Orange patches hours after grouting shower tiles

[RVNmax]

Hi all

My shower has been leaking for years and I've had numerous attempts at sealing bits and pieces up, but new leaks keep popping up. I realised the grouting was also faulty and letting through water at a couple of places where the water was coming through.

So we called a handyman 11 months ago who just slathered some grout on top of the area we told him was leaking as well as on an area he shouldn't have (lid of toilet cistern) so I quickly realised he had no idea what he was doing. But neither did I, and 24 hours later I took a shower from which I saw the water carrying some of the grouting away with it. It led to a bronze like colour in a couple of spots, and leaking continued since from those spots.

1. So I finally got around to forking out £300 for a professional regrouting service and did the job yesterday. Although I didn't notice anything immediately at 18:00 yesterday when he finished, I realised a couple of hours ago on further inspection that there are quite a few orange patches.
   
   I obviously haven't ran a shower this time, and I wasn't planning to until Sunday morning even though the grouter said that 24 hrs was enough. So the grouting can't have been washed away. I was wondering if I didn't see the orange spots yesterday due to the light and that actually it wasn't applied to sufficient quantity with the orange showing through from the back as it also seems as if there is volume at those spots.
   
   However, the grouter says that dampness behind the tiles causes them to stain and that everything should be "sealed" and I can use the shower.
   
   I'll wait till Sunday anyway but monitor if it continues to leak.
   
   
2. Also there is conflicting advice about applying grout sealant.
   
   If grout is porous, surely it's a necessity?
   
   Some say that even sealant doesn't seal, and then at least you aren't blocking water from evaporating back out. I'm so torn!
   
   
3. Also spotted a couple of spots last night where the grouting is seemingly crumbled. (final two pics)
   
   If I touch new grouting anywhere it leaves a bit of powdery residue on my finger.
   
   (This happens to be the case on the lid of the toilet cistern weirdly from 11 months prior).
   
   I read that grout shouldn't be powdery/crumbly, but I wasn't sure how powdery was too powdery iynwim.
   
   Again, most websites say it means the grout mixture was too dry. One says it could be because it was too wet also Soft Powdery Grout (morganadhesives.com.au).

Anyway, pics below. Would be grateful for any advice on those three points above.

Orange bits:

Crumbly bits:

 

[oldbutnotdead]

Somewhere in your shower bar there's some ferrous metal that's getting wet and rusting. Water (either from the leak or from normal showering) is carrying the rust into the grout (which is porous).
Fix the leak.
Find and replace the ferrous (most likely whoever mounted the shower has used steel screws instead of stainless. Don't ask how I am aware of this problem ).
Regrout.