old gunite pool and water loss

[rlefig]

Hi, I have been noticing a loss of about 1/2" of water per day in my 1972 gunite pool in MA. I started noticing it last fall and shut it down for the year. The water level seems to stop dropping at the skimmer mouth. I checked around the skimmer mouth and other areas of lost tile with red dye and could see nothing evident. I did the bucket test last year and there was a difference between bucket and pool.

There is no leakage around pump.

Not sure what else to do. I can tell you the pool is really old and does need to be resurfaced. There are a number of lost tiles and all and the previous home owners did not open it for years and it was a black swamp.

Next year we are hoping to get it replastered and such. Any ideas in the meantime?

thanks

 

[rlefig]

oh one other thing does low calcium hardness lead to leakage?

 

[duraleigh]

CH has nothing to do with a leak. Nor sure what other questions you are asking are you trying to stop the leak?

 

[rlefig]

I am trying to stop the leak. Can not find anything with a dye test. I already have a & b epoxy and might just put that in any areas or question.

 

[kcindc]

The leak could be in underground plumbing, too. A good way to tell where the leak is happening is to allow it to leak until the water stops leaking. Once the water gets below the leak, the water level won't change.

 

[allinspector]

I suppose you could plug your pipes and pressure test them - that would rule out a leak from the plumbing side.

Otherwise I agree with kcindc, let it go down the level where the leak is at.

 

[rlefig]

Just an update. I had a good idea of where the leak was in the pool in that the water never dropped much below the bottom of the skimmer. But the dye test revealed nothing.

Since I had already bought A & B Epoxy I just put it on any suspect area. Including where the skimmer meets the gunite, spots where tiles fell off and left "divots" in the plaster. I ended up patching about 10 spots and the pool no longer leaks.

Thanks as always for all your help.


rob

 

[kcindc]

That is great news! So happy to hear that you were able to fix the leak!