Originally Posted By: jpeck This post was automatically imported from our archived forum.
That’s the right equipment, but the picture does not show the ‘right’ fill height, it is ‘filling’.
The 'right' fill height is to let it run and overflow that tester, running into the drain, and be careful to watch it, in case the drain is clogged (I've found some) and it overflows (almost happened a couple of times).
Originally Posted By: pdacey This post was automatically imported from our archived forum.
I use a plumber’s ball and I generally fill the shower about 2" with water. I’ve thought about switching to the device shown in the link but how well does it work on tile showers? It seems to me that water would seep along the grout lines under the stopper and into the drain. Any of you ever have this problem?
Originally Posted By: jpeck This post was automatically imported from our archived forum.
Patrick,
That's a problem when trying to use the plumber's test ball, but not when using the shower tester.
Water DOES soak into the grout and through, down into the pan, through the weep holes into the drain. You are trying to stop that, the shower tester does not.
If you are marking the water level, then checking the water level, that is not producing a good shower test. When there is only a pan, that works fine, but not once the concrete base, thin set, etc. have been installed.
The test you are missing is the drain line test.
The shower tester test everything at one time: pan, supply lines, riser to shower head, and the drain line.
You turn the water on, let it fill up to and over flow into the shower tester, flowing into the drain. If water leaks under the tester, it does not matter as long as the shower still fills up to the height of the shower tester.
Originally Posted By: evandeven This post was automatically imported from our archived forum.
Quote:
It seems to me that water would seep along the grout lines under the stopper and into the drain. Any of you ever have this problem?
Take two or three squares of toilet paper and fold it to make one square. Place it under the stopper and it becomes a gasket. If you are using the tool shown in the pictures, be sure to wait until the shower is to the level of the top of the stopper, then shut the water off.
You could also cut a hole in the toilet paper gasket first.
-- Eric Van De Ven
Owner/Inspector
Magnum Inspections Inc.
I get paid to be suspicious when there is nothing to be suspicious about!
www.magnuminspections.com
Originally Posted By: jpeck This post was automatically imported from our archived forum.
evandeven wrote:
Take two or three squares of toilet paper and fold it to make one square. Place it under the stopper and it becomes a gasket.
Eric,
Why do you need a gasket? Besides, some types of toilet paper will start to come apart, now you have to deal with a mess so it does not go into the shower drain (could get caught on hair clog and block the drain).
Quote:
If you are using the tool shown in the pictures, be sure to wait until the shower is to the level of the top of the stopper, then shut the water off.
Why turn the water off? Let it run and test the drain at the same time.
Eric, I guess what I'm saying asking / wondering is ... could you just describe your process and the reasons for doing it that way?
Originally Posted By: evandeven This post was automatically imported from our archived forum.
I use the regular 99 cent stopper with toilet paper under it. I fill the shower up to 2 inches and shut the water off. I don’t like leaving water running anywhere in a home. Floods happen that way!
If you are using the tool and the toilet paper, the paper will block or at least restrict the flow of the water down the drain and flooding may result if you do not shut the water off.
I check the drain first, then the shower pan. It doesn't really matter which leaks, I usually recommend replacement of the shower and enclosure.
-- Eric Van De Ven
Owner/Inspector
Magnum Inspections Inc.
I get paid to be suspicious when there is nothing to be suspicious about!
www.magnuminspections.com
Originally Posted By: jpeck This post was automatically imported from our archived forum.
evandeven wrote:
I use the regular 99 cent stopper with toilet paper under it. I fill the shower up to 2 inches and shut the water off. I don't like leaving water running anywhere in a home. Floods happen that way! 
Using that method, you really DO need to shut the water off.
My question was, I guess, more along the lines of "why" you do it that way and not with the shower tester?
Quote:
If you are using the tool and the toilet paper, the paper will block or at least restrict the flow of the water down the drain and flooding may result if you do not shut the water off.
Again, yes if you put toilet paper there, but (again) my question is "why" you would do that? There is a hole down the center of that tester for a reason.
