Curious drip in the wall. Any ideas?

[larees1988]

We just moved into our house a month ago, it's 26 years old, copper pipes, it's a 3 level split.

Last week I noticed that when water drained from the tub in the 3rd level there would be a dripping sound in the opposite wall from the tub, pretty high up that lasts maybe 3-5 minutes. At first I thought it was just the overflow drain not being properly attached, but it happens when you drain it normally also. Then the other day I noticed the same dripping sound in the same area when my boyfriend was washing dishes in the kitchen on the second floor. Then we tested it out and it happens when we use the 3rd floor bathroom sink also. Same area, same wall. It doesn't make sense because shouldn't the water drain down? The only thing I can think of is that the vent is in that wall.

Any ideas what it could be? and ballpark, how much is this going to cost me to fix it? lol =(
Thanks!

 

[frodo]

We just moved into our house a month ago, it's 26 years old, copper pipes, it's a 3 level split.

Last week I noticed that when water drained from the tub in the 3rd level there would be a dripping sound in the opposite wall from the tub, pretty high up that lasts maybe 3-5 minutes. At first I thought it was just the overflow drain not being properly attached, but it happens when you drain it normally also. Then the other day I noticed the same dripping sound in the same area when my boyfriend was washing dishes in the kitchen on the second floor. Then we tested it out and it happens when we use the 3rd floor bathroom sink also. Same area, same wall. It doesn't make sense because shouldn't the water drain down? The only thing I can think of is that the vent is in that wall.

Any ideas what it could be? and ballpark, how much is this going to cost me to fix it? lol =(
Thanks!

where is your water heater and ac unit located ?

 

[larees1988]

No AC unit, but we do have an air exchanger, under the second floor there's a crawl space you can get into through the bottom floor. The water heater is in the bottom floor laundry room, it's on the left side to the front of the house. Not really in the same area.

We only hear the drip when the water is draining, I like to take baths and that's when I noticed it the first time because I over filled the tub and water was draining through that way, slowly for maybe an hour before I noticed the sound. This cause a small spot of water damage in the basement ceiling under the bathroom. Since then we still hear the drip when using the sinks/tub but there's been no further water damage that we can see.

 

[frodo]

i am confused, in my world with gravity and that whole apple falling thing.

a tub/sink drain can not drip above the tub/sink. below it yes.

how high up is the drip ? shower head high ? or attic high ?

are the drains pumped up because of the split level ?

 

[frodo]

over flow on he tub is easy to fix, but that does not answer a drip abov the sink

 

[larees1988]

The sound is pretty loud and when I out my ear to that wall I can hear it very clearly and I'm 5'4", unless the drip is much lower and sound is just traveling up the wall?? That's why I don't understand what's going on, it makes no sense.

It's not near the water supply for the tub/ sink or kitchen sink. The pipes "should" drain down, not up and through the cieling/attic and then down. And then the water damage on the cieling in the basement isn't very close to the sound of the drip at all, maybe 7 feet away from that common wall.

The only thing in that wall, that high up is the plumbing vent that goes to the roof.

 

[frodo]

what i would do is cut the back of the cabinet out, expose the pipes under the sink

its under the sink, you can always patch it back,

it has to be a sound traveling up.


is the common wall cinder block ? and does the common wall terminate above the roof ?

 

[larees1988]

I'm not sure about the cinder block, though I'm pretty sure it's not.. I have no idea what terminate means, so I attached an image of the roof from the front where the 2 sides join. The problem is at the back of the house.

Also thank you for all the help, this has been stressing me out.

 

[frodo]

could their be a possibility the gutter is plugged full of leaves, and water.

the sound you hear is the dripping of it trying to drain.

you do have a lot of trees