FB pool Leak through eyeball returns

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CRAD_oz

CRAD_oz

Bronze Supporter
Jan 13, 2020
144
Sydney Australia
Pool Size
48000
Surface
Fiberglass
Chlorine
Salt Water Generator
Hi All
I'm after some advice on a leak I have through the the returns. The previous owner had discovered the leak and covered it up with tubes of silicone. Last winter I lowered the water level and took some photos. It appears the return pipes have dropped and pulled away from the FB wall leaving enough gap for water to leak around and behind the fitting. Until now the leak hasn't been a problem. (Re-applied silicone to get through another season) The bandaide has finally fallen off and it's time to act! I'm now losing 1/2" of water a day. It's also strange that it started after some heavy rain here. I can't keep topping up the pool and the swim season is just about to finish up.
What should I expect to find under the Travatine tiles? A slab of concrete? how thick will it be? Do I need to cut a section out the width of the pool or just enough to reach in and make the repair?
Attached are pics of the end of the pool with the returns in question and a pic showing the inside of the return pipe.
I have many more questions but I just want to see if this is something I can repair or leave it to the pros before asking for more info.
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Good news- You have travertine tiles that can be removed to easily access the plumbing.
Possible bad news- Depends on where the break is. From the pic it looks like you should have enough pipe to do the repair.
Dig it up and have a look, if it looks like you’ll need to replace the portion of the pipe in the shell, call in the pros if you’re not comfortable doing the repair.
Let me ping a couple of people to get more eyes on this. :cheers:
@jimmythegreek @Pool Clown
 
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Arizonarob said:
Good news- You have travertine tiles that can be removed to easily access the plumbing.
Possible bad news- Depends on where the break is. From the pic it looks like you should have enough pipe to do the repair.
Dig it up and have a look, if it looks like you’ll need to replace the portion of the pipe in the shell, call in the pros if you’re not comfortable doing the repair.
Let me ping a couple of people to get more eyes on this. :cheers:
@jimmythegreek @Pool Clown
Click to expand...
Ok so you think the travertine will come up without breaking? How far from the pool shell would the cement slab under the tile be? Enough to work on the pipework I hope.
First step let's try and get one of the tiles up without it breaking.
 
TheSadClown said:
if its just the caulk issue causing the water leak then get some of this and you should be good.
www.zoro.com

3M Non-Shrinking Gasket Sealant, 3 oz, White, Temp Range -40 to 190 Degrees F 05220 | Zoro

Order 3M Non-Shrinking Gasket Sealant, 3 oz, White, Temp Range -40 to 190 Degrees F, 05220 at Zoro.com. Great prices & free shipping on orders over $50 when you sign in or sign up for an account.
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Click to expand...
Thanks for the product tip ?. I will know more next week once the return fittings have been removed. Just letting the level drop until it stops. It's below the skimmer so far and falling.
 
Update, still waiting for the Leak detection company to check the pool to ensure there is only one location that has an issue before I start making holes in the deck.
In the meantime I'm still keeping the FC up with LC and using a sump pump to circulate the water daily. Today I used the pool vac attached to the skimmer to clean up the dirt on the bottom. Worked fine even though the water is below the skimmer. keep the VS pump rpm around 1500 to stopped the air getting pulled in through the hose coupling.
In case some one else has an issue with their FB pool and leaks I'll keep posting updates of the repair.
 
Advice on what material to use to back fill the backside of the wall once the repair has been completed. From what I have dug out it looks like a combination of sand and dirt. Some say Washed river Sand and some say crushed rock or blue metal.
Also the tree roots are insane, could the roots cause issues in the future if not removed?
 

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Crad, to answer a question you had earlier.....if you look at the build pics of MY POOL (link in my signature), you'll see how far out the lip of the shell extended compared to our stone decking, and how the return pipes were suspended. If I knew any better back then, I would've asked or done a couple things differently, but it was before my TFP pool knowledge. Anyways, I hope your repair goes swiftly and as easily as can be expected. Let us know how it turns out. Good luck! :cheers:
 
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All repaired! Poold deck opened up in two spots behind each return. I found the 1 1/2" Return pipe had been pulled down by the soil which pulled the eyeball fittings off the wall of the pool. No sand or aggregate to be found which has probably not helped with the ground movement.
New eyeballs fitted and repiped.
I'm going to ensure the holes are filled with the correct material before closing up.
 
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