Why is My Shower Leaking from the Bottom? Here are the Facts!

A leaky shower is a common problem for many homeowners. As a result, they have to pay high water bills and labor costs to fix the cost.

If you know why my shower is leaking from the bottom, you can comfortably fix it without taking assistance from a plumber. This way, your valuable money will be saved.

In order to make your DIY project more manageable, we focused on the multiple identifying and fixation process regarding the shower leaking from the bottom problem.

So, let’s give an intent look at the below.

How to Identify Shower Leaking from the Bottom?

How to Identify Shower Leaking from the Bottom?

Why is My Shower Leaking from the Bottom

Identify Leaking Shower Door

One of the most common places for a shower to leak is the door. The seal between the door and the floor often comes to lose and with the tiny gap between the door and the wall, water leaks from the shower.

For an ordinary shower door, this could happen for two reasons.

When the seal is worn
The door does not fit correctly anymore.

A worn seal is a common cause and happens eventually to all the showers. The more the seal between the door and the floor is worn, the less watertight it becomes and allows water to leak.

The other reason, why the shower door does not fit correctly can happen for two reasons. First, it was an installation error, and wrong measurements were used while installing this door.

And secondly, time. When the shower door is being used for time after time and it is old, the door loses that perfect fitting to the designated position. This makes the water leak to the floor.

You will know if the water on the floor is leaking from the shower when seeing water on the shower floor right beside the shower door. Even when you have closed the door while showering, water will leak to the floor.

You can also check for wear in the seals and even the smallest holes or cracks can lead to a big amount of water per month.

For showers with a sliding door, the door track is the main culprit for the water to leak outside on the floor. Usually, water gets stored in the door track and they get out back on the shower with small holes.

But, sometimes these holes get blocked with small debris or dirt, and water gets stored in the track. Then, when the door slides back or front, this stored water moves outside of the shower, onto the floor.

To identify if it is the track or the seal, check if the track is putting the stored water back to the shower area. If it doesn’t, the holes are stuck. If The track releases water back properly, check the seal between the floor and the track.

Identify Leak in Shower Pan or Tub

To identify if the shower is leaking from the pan or the tub, block the shower drain so no water can pass through it. Then, open the shower and keep it open till the bottom of the shower is covered in stored water.

Then, observe if the water is escaping away through any place. When you see the water going away through some random place on the floor or pan, you can be sure that is where the leak is.

Identify Leaking Shower Drains

Shower drains are designed to take out the water from the shower pan leaking or tub. But, sometimes there could be a leak in the shower drain or the floor tiles surrounding it.

In some cases, the water enters the shower train through the drain cover, but due to bend in tiles or leakage in the drain entrance, leaks under the floor. This water then comes up to the floor again at a later time.

To identify leaking shower drains, follow the steps below:

Step 1 – Dry the shower

Make sure the shower is completely dry before you examine the leak. To be extra cautious, keep the shower unused for 24 hours.

Step 2 – Remove The Drain Guard

Remove the metal drain guard from the drain. Usually, it is placed with an adhesive to stop moving around, you need to remove the adhesive to remove the guard.

Step 3 – Pour some water

Get some water in a glass from a tap or sink. Gently pout the water into the drain, and observe closely. If you see the water going down but not through the drainpipe, there is a leak in the shower drain.

What Are The Effective Fixes Of The Shower Leaking Problem From The Bottom?

There are some easy fixes and some hard fixes for the shower leaking from bottom. It all depends on the problem. Some serious problems require professional tools and skills, so if you encounter problems that are out of your reach, contact a professional plumber to eliminate the problem once and for all.

How to Fix Leaking Shower Door

If your shower leaks through the shower door, you can take different measures to repair and prevent it.

Repair The Seal

If the seal between the door and the floor is causing the problem, you can reapply the seal again and cover the cracks that were leaking water. For sliding doors where the seal between the door and tracks are worn or have cracks, follow a similar solution.

Clear Debris

If you are using a sliding shower door and the tracks of the door are spilling water outside, check for the small water passing holes on the tracks. If there is debris blocking the holes to prevent the water from passing, clear that debris.

Good luck with nice information on how to stop sliding shower door from leaking.

How to Fix Leaking Shower Drains

To fix leakage from the shower drains, follow the steps below :

Step 1 – Access the shower drain

See if you have access to the shower drain from below. If you do, proceed through there. Otherwise, identify the ceiling below, and cut a hole there, and then access.

Step 2 – Tighten

When you reach through the shower drain from below, locate the ring nut that connects the drainpipe to the shower pan. After locating, tighten the nut properly. This will prevent water from leaking through there.

Step 3 – Replace

After tightening the ring nut, check to see if the problem is still there. If it is, replace the entire drain assembly.

How to Fix Leaking Shower Pan

If the shower pan or tub has a leak and lets the water come into the surface, you need to repair it as soon as possible to prevent further damage. But, there is no permanent solution to repair a shower pan or tub, it needs to be replaced once leaked.

To repair it temporarily, you will need the following materials on how to fix a shower pan leak:

Silicone Caulk
Clean Towel

Step 1 – Keep Dry

Make sure the shower pan is dry before you start the repair. You need to refrain from using the shower for 24 hours before the repair.

Step 2 – Apply Silicone Caulking

Apply a little bit of silicone caulking over the leakage. Just put enough to cover the surrounding area.

Step 3 – Remove Excess

Take the clean towel or disposable wiper to clean away any extra silicone caulking. You need to rub over the applied silicone to make it flatter and more applied to the surface of the pan.

Step 4 – Let Dry

Let the silicone caulking dry for several hours.

See the table below for shower pan leak repair costs by type of replacement

Type of Replacement	Average Replacement Costs
Gasket	$50 – $80
Tile	$450 – $2,000
Cartridge	$100 – $300
Head	$100 – $300
Handle	$100 – $350
Spout	$150 – $275
Faucet	$150 – $500
Valve	$200 – $650
Drain	$250 – $400
Fan	$250 – $500
Pump	$400 – $800
Screen	$450 – $2,000
Glass	$500 – $2,000
Drain Pipe	$600 – $2,000

How to Fix Tile Leaking in Shower

Over time, bathroom tiles start to leak, and you can repair them easily. Follow the steps below:

Step 1 – Remove The Tile

Remove the tile that has old grout around it and is loose in nature. Remove the tile or the tiles.

Step 2 – Reattach

Reattach and regroup the tiles back to the wall. Make sure to apply caulk again like you are caulking the tile for the first time.

Step 3 – Let Dry

Let the tile set properly, and the caulk dry up.

Check our latest guide about: how to install shower drain without access below

Last Words

The shower is a piece of equipment for daily use, and most of us spend a regular amount of our time in the shower.

As we have already discussed, leaks in the shower are a common problem, and most of us have faced them several times in our lives.

But, when we know why is my shower leaking from the bottom and how to identify and fix the problems, we won’t have to rely solely on outside help for your shower is leaking through the floor.

Why is My Shower Leaking from the Bottom? Here are the Facts!

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