Quote:
I check the drain first,
How? (then I will tell you how I check the drain, and how I WOULD check the drain if I wanted to check it separately - IF I wanted to and IF there was a reason to check it separately)
Quote:
then the shower pan.
How? (then I will tell you how I check the shower pan and how I WOULD check the shower pan if I wanted to check it separately - IF I wanted to and IF there was a reason to check it separately)
Originally Posted By: evandeven This post was automatically imported from our archived forum.
Quote:
My question was, I guess, more along the lines of "why" you do it that way and not with the shower tester?
Because I do not like the sound of running water, especially when I am not there to see it. I used one of those "testers" and the shower had great pressure. After I got through mopping up the master bathroom, I threw the tester away.
It seems safer to me to know that the water is off.
I usually run the shower first then check the pan. If I wanted to get nuts, I would take a five gallon bucket and pour it down the drain before running the shower to see if the drain leaks, but as I said above, once I have a leak, the shower is failed.
-- Eric Van De Ven
Owner/Inspector
Magnum Inspections Inc.
I get paid to be suspicious when there is nothing to be suspicious about!
www.magnuminspections.com
Originally Posted By: jpeck This post was automatically imported from our archived forum.
evandeven wrote:
Quote:
My question was, I guess, more along the lines of "why" you do it that way and not with the shower tester?
Because I do not like the sound of running water, especially when I am not there to see it. I used one of those "testers" and the shower had great pressure. After I got through mopping up the master bathroom, I threw the tester away.
It seems safer to me to know that the water is off.
An illusion.
Once you've filled your shower pan up as you do, if it leaks, all that water is going to go all over. It isn't how much water is going down the drain, it's how much water is in the shower stall that leaks all over. If you put 2" or so of water in a large shower, even with the shower turned off, there is going to be a lot of mopping if the leak is bad.
I agree that regardless of what leaks (and I really don't care "what" leaks) the plumber needs to come out and fix it. This is the person (the plumber) who needs to know what leaks.
Possible leak sources:
a) supply lines - would be a continuouse leak
b) shower valve - would leak when turned on
c) riser to shower head - would leak when shower valve is on
d) shower pan - leaks whenever water is run in the shower
e) drain line - leaks whenever water is run in the shower, maybe - could leak only when hot water is run (which is why I run HOT HOT water when testing shower stalls - note: I do not test shower pans, I test shower stalls)
Supply lines are always being tested.
To test the shower valve and shower riser only, remove the shower head and cap the riser. This pressurized the open shower valve and riser.
To test the shower pan only, install plumber test bulb in the shower drain, inflate it, fill shower with hose from another source.
To test the drain only, take a hose from another source and run it down the shower drain.
Originally Posted By: evandeven This post was automatically imported from our archived forum.
Quote:
An illusion.
Once you've filled your shower pan up as you do, if it leaks, all that water is going to go all over. It isn't how much water is going down the drain, it's how much water is in the shower stall that leaks all over. If you put 2" or so of water in a large shower, even with the shower turned off, there is going to be a lot of mopping if the leak is bad.
No, fact!
If there are only two inches of water in the shower, it might be 2-3 gallons of water. If the shower is continuously running and you are not paying attention, it can be substantially more and probably will be.
I strive to damage the house I am inspecting as little as possible.
Unlike some......... 
-- Eric Van De Ven
Owner/Inspector
Magnum Inspections Inc.
I get paid to be suspicious when there is nothing to be suspicious about!
www.magnuminspections.com
Originally Posted By: jpeck This post was automatically imported from our archived forum.
evandeven wrote:
If there are only two inches of water in the shower, it might be 2-3 gallons of water. If the shower is continuously running
and you are not paying attention,
it can be substantially more and probably will be.
I strive to damage the house I am inspecting as little as possible.
Unlike some......... 
I also strive to do as little damage as possible, but I also strive to pay attention.
You are correct if " and you are not paying attention, "
