Any plumbers here?

[SDMom]

(or people knowledgeable about plumbing issues)?

Yesterday, we noticed the pipe drain in our bathroom was leaking. It’s not a constant leak, but if we pull the plug in the sink (so as to keep the water contained in the sink and not let it go down the drain), we notice the pipes leak underneath. Do you know what’s going on?

Also, when we turned on our A/C, water was dripping from the ceiling! Is this normal?

 

[1ke]

I am not a plumber, nor do I play one on TV. But, as a homeowner who has encountered her share of issues…

Yesterday, we noticed the pipe drain in our bathroom was leaking. It’s not a constant leak, but if we pull the plug in the sink (so as to keep the water contained in the sink and not let it go down the drain), we notice the pipes leak underneath. Do you know what’s going on?

Which pipes, the drain pipe or the water inlet valves? And, where specifically is it leaking from-- top, middle, joint, etc?

Also, when we turned on our A/C, water was dripping from the ceiling! Is this normal?

No. It’s not normal. Dripping from the ceiling where? Through your vents? From a tube in the ceiling going into your bathtub? Somewhere else?

 

[SDMom]

I am not a plumber, nor do I play one on TV. But, as a homeowner who has encountered her share of issues…

Which pipes, the drain pipe or the water inlet valves? And, where specifically is it leaking from-- top, middle, joint, etc?

** The drain pipe is leaking in the middle. **

No. It’s not normal. Dripping from the ceiling where? Through your vents? From a tube in the ceiling going into your bathtub? Somewhere else?

** Water is dripping from the ceiling in our bathroom. There is a hole/pipe right above our sink where the water is dripping from. When we turn on the A/C, it drips. When we turn off the A/C, the dripping stops. My DH thinks this is “normal” because the aforementioned pipe is there and “must have been placed there for a reason.” This is the first time I’ve noticed the dripping, and we’ve run the A/C many times. I don’t agree w/ my DH and think we should get this checked out. I just think its WEIRD that water is dripping from the CEILING! Thus, I’m here looking for people more knowledgeable than us! Thanks for your post, 1ke! btw, we are rather new homeowners (can you tell?) **

 

[Brenda_V]

Is it more humid than usual? An air conditioning unit will “sweat” when it is moderately humid but may have been evaporating fast enough not to be "dripping’, but if it is more humid than usual and the dripping is coming from a pipe in the ceiling but not the ceiling itself then I would say that what you have is a drain pipe for those days when it is very humid and evaporating just won’t take care of the build up of moisture around y our AC unit.

The other again could be caused by humidity. Is it around the faucet? A joint where water comes in? Or the Drain spout? Check around the toilet tank for moisture, you should be able to feel it on the bottom, it may not be dripping because it is evaporating fast enough not to but you could still feel some moisture.

It never hurts to have these things checked out though, dripping water in unusual places or places you don’t know or understand should be checked out at least once, if a plumber tells you it is OK and normal ask for a full description of why . Then the next time it happens you will know it is OK.

Also, have you googled “plumbing” and/or “Air conditioner”? You might get some more answers that way.

Brenda V. (who lives in a totally dry climate, humidity levels above 20% and we think it is “humid” while the rest of the world looks at us and thinks we are crazy :hypno

 

[Ted_in_Charlott]

The pipe leak could be just a loose joint, if it is PVC. Reach underneath and see if the collars are loose. If you can tighten with your hand that save you a trip.

If it is copper or cast iron it might be the same solution, you might just need a wrench.

 

[1ke]

** Water is dripping from the ceiling in our bathroom. There is a hole/pipe right above our sink where the water is dripping from. When we turn on the A/C, it drips. When we turn off the A/C, the dripping stops. My DH thinks this is “normal” because the aforementioned pipe is there and “must have been placed there for a reason.” This is the first time I’ve noticed the dripping, and we’ve run the A/C many times. I don’t agree w/ my DH and think we should get this checked out. I just think its WEIRD that water is dripping from the CEILING! Thus, I’m here looking for people more knowledgeable than us! Thanks for your post, 1ke! btw, we are rather new homeowners (can you tell?) **

OK, the under-sink issue I can’t help with too much other than to suggest tightening the joint or using some silicone caulk. If you have an ACE Hardware in your neighborhood, go talk to them. Those people know EVERYTHING and can tell you exactly what to do to fix your problem.

