What i find when checking with a moisture meter may be that it s right under the shower drain.
Bathtub drain leaking through ceiling.
Sometimes those drains were installed with plumbers putty and over time it loosens up especially with people in the shower walking back and forth in the shower.
Sometimes i will get a call about a leak showing up in a ceiling below a bathroom.
If the drain trap below the tub has loose connections or has corroded through the drain pipe may be leaking water.
Clogged shower drains in and of themselves would not cause a leak.
Sometimes fixing the problem is simply a matter of tightening the drain connections using channel lock pliers.
Water leaks from a plumbing fixture or pipes may go unnoticed for days or even weeks until you notice a wet spot or water stain on the ceiling below.
If the drainpipe is the culprit you ll have to replace the fittings.
You will likely see the water dripping down from the drain trap when running water in the tub.
Usually there is ceiling space between the upstairs bathroom and the lower ceiling.
Leaking drain trap.
How to fix a leak from the upstairs bathroom.
When you go to your hardware store take the damaged fittings with you so that you can be sure that you re getting the exact same ones.
But if the clog prevents water from flowing down the pipe and causes a backup of the water into the shower pan and if the water in the shower pan gets high enough then the answer could be yes because the overflow could easily find it s way through a crack in the wall or tile and cause the leak.
A damp spot or worse a continuous drip from the ceiling overhead signals trouble.
Sometimes water won t actually leak out you ll find the drywall sagging and paint bubbling in the affected area.
Drain pipe leaks are those that appear and disappear across your ceiling.
When water s leaking within the wall or from the bathtub drain above you ll find water seeping out below the source of the leak.
If you have a second story bathroom the problem could be in.