Pull the carpet, or fold it back and watch for the water to appear, then follow it back.

Thanks for your reply.

The carpet in the closet is pulled back but the bathroom area has tile and there is no way to follow under the tile. According to the plumber, not knowing the source is making repairing more difficult. At this point we are going to do a process of elimination. Run tub over and over. Wait a few days. Run sinks etc

If the floor is ceramic tile there should be some discoloration from the moisture.
If there is, and there should be, an access panel behind the tub faucet/drain wall and a well where the waste and overflow connects to the sewer, which should be dry.

Find a plumber who is proficient in performing isolation tests. Show him where the moisture has appeared and he can isolate the drain line in that area, pretty much down to each given fixture, to locate the leak. It is possible that the leak is caused by a gap in the bowl wax seal. As snoonyb said, if the leak is in the bathroom and passing under the tile, the grout more than likely will show some discoloration. If the leak is in a drain pipe encased in the slab, the slab in that area will need to be broken out by jackhammer, the repair made, then the site will be backfilled with sand and concrete.

The builder is just that - a builder. He danged sure isn't a plumber! Yes, YES, all utility lines run in a slab can, and occasionally do, develop leaks. Materials have a limited life, soil moves putting stress on pipes (causing cracks and leaks), people abuse drains with acids, etc.

Best of luck. Find a GOOD plumber, be kind to them, and keep their number for future use and referrals..... OT, today is Hug A Plumber Day. LOL

Ok, we tore through some more sheetrock in the closet (behind a sink) where the area seemed to be leaking. We could feel a small amount of water on the pipes and see a drip every so often. Breaking more sheetrock to get a better look and there is a coupling that has a pinhole leak shooting out a tiny amount of water. We turned the water off under the sinks and that did not stop it, so we turned the water off at the water main. It stopped.

I feel so much better that this was not a drain leak through the slab. Everybody we called said it was probably just a leaking pipe and it was. Too bad the plumber didn't take it one step further.

Thanks everyone for your responses.

DH is on his way to Lowes to get putty or something to do a temporary fix until the plumber can come tomorrow. He is also getting a sheetrock saw so we can cut the sheetrock more so the inside area can dry out quicker.

This post was edited by cricket49 on Sun, Apr 27, 14 at 10:33

Glad it was a simple problem and not something that required a bust-up. Put a floor or box fan in the floor of the closet with it aimed at the open area in the sheetrock to help speed up the drying.

thanks gmatx

Way ahead of you. Fan has been in closet blowing for 3 days now. Thankfully, sheetrock is not wet, only a small part that we had to cut out to get to the pipe. Also drying out carpet. This leak was so small needle did not budge on water meter. I wonder if the cold weather (a month ago) caused some type of problem since it was the line going to the hot water.

Happy ending after all.

This post was edited by cricket49 on Sun, Apr 27, 14 at 14:45

I know the feeling. I had a pinhole in a pressurized drain (dishwasher) that went on so long it resulted in ruined cabinets, four sheets of replacement drywall, and black mold everywhere. Went on a long time with never a thought in my empty little head.

Surprise wet spots (not flooding) usually won't budge a grossly measuring water meter. Most breaks in the slab won't give you a leak indoors and really, there are very very few of those. They're most often above the slab (leaks on carpet and such) or below the slab and those are often found with snakes.

It's not the plumber's fault, per se, but some people don't have a strong knack for figuring out puzzles. They're hunters like most of us.

follow up re my bathtub leak: electric snake did NOT work.situation for last 8 days is that water will go down drain but a small amount is left behind which may take about 2o mins to finally drain .plumber now thinks he may have to access ceiling of tenant below me, to find the clog..is this my only solution?
am not understanding why water eventually goes down, however slowly.

It almost sounds as if there has been a trap created by a "configuration" of the routing of the drain line.

Interesting!

Hey @cricket49,

I had a very hard time with my plumbing system a few weeks ago, tried everything myself but with no success. My neighbour then recommended this site (http://au.grabaprice.com) and the best was that they also offer cash rewards for the ad that you post - $25!!!

All the best,
SunkissedSkin