Water coming in from Overflow Drain

Leak2020

Hi,

There is currently a consistent water flow/drip from the bathtub top overflow drain into the bath.

When I run the tap on the bath or in the sink this drip/flow stops. It begins again a few minutes later.

There is no water on the ground underneath the tub.

What is causing this and how do I resolve it? I’m concerned about stopping the flow into the bath but just moving the point of the leak.

Thanks

NickNickleby

Your bath tap fitting is probably leaking and running down onto the little drain thing, then dripping off that - thus becoming obvious.

Do you by any chance have a shower fitting on the bath taps?

Leak2020

NickNickleby wrote: »

Your bath tap fitting is probably leaking and running down onto the little drain thing, then dripping off that - thus becoming obvious.

Do you by any chance have a shower fitting on the bath taps?

Cheers Nick. Yes, it’s a bath and shower combo.

NickNickleby

Check along the top of the bath next to the tap fitting. Wipe it completely dry, then put some toilet roll along the tap unit , tight along the bottom of the fitting. See if that temporarily stops the water. Then you have your culprit.

Years ago I had one of those tap/shower things, and the water was dripping out of the bottom of the hose, where it screwed to the tap unit. It was caused by limescale hardening the little washer inside it. Failing that, there's water coming out of the valve heads (or whatever you call them). Easily fixed if you have spanners and complete lack of fear!!:eek::eek::eek:

Leak2020

NickNickleby wrote: »

Check along the top of the bath next to the tap fitting. Wipe it completely dry, then put some toilet roll along the tap unit , tight along the bottom of the fitting. See if that temporarily stops the water. Then you have your culprit.

Years ago I had one of those tap/shower things, and the water was dripping out of the bottom of the hose, where it screwed to the tap unit. It was caused by limescale hardening the little washer inside it. Failing that, there's water coming out of the valve heads (or whatever you call them). Easily fixed if you have spanners and complete lack of fear!!:eek::eek::eek:

Perfect, so if I can pinpoint the actual leak, more than likely the tap due to an old washer or loose head. Just replace or tighten and it should be ok?

Leak2020

NickNickleby wrote: »

Check along the top of the bath next to the tap fitting. Wipe it completely dry, then put some toilet roll along the tap unit , tight along the bottom of the fitting. See if that temporarily stops the water. Then you have your culprit.

Years ago I had one of those tap/shower things, and the water was dripping out of the bottom of the hose, where it screwed to the tap unit. It was caused by limescale hardening the little washer inside it. Failing that, there's water coming out of the valve heads (or whatever you call them). Easily fixed if you have spanners and complete lack of fear!!:eek::eek::eek:

Perfect, so if I can pinpoint the actual leak, more than likely the tap due to an old washer or loose head. Just replace or tighten and it should be ok?

NickNickleby

Leak2020 wrote: »

Perfect, so if I can pinpoint the actual leak, more than likely the tap due to an old washer or loose head. Just replace or tighten and it should be ok?

Well, its not quite as simple as it sounds. A real plumber would fix this in no time at all. (as well as quickly correctly diagnosing the problem).

Unfortunately, you're talking to a lucky DIYer, and I'm loathe to try to describe how to go about it.

If the shower control is a third tap like thing, I'd turn it to BATH and see does the water start dripping from the mixer tap. If it does, then you haven't a leak, you've a worn out washer in one of the taps. Assuming this to be the case : If turning on the sink hot tap stops the drip, then its your bath hot tap washer, similar for cold.

The problem now is, do you know how to turn off the water to those taps, using the gate valves in the airing cupboard? (even that's a huge assumption on my part).

Do you know how to remove the tap valves to replace the washers?

Any mistakes here and you could find yourself replacing a ceiling.

If you're completely unfamiliar with this stuff, I'd get a plumber. If you've some idea at what's going on, search Youtube for "how to change a tap washer".


And now for the confession.......

My kitchen tap is dripping. I couldn't disassemble it to replace the washer, so now I have a sponge in the sink to stop the dripping sound that's annoying my wife. We're getting a new kitchen in the spring, and I can't bring myself to go through the hassle of stopping the water, taking off the existing mixer unit, and then paying a couple of hundred for a replacement, then fitting it, and then fixing the almost guaranteed drip under the sink when I'm finished.

Good luck.