The tub came with the house (but no info)and was probably installed ~1998. It has always had a leak but 2 plumbers and several holes in the ceilings beneath have been unable to locate the source of the leak. I crawled through the closet access door and was able to pull off a label with mfg, model# etc. It's an American Standard. The tub itself and the surrounding wall is enclosed in ceramic tile so removing the whole thing(and replacing with plain tub/shower will be costly. I tried adding a little water at a time to see when the leaking would start and it seems to be as soon as it reaches the jets. Can we cap or seal them off somehow?
The jets have a rubber gasket which is supposed to seal them to the tub. The jets are in two pieces, which simply screw together into the pipe network surrounding the tub, with the part inside the tub being the male thread, and the flange on the outside of the tub shell being the female thread. You may need a special tool from the manufacturer to properly grab and twist the parts together, so check with A.S., giving them the model and serial number.
It is possible that the gaskets may have loosened over the years from the vibration pulsing through the pipe network, or they may have never been properly tightened, or they may have worn out and cracked, which, if so, will simply require the replacement of all the gaskets and the proper tightening of the jets to the tub shell.
Posts: 105 | Location: West Haven, Conn. | Registered: 15 November 2005
Thank you!!!! I called A.S. and the person I spoke with said the same thing. He is mailing me out the kit/tool you mentioned- at NO cost. Again, thank you so very much!
OYE! All the jets have been cleaned, resealed with silicone and replaced. I ran a little water in the tub to check - just enough to come part way up the whirlpool filter (?) but not up to the jets. Checked the ceiling below and it was wet again! So, it must be leaking at the drain or the whirlpool filter. Suggestions?
