Shower Leaking Through the Ceiling? Find Where It Starts
Source: https://mtnmanplumbing.com/services/shower-tub/tub-shower-drains-and-leaks/
Title: Shower Leaking Through the Ceiling? Find Where It Starts
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## On this page
- Drain. Overflow. Trap.
- Start at the drain opening.
- Trace the leak before opening more wall.
- One connected water barrier.
- Common questions.
- Can a tub overflow leak even when the tub drain is fine?
- Will resealing the tile fix water leaking downstairs?
- Will you need to open the ceiling?
- Sources & public guide record
- What does theprice cover?
- Older homes. New plumbing projects.
- Keep following the plumbing.
- Want to look at it first?
- The tub won't hold water. Almost everything that's wrong is behind two screws in the overflow plate.
← Shower & tub plumbing hub Sandy, Utah · Salt Lake Valley
Slow drains · Tub stoppers · Water downstairs
# Tub & shower drain repair and leak diagnosis.
A tub has a drain at the bottom and an overflow near the top. A shower collects water at its floor drain. Below them, the drain connections and a water-filled trap carry wastewater away while blocking sewer gas from entering the room.
- Book shower & tub service ↗
- (385) 766-8935
Long story short
We track down tub and shower leaks and repair drain connections and plumbing behind the fixtures. Tell us when the leak appears—while filling, showering or draining. That helps us plan the inspection and the access the repair may need.
Jump to: Drain. Overflow. Trap · Start at the drain opening · Trace the leak before opening more wall · One connected water barrier
Skip the read? Book a visit or text (385) 766-8935.
- All shower & tub services
- Valves & cartridges
- Spouts & diverters
- Drains & hidden leaks
- Replacement & remodels
In this guide
- Under the tub ↓
- Water around your ankles? ↓
- The clue is when it gets wet ↓
- The drain meets the shower floor ↓
Under the tub
## Drain. Overflow. Trap.
The tub drain and overflow join into one waste assembly before the tub’s trap.
### Drain flange & shoe
The flange is the ring visible in the bottom of the tub. It joins the drain shoe—the elbow beneath the tub—with seals that keep bathwater out of the floor cavity.
### Overflow & gasket
The upper opening receives water as the tub fills high. A gasket seals the overflow fitting against the tub. Deterioration or a loose fit can leak when water reaches this opening.
### P-trap & drain branch
The curved trap retains a water seal. Its outlet joins the drain branch; the vent arrangement helps protect that seal as water moves through the drainage system.
Read more: Oatey: bathtub waste and overflow connections ↗
Water around your ankles?
## Start at the drain opening.
!Shower drain cover before Mountain Man Plumbing’s West Valley City drain cleaning
Our work / West Valley City See this job ↗
Hair and soap collect around a shower strainer or tub stopper, then build farther into the trap and branch. A stopper that barely lifts can also make a tub empty slowly.
We check the opening and stopper movement, clear the obstruction and run enough water to see how the drain handles sustained flow. Repeated backups call for a closer look at the branch. Several fixtures backing up together can point farther downstream.
### The tub won’t hold water
A lift-and-turn, toe-touch or push stopper seals at the drain opening. Older trip-lever assemblies use linkage behind the overflow plate. We check the seal and travel, then adjust or replace the worn assembly.
### Sewer smell from a rarely used fixture
A trap can lose its water seal through evaporation. A smell that returns after normal use deserves a check for a leaking trap, drainage or vent trouble. Hair and residue at the opening can create odors too.
Explore drain cleaning →
The clue is when it gets wet
## Trace the leak before opening more wall.
Stop using a fixture that is sending water into the building. Tell us what was happening when the leak first appeared; controlled testing helps us find the source.
**With every fixture off**
We start with the pressurized supply pipes, valve body and nearby water connections.
**While the tub or shower runs**
We separate the outlet piping, drain and splash paths, checking one at a time.
**When a full tub empties**
The waste fittings, trap and downstream drain carry their heaviest flow. Watching those joints can expose a leak hidden during a short test.
**When water reaches the overflow**
The overflow gasket and fitting become a key check.
**When walls or the curb get sprayed**
We check trim penetrations and the enclosure’s waterproofing with the remodel team.
Water can travel along framing before it stains a ceiling. The wet spot below is a starting clue; exposing the source may take access from the room behind the fixture or the ceiling beneath it.
