HELP - Leak

SummerT12

Hi,
Desperate for help with a leak I discovered a month or so ago.
Currently, water leaks from top of window frame in kitchen.
Has leaked pretty consistently - due to position I put a tea towel on window sill to collect drops - needs to be changed once in AM and once before bed to give idea of flow.
It did originally create a stain on kitchen ceiling at wall but after having a hole cut out I can't find anything damp coming from pipes etc. above. Everything looks dry.
Had gutters cleaned last week incase they were overflowing - didn't change anything.
I'm at my wits end worrying about it. 
Plumber who came out didn't seem at all interested and suggested I seal the shower.
I'm not sure whether it's an issue from inside or outside and can't afford to have a stream of trades people coming in.
Any help/ideas would be greatly appreciated. 

Martin_the_Unjust

1. How much water?
2. Does it leak or drip continuously or only when it rains etc?
3. What’s in the room above.
4. Have you taken the plumber’s advice and sealed the shower?

Ebe_Scrooge

A picture might help, if you're able to get one.

But in the meantime, a few thoughts...

Are you sure it's a leak, not just condensation now that the weather is getting colder?  It's surprising how much water condensation can produce, especially on single-glazed windows but even on some double-glazed units.

Can you get outside and look at the window frames yourself - are there any obvious cracks, defects, or gaps between the frame and the wall?  Actually, check both inside and outside.

If there is a shower in the floor above, as you seem to suggest, then it's certainly a possibility.  A small leak from a shower will often "cling" to the ceiling joists and trickle along, so where you see the leak from below isn't necessarily in the same spot where the leak is actually occurring.

Can you look at the shower?  If the silicone seal between the tray and the walls is cracked or split, it can often be fairly obvious - and is a simple DIY fix.  How about the grout between the tiles?  Again, it can often be obvious if it's cracked.  If it's a pipework or drainage issue, this can be a bit trickier to tackle, depending on your level of DIY experience.

Would it be feasible to not use the shower for a couple of days and see if the leak stops?  That, at least, may give you a good clue as to whether or not the shower is the culprit.  Process of elimination and all that  

These are just a few thoughts off the top of my head.  Hopefully they may be of some help to get you started.

SummerT12

Thanks for the replies,
To answer as best as I can:
Approx a mug of water collected in 24hr period.
Leaks continuously, not just after rain.
Room above is bathroom.
Sealed shower as best I could however ive also gone and ordered a whole new bathroom as the one in currently is old and plumber as much as said I need a new one.
I'm concerned about a new one being fitted with this outstanding issue?
I'm pretty sure it's not condensation as the volume strikes me as too much to be put down to that and the sudden onset?
If it was the shower would it not be dripping from above and therefore coming through the ceiling? The hole cut out is a reasonable size and no water coming from it at all. 
We stopped using the bathroom sink altogether as the stain on ceiling was directly below sink however hasnt made any difference. 
My main concern is that it's rainwater getting in somewhere but I assume it would have to be retained somewhere for there to be a contact leak.

plumb1_2

If it’s leaking constantly most probably from a pipe in the bathroom. Even if it’s below the sink/ whb it could be from the wa or bath areas as it will travel along the plasterboard.
If your plumber couldn’t find the leak, I wouldn’t trust him to fit a bathroom suite. Plus why didn’t he seal the shower?

Ebe_Scrooge

Thanks for the update, and for the picture.  Agreed, doesn't look like condensation.  As to the location, if it is a leak somewhere in the bathroom then the drips won't always appear from directly underneath where the leak is.

SummerT12 said:

Sealed shower as best I could however ive also gone and ordered a whole new bathroom as the one in currently is old and plumber as much as said I need a new one.
I'm concerned about a new one being fitted with this outstanding issue?

I would have thought that would be the ideal time to sort it out - once the old bathroom has been removed, your plumber will have brilliant access to have a really good look around and identify any problems with the pipework.

Assuming it is a problem in the bathroom, of course.

SummerT12 said:

Leaks continuously, not just after rain.
We stopped using the bathroom sink altogether as the stain on ceiling was directly below sink however hasnt made any difference.

This would lead me to suspect that it's a leak in the pipework somewhere.  If it's dripping continuously, irrespective or rain or bathroom usage, that would be the most logical assumption.

Now the next suggestion depends a lot on the layout and construction of your house.  But would it be possible to lift a section of flooring in the bathroom and have a look at the pipes?  Probably not practical if you've got a tiled floor, but if it's lino or something that can be lifted easily, and it's chipboard or floorboards underneath, should be doable.

Or, unless it's a leak in the roof, and you've got a "collection" of rainwater being stored somewhere unseen, as it were?

Sorry, not sure if that's of much help - just trying to think of things you can try yourself without having to cause too much disruption before you shell out on a plumber to come and take a look!

<edit> I have to agree with @plumb1_2 - get a different plumber to install your new bathroom, one who actually cares about customer satisfaction and building a decent local reputation.

SummerT12

Thanks,
I should say, original plumber didn't charge me, he just said to seal shower and didn't seem interested in exploring any further. Bathroom being fitted by company elsewhere lol.
Tiled floor unfortunately. 
If bathroom was being fitted in Dec I'd feel better about having plumber have a look then but it's not coming until Feb which means I'll be stuck until then.
It has leaked consistently for 8 weeks aside from when it slowed down slightly while we were away for 2 days - which opened up the prospect of the toilet being the problem. That being said it also didn't rain for those 2 days but I don't think that's relevant. Shower became slightly less of a possibility for me only because we have tried to stop using it intermittently to no avail
I feel to many unknowns even for me to figure out never mind you decent people on this forum but i really appreciate you taking the time to reply.

Ebe_Scrooge

SummerT12 said:

I feel to many unknowns even for me to figure out

And it is ever thus, sadly!

All you can do is try and figure out and eliminate obvious causes, and those which are within your DIY capability.  Some things are easy to look at, others less so.  I consider myself a pretty competent DIY-er (I should hope so, at my age!) and will confidently tackle most jobs, but there does come a time when it's time to admit defeat and call in a professional.

That said, there are many people on this forum with a vast range of knowledge - you may yet get an answer that will sort you out.

BlueTeal

If you suspect it could be the toilet, it might be the same issue we had last year. Somehow the flush pipe had come loose where it connects to the toilet bowl, so everytime we flushed the toilet, some water would leak out. It started as a damp patch in the top corner of a wall downstairs, so for a while we thought it was penetrating damp because there are wires going through the wall near there and it was rainy season. Then one day a slowly growing stain appeared on the ceiling. Such an insidious problem when you have a concealed cistern and can't easily see what's going on. But you can easily find out by simply not using the flush for a few days. Just use a bucket of water to flush, works well enough if you aim it at the side of the bowl. If the leak slows down or stops, you'll have your answer.