Tub overflow drain upstairs with water damage on downstairs living room ceiling

Question

A couple of weeks ago, I had a large amount of water drain via the overflow drain in my master bath upstairs (the water was too cold so I was draining water not only through the tub's main drain but water was also draining via the overflow drain while I was running additional water to warm the overall temperature).
Over the weekend, I noticed an obvious water damage patch on my living room ceiling directly under the tub. Now, I'm scared to use that bathtub and I'm looking for reassurance that it was likely the "cold water warm up" fiasco that caused the damage.
Hiring a plumber is not really a financially feasible option for me right now.  Thanks for any input.

ojait · Answer

here's a typical tube/over flow drain set up:

The black ring at the top of the picture is a rubber gasket. It forms a seal between the over flow drain pipe and the wall of your tub. If the tubs' drain or stopper needed maintenance the lever would be removed. This may have caused the rubber gasket to become awry. It's tricky to keep it in place while securing the screws that hold the cover.
That is the most likely location of your leak. To repair you must remove the two plate screws and verify the gasket is not split or damaged and centered in the opening. Further the pipe behind it must also be precisely centered to the opening and gasket. Start one screw first turning it until it stays in place. Tighten the next one snugly and finish tightening the first too.

Tub overflow drain upstairs with water damage on downstairs living room ceiling

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