How to find the dripping?

[hlouie]

Hi all,

I just moved in my new house a week ago and 3 days ago I start noticing a dripping sound in my 2nd floor bathroom when I turn on the water faucet on the bathroom sink. The dripping sound is heard loudly downstairs, as if it's hitting some hard surface, and the more water I turn on the faster the dripping. I've checked the pipe from the sink to the wall and there weren't any wet spots. I've checked the ceiling and the wall of the room downstairs and couldn't find any water marks. I looked outside the house for clues and still can't find anything. I ended up calling a plumber (since I have a year of buyer insurance) and the plumber said he can't do anything until there are watermarks to show that there are actual leaking (he said if there were leaks the wall would show water marks quickly on the caulk). I'd like to hear a second opinion on this. Does this sound like a serious issue? Is there a way to trace where the dripping is from without cutting a hole in the wall? Thanks in advanced for your response!

Thanks,
Helen

[Mike Swearingen]

Until you find water marks, the only way to determine exactly what's happening is to open up the walls. No need to do that.
My guess is that you have plastic drain pipes, which are notoriously noisy, and the water draining from that sink is making the dripping noise inside the plastic pipe. Very hot water running through plastic pipe will make a ticking (expansion and contraction) noise, which also may sound like dripping.
Don't worry about it, unless you start seeing water marks.
No much that you can do to prevent plastic drain pipe noise.
Good luck!
Mike