As for the AC water drip, I absolutely know what that’s about and it’s not “normal”. That hole/pipe is the condensation pan overflow line. Your furnace is in the attic above the bathroom. It has an overflow pan and that is what is sending the water down the pipe. This means one of several things is wrong, but this one is most likely: the evaporator coil has died and is not evaporating water-- bad, bad, bad. This will eventually cause your condensation pan to overflow into your attic. If it’s not your evaporator coil, it is definitely something else causing the condensation not to evaporate properly.

DO NOT ignore this. Call an A/C guy to check it out. My guy told me there should never be water coming out of that overflow line unless something is wrong with the unit.

Take it from someone who ended up with several thousand dollars in damage when my evaporator coil went out (I was out of town) and had to have drywall repaired and carpet ripped out.

 

[Brenda_V]

OK, the under-sink issue I can’t help with too much other than to suggest tightening the joint or using some silicone caulk. If you have an ACE Hardware in your neighborhood, go talk to them. Those people know EVERYTHING and can tell you exactly what to do to fix your problem.

As for the AC water drip, I absolutely know what that’s about and it’s not “normal”. That hole/pipe is the condensation pan overflow line. Your furnace is in the attic above the bathroom. It has an overflow pan and that is what is sending the water down the pipe. This means one of several things is wrong, but this one is most likely: the evaporator coil has died and is not evaporating water-- bad, bad, bad. This will eventually cause your condensation pan to overflow into your attic. If it’s not your evaporator coil, it is definitely something else causing the condensation not to evaporate properly.

DO NOT ignore this. Call an A/C guy to check it out. My guy told me there should never be water coming out of that overflow line unless something is wrong with the unit.

Take it from someone who ended up with several thousand dollars in damage when my evaporator coil went out (I was out of town) and had to have drywall repaired and carpet ripped out.

Wow, see I knew it had something to do with condensation and evaporation. You will note that I said I lived where anything over 20% humidity here is considered “humid”, that being said we cool our houses with something called “Evaporative Cooler” or “Swamp Cooler”, the concept being water wicked up into pads are blown on and the “cool, humidified air” cools the house and it really works well, we turn it on about 8 a.m. and have to turn it off once the sun sets! It also helps to put humidity in the air for us to breath!

Didn’t know this was not supposed to happen but my experience with AC units is strictly those window ones and they tended to condense outside and drip down onto gardens.

As for the under the sink drain pipe, I agree, try tightening the joint, if that doesn’t work, take it apart and get some pipers teflon tape which will give you a better seal (talking to someone at an ACE or TrueValue hardware store is a good idea, they are better at this than those at one of the big box stores like Lowe’s )

Brenda V.

 

[rpp]

While not a professional plumber, I have done just about every type of plumbing project in my house (except when it requires going into my crawlspace). And I make sure I follow all the building codes. I like to think I am pretty handy for around-the-house projects. I replaced my kitchen sink a few years ago and have installed several new water lines, bathroom sinks, toilets, water heaters, etc; and that is just plumbing. About the only type of job I would not take on is my furnace or installing tile.

Dripping water, whether it is from condensation from an A/C unit, a leaking drain or a person with a habit of splashing water out of the shower / tub and onto the floor, can do very serious damage.

I cannot really diagnose the problem based on what you have said.

Where is his A/C unit? Is that a separate drip? Is the water dripping from the bottom of the “J” drain under the sink? Is it a bathroom or kitchen sink? If kitchen, is there a garbage disposal?

Working on the assumption it is dripping from the bottom of the “J”, it could be the fittings on either side or it could be the seal where the drain is connected to the sink. The water is simply running down the pipe and dripping from the lowest spot.

This is very easy to fix if you feel even slightly handy. But remember, if you take this on and decide to remove the “J”, you will need a bucket. The “J” always holds water. That prevents any foul smells from coming back up out of your drain.

At this point all I can really say for sure is that if neither you nor your husband are knowledable about such things, do not presume it is nor normal or harmless.

 

[1ke]

Wow, see I knew it had something to do with condensation and evaporation. You will note that I said I lived where anything over 20% humidity here is considered “humid”

I lived in Houston for 15 years. Even with 100% humidity, the overflow tube should not be spitting out water. It’s a sign of trouble.

With central air, the condenser unit is outside and the evaporator coil is part of the furnace/air duct system (typically in the attic in places that don’t have basements).

