Hello,
I moved into a Texas home last year with my first pool (~ 30,000 gallons - 10 yrs old). Initially, I kept watering the pool everyday but got tired of topping it off each day. I found out it was dropping ~ an 1.6 inches a day in the summer heat. I let the pool drain on its own to find the level at which it slows down to normal. I expected an abrupt level at which the leak rate would stop and it would be considered normal (evaporation). Unfortunately, the leak was only slowing down each day without an abrupt stop. By the time the pool was half its level it was dropping ~ 0.5 inch/day. The pool has been empty for the last 8 months. I have been lucky that the pool has not popped up. I finally cleaned the pool and discovered these the other day:
Here are the suspected leaks:
Picture 1 & 2 - Two main drains at the bottom of the pool.
One drain is sealed but the other drain is found to be open to earth/ground (I probbed it). Interestingly, when it rains, it still takes days for it to completely empty. Shouldn't it drain much faster if there is a big hole in the center? I have not opened the other seal.
http://img684.imageshack.us/img684/2240 ... 185352.jpg
http://img834.imageshack.us/img834/5079 ... 185747.jpg
Picture 3,4 - Vacuum port spring cover is loose (spring does not work). Can water leak through the vacuum port?
http://img526.imageshack.us/img526/6744 ... 190908.jpg
http://img338.imageshack.us/img338/670/ ... 190932.jpg
Picture 5 - Jet Eyeball
Can water leak out of the jet eyeball when the pump is off?
http://img821.imageshack.us/img821/9016 ... 191333.jpg
Other causes:
- Approx 5 fine, paper thin continuous crack that run down the wall to the bottom of the pool. Difficult to spot with pebble tech finish unless you scan your eyes two feet away from the surface.
- Leak from Skimmers/Pipes connected to skimmer.
I am thinking about filling the pool this week after closing the main drain seal and possibly fixing the vacuum port cover. Is there are thing else I should do before I put back 30K gallons?
I moved into a Texas home last year with my first pool (~ 30,000 gallons - 10 yrs old). Initially, I kept watering the pool everyday but got tired of topping it off each day. I found out it was dropping ~ an 1.6 inches a day in the summer heat. I let the pool drain on its own to find the level at which it slows down to normal. I expected an abrupt level at which the leak rate would stop and it would be considered normal (evaporation). Unfortunately, the leak was only slowing down each day without an abrupt stop. By the time the pool was half its level it was dropping ~ 0.5 inch/day. The pool has been empty for the last 8 months. I have been lucky that the pool has not popped up. I finally cleaned the pool and discovered these the other day:
Here are the suspected leaks:
Picture 1 & 2 - Two main drains at the bottom of the pool.
One drain is sealed but the other drain is found to be open to earth/ground (I probbed it). Interestingly, when it rains, it still takes days for it to completely empty. Shouldn't it drain much faster if there is a big hole in the center? I have not opened the other seal.
http://img684.imageshack.us/img684/2240 ... 185352.jpg
http://img834.imageshack.us/img834/5079 ... 185747.jpg
Picture 3,4 - Vacuum port spring cover is loose (spring does not work). Can water leak through the vacuum port?
http://img526.imageshack.us/img526/6744 ... 190908.jpg
http://img338.imageshack.us/img338/670/ ... 190932.jpg
Picture 5 - Jet Eyeball
Can water leak out of the jet eyeball when the pump is off?
http://img821.imageshack.us/img821/9016 ... 191333.jpg
Other causes:
- Approx 5 fine, paper thin continuous crack that run down the wall to the bottom of the pool. Difficult to spot with pebble tech finish unless you scan your eyes two feet away from the surface.
- Leak from Skimmers/Pipes connected to skimmer.
I am thinking about filling the pool this week after closing the main drain seal and possibly fixing the vacuum port cover. Is there are thing else I should do before I put back 30K gallons?
