Water Chemistry Coming off the charts when pool level water elevates

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anre5180

Active member
Oct 1, 2020
27
Miami, FL
Hello, team of fellow pool lovers:

I am having an interesting situation where when it rains heavily here in South Florida and the pool water level raises my chemistry comes off the chart. and I found myself having to balance again. Ughhh... makes no sense as I shouldn't be losing Salt levels or CH or CYA. Under normal circumstances, I adjust my FCL, PH, and ALY depending upon what's going on with pool activities. Maybe a bit CYA due to warm pool temps (close to 90 due to South Florida sun and heat), luckily not a lot of crosswind at pool location.

I suspected a leak and I bought a test kit and grab my scuba tank and went all over the main drain, pool light, return jets, etc.

1631712406115.png

Found nothing... but I noticed as I pay closer attention there is a crack above normal water levels in the tile that I suspect I am losing water (and chemistry) when it rains a lot. what do you guys recommend to use to repair that?

I can't think of other ways I would be losing chemistry only when the water level raises... note: the pool has never overflowed (luckily). So far just a bit higher than skimmer top-level (during sustained rain over without a break)

Pool Math Logs
 

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JamesW said:
Is the sample mostly rainwater?
Click to expand...
the pictures are my actual pool water (it's crystal clear and hard to see, but it's there... lol ;)) ... but yes... I rarely have to top off via hose (city water) ... it rains often down here.

I am not draining/topping off constantly since the skimmer has a good 6" opening allowing me to keep water levels within that opening and hold for a few days without rain without having the need to top-off.
 
anre5180 said:
Hello, team of fellow pool lovers:

I am having an interesting situation where when it rains heavily here in South Florida and the pool water level raises my chemistry comes off the chart. and I found myself having to balance again. Ughhh... makes no sense as I shouldn't be losing Salt levels or CH or CYA. Under normal circumstances, I adjust my FCL, PH, and ALY depending upon what's going on with pool activities. Maybe a bit CYA due to warm pool temps (close to 90 due to South Florida sun and heat), luckily not a lot of crosswind at pool location.

I suspected a leak and I bought a test kit and grab my scuba tank and went all over the main drain, pool light, return jets, etc.

View attachment 371799

Found nothing... but I noticed as I pay closer attention there is a crack above normal water levels in the tile that I suspect I am losing water (and chemistry) when it rains a lot. what do you guys recommend to use to repair that?

I can't think of other ways I would be losing chemistry only when the water level raises... note: the pool has never overflowed (luckily). So far just a bit higher than skimmer top-level (during sustained rain over without a break)

Pool Math Logs
Click to expand...
You don't have an autodrain that no one told you about, do you? We are in west central Florida, and we don't have an autodrain. Without draining during or before a storm, our pool has definitely overflowed a few times.
 
Sounds like you have an auto drain and every time it rains you are losing water.. Depending on where you live in FL you can get 6 inches of rain a month... If your pool has never overflowed you have drain somewhere...

At least 1 or 2 times a month you should check everything and add as needed :)
 
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JamesW said:
The point of my question is if the sample is from the top of the pool where it is mostly rainwater or is the sample a well mixed water sample from deeper in the water?
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oh... my apologies. the sample I test from is once my PoolMAX (cleaner side vacuum) finished in the morning. I am awake at that point and I dunk my sample bottle down to the return jet and fill up there. so the pool is well mixed after 4h of being at 3200 RPMs.
 
cowboycasey said:
Sounds like you have an auto drain and every time it rains you are losing water.. Depending on where you live in FL you can get 6 inches of rain a month... If your pool has never overflowed you have drain somewhere...

At least 1 or 2 times a month you should check everything and add as needed :)
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I am a recent pool owner (less than one 1year) ... what does an auto-drain look like? I have looked around the pool equipment and pool deck and I see no noticeable indications that pool is overflowing somewhere...

mind you the level seldomly goes above the skimmer 6" window... and when it does it never makes it to the top of the deck where I can see an actual overflow

forgive my lack of knowledge
 

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poolnoobgrandma said:
You don't have an autodrain that no one told you about, do you? We are in west central Florida, and we don't have an autodrain. Without draining during or before a storm, our pool has definitely overflowed a few times.
Click to expand...
Recent pool owner (less than 1y) here so apologies for the lack of knowledge. what does it look like? I only drained 1 time but that's understandable chemistry will be off... but the symptom of chemistry going out of whack then pool gets too much water... i can't explain it.

perhaps is psychological of me trying to find out an excuse and culprit on that crack I saw on the tile. I do know for sure that while water remains below that crack level... i don't have such swings in water chemistry

if the windows of my skimmer is 6" my ideal water level is around mid skimmer... so when water remains between 2" to 4" on that 6" window my chemistry is good.

the challenge comes when water goes above that 4" almost to the top of skimmer window and even some time covering the whole skimmer window but without top deck overflowing ... then the water level is exposed to that crack I send pic of... i am not sure how else to explain the swings in chemistry
 
JamesW said:
Can you show a picture in the skimmer?

It might leak out at the top of the skimmer where the extension collar connects.
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where would be that extension collar connection? if you could show it on a diagram and can better understand where to look and take a pic from. would you mind please perhaps circle it on red where the possible leaks could be ?

1631722119777.png
 
mknauss said:
Your Pool math logs look OK -- realize the ColorQ is at best accurate for low FC and pH. Other parameters are not very accurate from that kit. You should get a proper test kit.
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do you have a test kit you would please recommend ...?

ColorQ and AquaChek 7-way pool Test strips (as backup and quick-every-other-day check) have been my methods so far
 
The main skimmer body should be a single solid piece.

Then, the skimmer lid assembly (Part number 2) goes on top of that.

If the lid assembly needs to be higher, an extension collar is used.

You should see a seam at about the level of the water about where I put the red line.

1631722585876.png
 
JamesW said:
The main skimmer body should be a single solid piece.

Then, the skimmer lid assembly (Part number 2) goes on top of that.

If the lid assembly needs to be higher, an extension collar is used.

You should see a seam at about the level of the water about where I put the red line.
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Thank you for that clarification. attach are some pics... i don't think I have an extension based on where you drew the red line...seems like a full piece
I can't take better pics without dunking my phone in the water o_O
 

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JamesW said:
This seam will leak if the water gets to this level.
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ahhh... interesting... ok... I will get my little mirrors that came with the leak kit and inspect better underneath that lip...(can I use the putty in the kit to seal if I see a culprit?) for sure water has gotten to that level (black arrow) but never past this red line otherwise I would've seen top-deck overflow and I haven't. the kitchen windows overlook the pool and skimmer so even during storms and heavy rain I have full visibility into the pool and water levels.

1631724292522.png
 
Here, you can see the skimmer without the extension or the lid assembly.

1631723979598.png

Here, you can see the extension inserted into the main skimmer.

The extension slips inside the main skimmer by an inch or two and is not sealed.

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