In a central A/C system the condensation is drained throught the water pipes as it passes through the evaporator coil. So, overflow is a sign something is not working correctly.

I know more abou this than I would like to know due to my mini-flood.

In a hot climate the A/C unit and coils should be cleaned and tested annually.

If the evaporator coil is working properly, but the unit hasn’t been professionally serviced in a while, the regular drain line could be clogged also leading to the drain pan overflow.

In any case, the A/C man needs to get involved!

 

[Zooey]

The pipe leak could be just a loose joint, if it is PVC. Reach underneath and see if the collars are loose. If you can tighten with your hand that save you a trip.

If it is copper or cast iron it might be the same solution, you might just need a wrench.

Yup. Sounds right to me.
I have had this exact thing happen. I had repeated trouble with this, until somebody finally said, “The pipe isn’t long enough to reach”. (Wouldn’t you think the original plumbing guy–even a non-professional [but experienced] one, would have measured twice???)
New piece of PVC, a couple inches longer=no more water collecting under Zooey’s bathroom sink. The pipe was originally cut so short that when it worked loose a little, it totally separated!

 

[SDMom]

I just thought I’d post an update here, for those who did respond to my thread. We had an A/C guy come check out our unit yesterday. It turns out that the problem we had for 2 days (water dripping from a pipe in the ceiling every time we turned on the A/C unit) did not replicate itself when the A/C technician was here.

On the bright side: he changed our filter (free of charge), and blew out the drain lines with CO2 (not for free, of course). He also told us that the drain lines are undersized and that they are missing two parts! We are passed our warranty period, so he suggested we go to the next level and make a complaint to the city. I am not sure what else to do!

---

Oh, and yesterday night our dishwasher leaked water and soap all over the kitchen floor! I feel like our house is falling apart, and we just moved in here 2 years ago! When we bought the place, it was brand new! Isn’t this too early for things to start breaking?

 

[puzzleannie]

this is a fairly new house 5 yrs, shower leaks somehow so water is getting under the floor tile. found out the whole thing has to be ripped out and redone–pipes are fine, no waterproof membrane under the tile and wrong kind of mortar and grout. investigating ant problem in kitchen, realize all grout and caulk is cracked, must be redone and essentials seals where plumbing comes in from outside are missing. A/C is not on a raised concrete pad as required by code (I was actually here when city inspector passed on the A/C installation, so don’t know how he missed that) so water is directed at the foundation instead of away toward plants as intended.

original builder is no longer in business so there is not even anyone to sue. hard water issue cannot be addressed since plumbing for water softener was not installed when house was built (even though called for in plans) and can’t get a plumber to go into the attic to do it. area was not graded right for installation of tile on patio, so water runs toward the house, not away, causing leaks under the door in heavy rains.

I am going to stop watching Holmes on Homes because whenever I do I find one of the problems he has on his show. we have already replaced the dishwasher–a lemon according to repairman, and have had 2 ice makers, now the new one does not work.

 

[Brenda_V]

I

---

Oh, and yesterday night our dishwasher leaked water and soap all over the kitchen floor! I feel like our house is falling apart, and we just moved in here 2 years ago! When we bought the place, it was brand new! Isn’t this too early for things to start breaking?

Sorry about the AC unit. The dishwasher could just need a “cleaning” Evey so often you should run it with about 1 cup of vinegar and nothing else in it. The other possibility is for some reason you got distracted (or had unexpected help) and got too much dishwasher detergent in it .

Brenda V.

 

[SDMom]

Sorry about the AC unit. The dishwasher could just need a “cleaning” Evey so often you should run it with about 1 cup of vinegar and nothing else in it. The other possibility is for some reason you got distracted (or had unexpected help) and got too much dishwasher detergent in it .

Brenda V.

Heheheh, thanks, Brenda After spending an arm and a leg on the repairs for our a/c unit, I was determined that I could fix the leaks from the dishwasher on my own. I actually went on the GE website, looked under “FAQ’s” for dishwashers, and found info … the same info you suggest I do! I did “clean” out the dishwasher, and remember one day putting too much dishwasher detergent in there. Ah, with kids running around, who remembers that kind of stuff? But I was so proud of myself for “fixing” that problem on my own

**I should almost re-name this thread to:
“What needs fixin’ in your house?” **