Leaking Tub Drain

[John Goodin]

I didn't want to hijack Bob's thread on installing a tub drain but have a similar issue. Maybe comments between the two threads will help each other or someone else out. We have a garden tub in the master bedroom the leaks only when water goes down the drain. This eliminates any issue at the seal between the tub and drain connection. I have filled the tub and let it sit all day with no leak. When I pulled the plug water leaked into the closet within minutes. Is there a way to fix this without removing the cultured marble side panel? With my recent luck I would break it into a million tiny pieces. The house is 17 years old so it has a PVC drain system. Thanks in advance.

[Tom M King]

There is probably a nut on the drain pipe that needs to be tightened up a little bit. If you absolutely don't want to access it, there is a solution that you can run down in the pipes that might work. It's sold as a leak stopper for hot tubs. Rig up something like a rag on a wire that you can put down in the trap to slow the flow up, and fill it with that stuff. You do have to dilute it since it's designed to run in a lot of water, but it will just be guesswork as to how much to dilute it. I'd mix it fairly strong, let it set in the pipe for a day, and then pull your "stopper" out.

I'll see if I can find a link to it. I used it to fix a slow leaking down shower trap in a rental house. The trap was in a slab under a tile shower, and it would have been a MAJOR demo repair. It's still holding years later.

edited to add: This looks like the stuff I used. Try to put your stopper right above the trap. It's probably leaking where the drain coming from the tub Tees down to go to the trap.

https://www.amazon.com/Fix-Leak-Pool...ustomerReviews

[Lawrence Duckworth]

unscrew the drain plug assembly, try to separate the bottom of the tub from contacting the drain base and apply a liberal amount of silicone and close it back up. I believe these tubs that hang from the upper edges of the tub are usually not well supported under the tub and their size and weight of the water and 250 elbeez of flesh causes the fiberglass to flex and break seals at the drain base and the compression connections Tom referred to. If i were Mr. Cooper after he chops out enough concrete to glue up good clean connections I'd dry pack mortar under the tub. when mixing the mud use just enough water to bind the sand and mortar...don't get it too wet! .......my 2 cents

D5F4B9DE-934D-4A3D-9640-F7BAF124750F_1_201_a.jpegBE97AF9B-95A1-49F7-B217-454A43DCDC33_4_5005_c.jpegFF4BA66A-B3B8-4B8A-940C-07BC2164F12B_4_5005_c.jpeg ....btw, I'm not a plumber...retired welder

[Bill Dufour]

I believe it is the compression fitting from the tailpiece into the drain pipe. I would check that the vent is not plugged. Theoretically that compression fitting should not leak if the drain is flowing away fast enough. It would only be a problem when the tub is filled then drained. A low flow shower head will reduce the leak.
Bill D

[Tom M King]

Everyone agrees it's one of the nuts. If you decide to try the stop leak, look at the first picture Lawrence posted. Take the cover off the overflow pipe (the chrome piece) so you can put the temporary stopper below that T. If you can access that T, it's an easy fix.

Put some drain cleaner down in the trap first though. If it is slowing up the draining, that gives a leak a chance to be worse.