But leaking water supply pipes inside the walls are much more serious since they can damage wood and ceiling surfaces below the tub.
Water leaking from bathtub.
If you cannot find the main valve turn off your home s main water supply lines instead.
Turn the handle or handles to the on position and let all remaining water from the pipes drain into the bathtub.
The location of the leak helps determine some steps to take before your plumber arrives but step number one should always be.
Grout and caulk leaks.
One of the most common types of leaking occurs when the mortar grout lines or the caulking between a bathtub shower and the walls develop cracks or gaps.
When a tub leak appears often the impulse is to tear out the ceiling from below in an effort to fix the drain trap when in reality it may be the overflow tube that needs tightening or a replacement gasket the overflow drain is very likely the source of your leak if you routinely bathe with the water level quite high or if you have active children who slosh water playfully while they bathe.
You can fix most bathtub plumbing problems with the replacement parts available at hardware stores and home centers.
Bathtub drains give water a path from the base of the shower pan or bathtub to the horizontal drain pipe under.
Bathtub leaks can be scary after all tubs hold a lot of water and when even a small amount of it isn t going down the drain as it should you could be looking at some serious water damage.
If your tub faucet is leaking the first step is to locate the water supply valve and turn it off.