Narrowing down pool leak

[Daugusti]

I'm going to start with the basics and hopefully the solution is simple. Loosing about an inch to an inch & 1/2 a day in my pool and raised spa (gunite). Shut off the equipment, looses water. Run, looses water. Turned all valves off, leave pool off, no water loss.

When it looses water there are no wet spots around my equipment and no air in skimmer basket.

There is a leak to the cleaner motor that will be repaired tomorrow, but during all the tests the cleaner is turned off and there is no water present in that area.

Lastly, we do no see water draining from the backwash line when it is leaking (that we observe).

Where is the water going and where is it leaking. So frustrated!

 

[Qwaxalot]

Does it leak faster when the pool is running? Either way, you have a plumbing leak. You'll almost certainly need a pressure test to locate it.

 

[Daugusti]

No. Seems slower when the pool is running (less loss). Since there is no loss when all of the valves are shut off, doesn't that mean is has to be a leak in one of the valves or the system behind those points.?

 

[Daugusti]

I just don't understand how it can be leaking from one of those valves or the plumbing "before" them and not see the water on the equipment pad or coming from the backwash line.

To clarify our backwash line ties into the sewer line with an upside down u bend above ground. There is a gap between the upside down u and the line to the sewer, so I'm assuming you would see water dripping there. Or is a leak too little pressure to actually see the water "defy gravity"... i.e. come up and down the u to escape to the sewer.

I can also never tell if the water in my backwash slight glass is moving or not (backwashing or not, it just looks still for all nine years I've lived here). Meaning that does not provide me with a location to "see" water escaping.

 

[Daugusti]

New info, pool valves were reopened and pool was run. Shut off for a couple hours. When it was turned back on, the sight glass below the fountain valve was empty and had to refill. What does that mean?

 

[jblizzle]

Why is there a sight glass on the fountain valve?

Can you add some pictures of your equipment pad to better understand what you are talking about?

 

[Daugusti]

Sorry I guess it's called a jandy check valve and has a clear sight glass, where you can see if there is water. Maybe there isn't supposed to be water there when the pool is shut off? It's on the line that goes to the fountain after the manual valve to shut it off.

 

[Daugusti]

We've replaced the fountain check valve, and the leaking part on the cleaner motor (the check valve on the spa drain had already been replaced). Hopefully this all solves the problem.