The drain meets the shower floor
## One connected water barrier.
A tiled shower manages water beneath its tile surface. The waterproofing layer has to join the drain as a complete assembly. A traditional liner and clamping drain handle that connection differently from a bonded membrane and bonding-flange drain.
Schluter’s KERDI-DRAIN, for example, has a broad flange that bonds to its waterproofing membrane. Choosing the drain and shower base together keeps their connection workable. During a remodel, the plumber and waterproofing installer coordinate the drain height, support and testing before tile hides the work.
Read more: Schluter: shower waterproofing and drain assemblies ↗
Plan the replacement plumbing →
Useful answers
## Common questions.
### Can a tub overflow leak even when the tub drain is fine?
Yes. The overflow has its own fitting and gasket against the tub. A leak may appear only when bathwater reaches that opening or shower spray enters it.
Link to this answer
### Will resealing the tile fix water leaking downstairs?
The repair depends on where water escapes. A leaking drain fitting, supply connection or failed waterproofing layer needs work at that source. We trace the leak before choosing the repair.
Link to this answer
### Will you need to open the ceiling?
Access depends on the fitting and the house layout. An existing access panel or the room behind the tub may give us a route. A trap or drain joint between floors may need a ceiling opening so it can be repaired and checked.
Link to this answer
- Valves & cartridges →
- Spouts & diverters →
- Replacement & remodels →
### Sources & public guide record
Maintained by Mountain Man Plumbing · Utah Master Plumber, Lic. \#12992295-5501.
- Oatey: bathtub waste and overflow connections ↗
- Schluter: shower waterproofing and drain assemblies ↗
Version 2026.09.10.1 · References checked 2026-09-10.
- Public record · JSON
- Read as Markdown
## Let’s get it working.
Tell us what the shower or tub is doing. We’ll help you work through the next step.
Book shower & tub service ↗
The price, in plain terms
## What does the price cover?
1. 01 **Name the work.** What's being repaired or installed, and what stays.
2. 02 **Check what's included.** Parts, labor, access, cleanup and any required permit.
3. 03 **Settle the open questions.** Extra work, exclusions and the warranty for this job.
A quote for shower or tub work should make the scope clear. Check who handles access and patching, whether any further diagnosis costs extra, and what happens if opening things up reveals more damage.
**Found a lower number? Ask us why ours is different.** Bring both descriptions of the work. Compare the equipment, repair scope and exclusions before deciding what the difference buys. A higher price alone doesn't prove a better job.
- **What shower and tub repairs cost in Utah ↗** What changes the cost and what to ask before agreeing. On Utah Plumbing Prices, which we publish.
- **Already have a quote? Check it ↗** Use our second-opinion tool to work through the job and the price you've been given.
- **How plumbing pricing works ↗** Flat rate, hourly, dispatch fees, permits: what each one means for what you pay.
From our local guides
## Older homes. New plumbing projects.
Our county-record analysis shows when the neighborhoods were built. The repair guides explain the fixtures, pipes and remodel work.
- **Salt Lake City: older homes, condos and remodels ↗**
- **Holladay: the 1950s and ’60s building years ↗**
- **Kearns: the city’s big building waves ↗**
- Find plumbing help in your city ↗
- Explore this topic across our service area ↗
Connected in your home
## Keep following the plumbing.
- 01 **Shower & tub plumbing →** Compare supply-side leaks with the tub and shower drainage.
- 02 **Drain cleaning →** Explore a restriction farther along the shared drain.
- 03 **Leak diagnosis & repair →** Find the source when water appears on a wall or ceiling below.
MOUNTAIN MAN PLUMBING / DIY
## Want to look at it first?
All DIY tips ↗
The tub won't hold water. Almost everything that's wrong is behind two screws in the overflow plate. DIY TIP / 01
Shower / Tub Plumbing
### The tub won't hold water. Almost everything that's wrong is behind two screws in the overflow plate.
Six different mechanisms all get called a tub stopper, and the repair is different for each one. Most of the time you never open a wall. And the hard part usually isn't the fix, it's getting the old one out.
Read the tip ↗
## Approved image details
- https://mtnmanplumbing.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/clogged-shower-drain-cover-west-valley-city.png — Professional plumber using drain auger tool to clear a shower drain clog in West Valley City.
Source page: https://mtnmanplumbing.com/past-work-clogged-shower-drain-west-valley-city/
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