe
were to leak/drip at a slow rate, wouldn't the water run down the pipe
rather than fall hitting floor in wall? I have considered cutting a
2'X2' in wall from bedroom to look at pipes and see if there is a
leak, but dread doing this as I am unfamiliar on patching the hole up
again so you wouldn't be able to see it was ever cut out (guess as
good a time as any to learn) as well as wall has a faux finish on it,
so attempting to redo that and blend it is also daunting.

Any hints or ideas? Thanks in advance

- Clayton

Rule out pipe expansion by running the shower with only cold water for
ten minutes and listen for drip, then run full hot and listen. It is
usually the hot pipe that makes noise as it creaks through clamps.

Does it only leak when showering as opposed to just filling the tub?

Take off the trim plate for the valve(s) and look at the seals, water
may be getting behind them. You may need to put plumbers putty on the
back of them.

If it is only when showering try taking the showerhead goose neck off
with pliers and a rag. Replace the teflon tape and reinstall.

If you still hear the dripping go he
http://tinyurl.com/hp94w

good luck.

Malathan wrote:

On Mon, 25 Sep 2006 13:39:29 GMT, Speedy Jim wrote:


Malathan wrote:

After taking a shower (1 piece shower-bath unit), I can hear what
sounds like a dripping in the wall. The plumbing on the shower in in
the wall to the bedroom, so placing ear on both sides I can hear it.
The sound is constant, every 8-10 seconds it will drip. Due to
consistency, I ruled out noise from tub expanding/contracting from hot
shower. No leaks show in the wall, under baseboard in bedroom, or
from down below (downstairs). After an hour or so the dripping stops.


SNIP

If the waste piping is PVC, dripping *inside* the pipe
will sound like that and is normal.
Jim


Any way of telling the type of piping? House was built in 2000.

- Clayton


Built in 2000 is almost certainly PVC (or ABS).
If no basement, may be hard to actually see any of it.
I will say the drip you hear is normal pipe noise.

Jim