Leak for days...

[nupoolboy]

Hi, I'm new to the forum but have a lingering problem....

I have a 16' x 32' inground Pacific Palm pool (sits elevated, 3ft shallow end, 9 feet deep end)..Hayward Super Pump, and Perflex EC65 DE filter.

This pool loses about 3/4" of water a day (with pump and filter running)..

About 2 weeks ago, when i first noticed the leak, i did the following:

refilled the pool halfway up the skimmer opening, plugged the main drain (in side wall of pool) & plugged skimmer w/a Gizzmo...left pump motor shut off...No water loss.

did the dye test the next day, dye didnt go anywhere.

So that told me the liner, main drain fitting & skimmer mouth/opening was good...

the next day, I uncapped the main drain, plugged skimmer, and ran motor----lost 3/4" water in 12 hours, yet 12 hours later, it was still at that level.{i did notice there were lots of bubbles in pump w/main drain open & motor running}

{note that no puddles were near the pump or filter, and ground wasnt damp anywhere....}

next day: refilled pool again, plugged main drain, opened skimmer, ran motor--again, lost 3/4" water in 12 hours, yet 12 hours later, it was still at that level...skimmer drawing in lots of air of course, because of such low water level in skimmer...

That told me it probably wasnt the main drain tube...

next day: did NOT refill pool, opened main drain, plugged skimmer, ran motor--did this for 3 more days, and kept losing 1/2" to 3/4" worth of water 12-24 hours...

I am stumped... :? what can I do? Please help me... This is the first year of my owning a pool...Thanks!!

 

[Bama Rambler]

Are there separate valves at the equipment pad for the skimmer and main drain?
Leaking when the pump is running is almost always on the discharge side of the pump.
What type filter and backwash valve do you have?
If it's a multiport, have you checked the spider gasket?

 

[nupoolboy]

Hi, Bama...

The skimmer and main drain come together as one at the pump opening...It's a Hayward EC-65 DE filter, with a backwash valve coming out the back of the unit near the bottom. It's not a multiport filter, it has the return line coming out the front top part of the filter.

 

[Bama Rambler]

So there's no valve between the skimmer and the main drain?

That's a bump DE filter. It doesn't backwash. It's still pointing to a discharge side leak. can you run a temporary line from the filter outlet to the pool and plug off the return(s) and see if it still leaks?

 

[nupoolboy]

My apologies, I cannot upload a pic of the pump & filter system...its a 3MB JPEG file..if there's a way to attach it, I would...

There are two shutoff valves, one for the skimmer & one for the main drain---before it joins as one pipe into the pump.

What kind of fitting do I buy for this filter so I can attach a hose? It looks like about 1 1/2 inches around...I've not seen a hose with any kinds of threads that big that I can buy..The temporary line idea will be the next thing to try...

 

[Bama Rambler]

You can use a photo hosting site like Flickr, photobucket, etc. and just link it here.

I'd get a hose fitting and some backwash hose at one of the big box stores and use that.

 

[nupoolboy]

well, after trying a new return line hose...IT STILL LOSES WATER!!! and at the same rate as before...i'm at my wits end....

I did notice a tear in the liner where the pool ladder attaches. But where I'm stumped is, does it lose water faster when the pump/filter is running? Because at first, when I plugged all the lines & the pump was off, it didnt lose any water (it seemed), and certainly not 3/4" per day....

 

[Bama Rambler]

Did you plug the returns in the pool when you ran the temp hose?

 

[nupoolboy]

I disconnected the return line hose from the filter & used a garden hose...do I still need to plug the return hole into the pool?

 

[Bama Rambler]

Yes because water can flow into the return from the pool and if the leak is at that level it will still leak.

 

[nupoolboy]

Oh, ok...i will plug the return hole then tonight...

Btw, any recommendations on pool liner patch kits? I've looked in Wallyworld, HD, & no one sells a kit that comes with a patch...I have no liner leftover patches at all..Thanks again for all your help...

 

[Bama Rambler]

Most pool stores either have some left over liner and patch kits or have patch kits with patch material in them.

 

[Guest]

For patches go to Anderson Manufacturing's website. They sell great patch kits that I use all the time. If you have any questions I own a leak detection company and I will be happy to answer any questions.

 

[nupoolboy]

and we're back to live action...lol

so i plugged the return hole, used a garden hose for the return line, 24 hours later---water STILL dropped 3/4 inch...then decided to close the skimmer line. (so i only had main drain open)

24 hours later, i refilled the pool.

next morning, (with return hole still plugged), had only lost 1/4 inch.

that night, lost another 1/2 inch. Monday. i went and got some Boxer liner patch for 2 holes i noticed in the liner where the pool ladder attached. Opened up all the lines (skimmer, return etc).

Refilled pool Wed. afternoon (4pm). By 9pm Thursday it dropped 1 inch!! Now what?

 

[ps0303]

I had a customer call me yesterday saying he was losing water everyday. I went and looked things over and I saw that under the Hayward DE 4800 filter it appeared wet. I shut everything down and removed the filter, opened it and saw nothing. Flipped it over and there was a hair line crack in the bottom. Check and make sure your equipment pad is dry and you do not see any signs of water around any of the equipment, especially the filter.

Did you say you still lost water when the pump didn't run?

 

[nupoolboy]

That is a very good point about the filter...It does a drip a bit out the backwash valve(which i recently replaced & put Teflon tape on & tightened), but very little....that's the only water around the filter I've noticed...but i could check the underside of the filter, anyway...

and no water was lost when the pump wasn't running...

 

[nupoolboy]

The equipment pad is dry on the underside of the filter...so now what?