Mystery Leak

[rhoffman]

Can someone please help me find the source of my pool leak? I have found and patched a couple of leaks in the pool before by dripping the pH tester, but this leak has eluded me thus far. The mystery part is that it doesn't leak if the Hayward Navigator is hooked up. But as soon as I disconnect the Navigator and let the water flow through the skimmer like normal then the water level drops by an inch or two per day. The Navigator hose connects to the bottom/back of the skimmer. There is also a main drain that is gravity fed into the skimmer, but it doesn't have any suction. No visible leaks around the pump.


Where should I look for leaks? Do these clues help to narrow it down? Any other tests to perform? Any help is appreciated. Thanks.

 

[JVTrain]

What happens to the water level inside the skimmer when you have the Navigator hooked up? Does it remain at the same level or does it drain out?

 

[rhoffman]

The water level in the skimmer remains at the same level. What are you thinking?


It seems like it only leaks when the pump is running and the Navigator is not in place. Is it possible that the suction from the pump could pull down on the skimmer basket (and leaves) enough to pull open a leak in the skimmer area? I've been thinking about this all day, and that is the best idea I've come up with. If that is the problem, how could I find the leak since the food coloring drip method doesn't work when the pump is running.

 

[JVTrain]

Thought it might be that as well, but thinking about it again, you'd have to a put a cover plate over the mouth of the skimmer while the Navigator was hooked up for the skimmer water level to drop due to a leak. If you wanted to test your suction thoughts, you could simply put a heavy rock in the skimmer basket and try the dye again. That would simulate suction pull on the basket without the pump running. I use food coloring in a syringe so I'm not wasting my pH reagent. I was a bit stumped as well...

The only thing I can think of is a leak that is eliminated in the fitting that the Navigator inserts into. Inserting the connection into that fitting closes it off.

 

[gwegan]

So it never leaks down below the skimmer because you refill the pool?

Can we get a picture of the skimmer open with and without the navigator?

 

[rhoffman]

Thanks for helping me out. Below are pictures of the skimmer with and without the Navigator hooked up. I turned off the pump, put a 30lb weight in the skimmer basket, and tested for leaks, but didn't find any. You can kinda see in the picture that there is a top and bottom part of the skimmer with a seam in the middle. This leaked once in the past, but I don't see any leaks there now. The theory about the pump suction pulling down on the basket would line up with an intermittent leak somewhere on this seam. I may just put patch repair all the way around the seam and see if the problem goes away.