pool issues: leak & pump inconsistent via main drain

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M

mitchjs

0
Apr 16, 2016
7
Davenport, FL
Hi All,

I got a couple issues with my inground fiberglass pool. on xmas day i work up and water level was lost about 8"
it was tool cold to do any real research, but the next day down about 1ft... so whats leaking
after it fell below returns, i rulled them out... i got a light (hoping its in the niche) and of course the main drain
and skimmer...
now today 12/30 water is down 18" to just above the LIGHT NICHE... i was hoping it would go down to say the middle of niche
and stop... then id know its the niche housing...
but not sure yet...

so i turned off values for skimmer, so that only the main drain value is open, and ran the pump
pump primes and water flows out returns, but in a very odd way.....
please watch the 1 min video...
it runs smooth, then air is sucked in (from where no idea)

oh, i put a cap on the equalizer line in my skimmer (which seems to be connected to main drain)
so it cant get air from there

water too damm cold, for me to jump in and remove drain cover, or even look inside light housing
(i ordered some leak dye, but not here yet)

just looking for idea on the pump inconsistency and course open to any ideas about leak

i know water level dangerously low in a fiberglass pool, im on a hill, and ideally water table not a issue...
i will prob just have to suck it up, and add water, and try to keep it at a certain level...

some more info pool pump running at 1800rpm, seems the air issue is every 30 seconds
even if i let air out at filter housing, it still never really fills 100% the intake basket before the pumpl

thanks
mitch

VIDEO link:
video aprox 1 min
 

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i fear it could be main drain.... i dont know what it looks like under the diffuser (or whatever that thing is called covering the pipe)
but if somehow i got it removed, i guess i could try to seal off main drain and see what happens to water level
prob not threaded is it? so how to stopper up the main drain


i got some dye from amazon today, im not jumping into the cold pool to squirt down by main drain...
but i reached down, and removed lightt, and squirted some inside opening and around edge
i didnt see it flow inside light niche... not sure how long it would take before i noticed... but i watched for 2 -3 mins

im now adding some water back to pool.... to see what happens... overnight


thanks
 
mitchjs said:
i fear it could be main drain.... i dont know what it looks like under the diffuser (or whatever that thing is called covering the pipe)
but if somehow i got it removed, i guess i could try to seal off main drain and see what happens to water level
prob not threaded is it? so how to stopper up the main drain


i got some dye from amazon today, im not jumping into the cold pool to squirt down by main drain...
but i reached down, and removed lightt, and squirted some inside opening and around edge
i didnt see it flow inside light niche... not sure how long it would take before i noticed... but i watched for 2 -3 mins

im now adding some water back to pool.... to see what happens... overnight


thanks
Click to expand...
Below the maindrain cover is, most likely, just a 2" open pipe, no threads. You could try something like this:
 
mitchjs said:
i fear it could be main drain.... i dont know what it looks like under the diffuser (or whatever that thing is called covering the pipe)
but if somehow i got it removed, i guess i could try to seal off main drain and see what happens to water level
prob not threaded is it? so how to stopper up the main drain


i got some dye from amazon today, im not jumping into the cold pool to squirt down by main drain...
but i reached down, and removed lightt, and squirted some inside opening and around edge
i didnt see it flow inside light niche... not sure how long it would take before i noticed... but i watched for 2 -3 mins

im now adding some water back to pool.... to see what happens... overnight


thanks
Click to expand...
If it stopped at the light (even at the top) it could be the light if the leak is near the top of the fixture.
 
mitchjs said:
i fear it could be main drain.... i dont know what it looks like under the diffuser (or whatever that thing is called covering the pipe)
but if somehow i got it removed, i guess i could try to seal off main drain and see what happens to water level
prob not threaded is it? so how to stopper up the main drain


i got some dye from amazon today, im not jumping into the cold pool to squirt down by main drain...
but i reached down, and removed lightt, and squirted some inside opening and around edge
i didnt see it flow inside light niche... not sure how long it would take before i noticed... but i watched for 2 -3 mins

im now adding some water back to pool.... to see what happens... overnight


thanks
Click to expand...
If you find that it is leaking at the light, as Bperry suggested, you can use a "Pool Light Cord Stopper" easily found online. There are various sizes and you can't tell what you need without removing the light and looking.

The fact that you are still pulling air while only using the maindrain suggests the leak is in that line, but you have to eliminate other areas that can allow air in as well, like any valves, the pump lid O ring, the fitting/union in front of the pump, etc.
 
it stopped above the light about inch or so, i was hoping for the light, i squirted some dye around light... no distinct movement of the dye towards the niche cavity (i removed light fixture)
i then added couple of inches of water back to pool... watching its level now... course today is all overcast....

the whole main drain, and running the pump thing is just wierd to me, how it runs, then pulls air, then good, then air... then good... like 30sec good/ 30 sec air
id think it be able to get a smooth run constantly on JUST the main drain...
water is 49 degrees so... not sure how to suck it up and get in and remove that drain cover, then work on a stopper... and watch levels
 
update... today a pool guy came out...

1 placed dye in and all around the light niche, no flow of dye into niche...
placed butyl rubber conduit seal around the wire exit of light niche (just because)

2 removed main drain cover, placed dye around and in the main drain... no flow of dye....

3 plugged main drain with rubber stopper and equalizer line in skimmer with rubber stopper
used water hose and filled line to 15psi and gauge didnt show any leak

really stumped now... left all plugs in, and marked where water level is on pool wall
and we'll see tomorrow if it any more water gone

loosing aprox 1" a day


mitch
 

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If you’re losing that much water it might be easiest to just see where it stops or hire a leak detector. The leak detection guy that came out for mine said that anything less than an inch/day isn’t a plumbing leak. If you have multiple inches it should be much easier to troubleshoot.
 
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LEAK found!

was pretty large crack inside top edge of the light niche, if the water wasnt so damm cold, i would have found it my self!
but the leak company diver had wet suite and still said dang cold, he used epoxy putty, 2 days later water level the same!

oddly it never drained below the crack, it stayed above it (about 2") so i guess the weight of the water was so much less to drive it out
if it went down another 2" and stopped, i would have KNOWN it had to be light niche
i wish it was easy to replace the niche, but i dont think can without lots of dig up, for 1 its under the skimmer

mitch
 
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