For questions generally relating to the unwanted permeation of water or other liquid, indoor/outdoor air, or fuel gas through a barrier designed to contain it, including identification, repair, and prevention techniques, tools and materials.
Questions tagged [leak]
1316 questions
21
votes
2 answers
1lb of cure is worth 10 tons of mold: DIY repair of a poorly sealed window? lots of photos herein
Preface
I live in China. Construction is largely handled by unskilled migrants, and one cannot just call up a specialist contractor to fix a major issue.
Problem
I've got a window that was not properly sealed when the apartment was built, and which…
Drew
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6 answers
How to convince plumber that there is a gas leak?
I had some gas lines replaced in the crawl space and the next day after the plumber left I noticed a minor gas smell. I got into crawl space with a HomeFlex leak detector and it is clearly going off full blast around one connection. However, I…
Uncle Meat
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2 answers
How do I fix a leaky toilet that only leaks from underneath?
I am noticing some water spots on my concrete in my (unfinished) basement. When I look up for the cause of the water I can see water dripping around the hole that is used for the sewer pipe for the toilet (upstairs). (Note: there is a lot of duct…
Vaccano
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16
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5 answers
How can I (or a plumber) locate a mysterious internal leak?
Last week I got hit with a colossal water bill. After contacting the supplier I was told to conduct a stop tap test on my water meter. I was confident this would reveal an external leak as we'd seen no sign water is leaking anywhere indoors.…
Bob Tway
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16
votes
8 answers
Using a sealant to stop a toilet tank leak
The toilet tank is leaking through the bolts, but the bolts are so rusted I can't remove them. I can't afford a plumber right now, but would like to stop using bucket-fulls of water to flush. My husband wants to use a sealant to stop the leaking. Is…
Diane Villafane
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15
votes
6 answers
How can I prevent spillage from my bathtub?
Let's set the scene:
The horizontal surfaces of the bathtub in my apartment are flat. We have a double shower curtain (with the waterproof bit that hangs on the inside of the tub and the fabric bit that hangs on the outside of the tub) and are…
hairboat
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14
votes
7 answers
How do I seal the sink basin opening?
I purchased a new bathroom sink and faucet and set everything up according to instructions. The faucet instructions told me to use silicone for the drain lip (the border thing around the stopper in the bottom of the inside of the sink,…
deltaray
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13
votes
7 answers
How can I fix a Moen faucet that is still leaking after replacing cartridge?
I had a leaky Moen faucet (Moen 4600) so I removed the old cartridge and replaced it with a new brass replacement cartridge (model 1200.) Since replacing the cartridge I now have a leak from the valve stem, that leaks faster the more I open the…
Dave Forgac
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13
votes
4 answers
damp line behind toilet
There is a damp line being formed behind the toilet commode, as seen in the picture.
Any suggestions on where the problem lies would be appreciated.
Edit:
I've added pictures of what it looks like with the lid off (the lid is usually left on) . I…
cd234
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13
votes
2 answers
Contractor work caused a water leak in the house - UK
I’m renovating a kitchen, together with small hallway and a cloak room toilet. I hired a company to do all the work although I now realise I don’t have a formal contract with them, only with their sister company for supply and installation of…
kacpr
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12
votes
5 answers
How can I paint over a ceiling after there's been a leak?
We had a leak in our upstairs bathroom, about 2 weeks after we had a new ceiling put up and painted in the room below. It wasn't a major leak, but it caused quite a wide line to show up on the ceiling.
I've painted over the line 3 times now, but it…
Jaymz
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11
votes
3 answers
How bad is it to have wet insulation?
With this recent blizzard we recently saw our ceiling lighting fixture leaking water (slow, about 1 drop every 5 minutes)
I got up in the attic and saw that some snow had been apparently blown into the attic through one of the vents. I removed about…
Ovi Tisler
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11
votes
6 answers
Giant wet patch appeared suddenly on wall and now filled with dark spots
Here is the image from the ground floor kitchen. This patch appears on wall between the two windows in the kitchen:
Here is what is on the other side of the wall. Please note that the black gutter and the black pipes are all newly installed around…
quantum231
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11
votes
5 answers
How concerning is this water in my bathroom?
Water is starting to seep out of the seams of the vinyl in my bathroom floor when stepped on. I also noticed the toilet caulking seems to be separating.
I am not sure exactly where the water is coming from, my thoughts was
Water from stepping out…
Jordan Edwards
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11
votes
4 answers
Can a water leak cause a fire in a light fixture?
The upstairs bathroom got too much water on the floor and it dripped through to the kitchen below, by the ceiling light fixture (discoloration on ceiling around light fixture). The place was built about 7 years ago, with circuit breakers. Is there a…
Rich Tanenbaum
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