Learn all you need to know about pipes, fixtures, drains, and more, and get expert advice on how to maintain, replace, and install plumbing
Plumbing: Featured Article
A primer on your pipes and fixtures from This Old House plumbing expert Richard Trethewey… more
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Q: Whenever anyone takes a shower in our bathroom, I notice water leaking onto the basement ceiling below. The leak doesn't start right away, but a few minutes into the shower. We had the ceramic tiles on the shower floor regrouted and then replaced the first couple
of rows of the wall tiles, but that only helped for a few months. The
shower pan is fiberglass, and one plumber told me it's part of the
problem. Does that sound right?
— Ravi, Maryland
To find the source of a toilet leak, put food coloring in the tank. Colored water in the bowl means the flapper valve is faulty. If it drips down the outside, replace the seal between the tank and bowl. Colored water on the floor indicates a cracked wax seal beneath the toilet.