Possible leak in pool

[Moonlite swim]

I've noticed water level decreasing daily. I fear it is the liner or pool shell. Pool is recessed 2' in ground so can't see around outside walls. Where do I begin to find possible source. I do keep my pool at 86 and haven't been using solar cover. Saw post about water in bucket to check evaporation but bucket water won't be or stay 86.
Please advise
24' round semi inground vinyl liner pool

 

[jrguzmanr]

I would check skimmers, light fixtures and returns, in that order. I use a syringe w/o the needle and red food colorant purchased at my local supermarket.

 

[raptor45]

I had this problem and it was my drain line in the bottom of the pool. I had American leak come out and locate it, it was two feet from the drain, so I capped the drain. I wished it would have been a cracked skimmer.

 

[Moonlite swim]

You just put dye into skimmer while it is running? Then what?

 

[g5marek]

You need to put the bucket for the evaporation test on a step inside the pool. Essentially the bucket needs to be kept at the same temperature as the pool water.

Just make sure that the lip of the bucket is a few inches above the water level in the pool. Mark the water level on the inside of the bucket and your pools water level. Wait at least 1 day and measure the water levels again. If the pool level drops Me than the bucket level then you have a leak.

If your bucket floats when placed on the step the you can weigh it down with some stones or a brick etc.

You can repeat the bucket test multiple times with various valves closed, the pump running or not. The tests that make sense depend on the detailed setup of the plumbing of your pool.

Good luck finding the leak.

 

[g5marek]

You just put dye into skimmer while it is running? Then what?

You probably won't be able to tell much with the pump running inside the skimmer, but with the pump off you will see where the dye is getting sucked to in the skimmer.

 

[jrguzmanr]

sorry for the delayed response, but have been busy with work. I suck some colorant into the syringe, do the upside up squirt until some comes out, cover it with my finger and insert it into the pool where I'm NOT looking for the leak, to wash away any extra colorant. I then go to the skimmer and slowly insert the syringe towards the bottom of it and lift my finger slowly to let some out. When there is too much colorant in the skimmer and I then turn the pump for a few second to rinse the skimmer and then repeat.

Once you have done the bucket test and confirmed that you have a leak, let it leak until it stops. If it's it one of the skimmers it will stop right below it, same thing with returns and pool light.