Maybe a leak?

[John85]

We just moved into a house with a pool (see my sig.). I knew nothing about pools before this last month but have been learning quickly, I've been working on cleaning the pool and water chemistry, etc. but overnight last night my water dropped 1.5 inches. I noticed a tear (about 6") on the floor of the shallow end for the first time yesterday (it may have been there for some time, the water only just cleared to see it 4 or 5 days ago). Do I have a leak (someone already said probably in another thread) and what should I do now? My pump runs all day (no timer yet) but I turned off my skimmer intakes since the water was too low (they may have been sucking air for sometime before I got out there, I didn't know there was a problem before I went to bed and left them open). Should I plug inlets and turn off the pump?

Update:
I went out and looked at the pool (which has continued to drop at the same rate it seems). The vinyl liner is pulling away from the wall (but feels like it's filled with air, not water, at least above the water level--I didn't try below). Is this indicative of water exiting that tear and running behind the liner? I don't see any bulging of the liner below the water but I do see a lot MORE wrinkling in the liner (esp. around fittings and light). As I consider it, I think the wrinkling was new a few days ago (maybe with the tear?). All of this is new to me I'm just really miffed about this problem right as the water is clarifying and things are getting balanced. Is there anything I can do besides a liner replacement?

 

[Pchase]

It sure sounds like a lead as the only way to really float that liner is to have water behind it. I had this happen once where it was a broken sprinkler line and not a leak, but since you see a tear, I would look at that. You could test with some dye and see goes through the tear.

You should be able to patch it.

 

[John85]

What about the water/air behind the liner, will it just go away? Where's all the water going? Do I need to drain to the tear (or the whole pool?) to patch it? Would pictures possibly help? Do I need the pump off to dye test?

Sorry I really have no clue when it comes to this.

 

[Pchase]

What about the water/air behind the liner, will it just go away? Where's all the water going? Do I need to drain to the tear (or the whole pool?) to patch it? Would pictures possibly help? Do I need the pump off to dye test?

Sorry I really have no clue when it comes to this.

A picture would probably help. Someone may have better ideas where you don't have to swim in, but here is how I have done things.

If you want to test for a leak to confirm, swim down with some food coloring and squirt it out near the leak and see where it goes. If it goes through the tear, confirmed. But with a visual tear, it's probably a safe bet.

The way I have fixed any leaks is to cut a patch, apply the adhesive and fold it in half. Then swim down to the bottom and quickly unfold it and put it in place. Maybe bring a rock with you and set it on top to hold better. I would use boxer Amazon.com : Union Laboratories 104 Boxer Vinyl Adhesive for Swimming Pools, 4 oz. : Swimming Pool Maintenance Kits : Patio, Lawn Garden or hh-66 Amazon.com: HH-66 PVC 4 oz Vinyl Cement Glue with Brush: Toys Games glue. I've kept pieces of my old liner to use as a patch just in case, so it will match better, but there are kits like this one where I found my same bottom pattern. Amazon.com : PRO Vinyl Pool Liner Patch Kit - Repair kit with 2 Garden

Once you kill the water supply (leak) the the liner will stop floating and will try to go back into place as the water behind it recedes and just goes away. You will want to help work it back where it goes and keep it from wrinkling.

 

[John85]

Sorry to be pedantic but where does the water/air (behind the liner) go? Evaporation? Out via the coping? Through the main drain? Through pores in the concrete (or whatever is behind my liner)?

I guess this is priority 1 then filling, fixing pH, and SLAMming. I can't really have swimming until after the SLAM is done, right (even with balanced pH and clear water)? Too much FC will bother swimmers?

Thanks, Pchase, sorry for more questions.

 

[Pchase]

Sorry to be pedantic but where does the water/air (behind the liner) go? Evaporation? Out via the coping? Through the main drain? Through pores in the concrete (or whatever is behind my liner)?

I guess this is priority 1 then filling, fixing pH, and SLAMming. I can't really have swimming until after the SLAM is done, right (even with balanced pH and clear water)? Too much FC will bother swimmers?

Thanks, Pchase, sorry for more questions.

It just kind of soaks back into the ground. The pool bottom is likely flowable fill, which is sand and portland cement. It is fairly porus. It also probably wont hurt to have some chlorine in the water behind the liner to keep anything from growing underneath.

My understanding is that you do not have to worry about the FC coming down if you follow the SLAM method. Unlike when you shock with powder, it is safe to swim. I thought the same thing you did and was wondering when I could start swimming after SLAM and saw it was pretty much right away.

 

[John85]

Ok, I patched with clear vinyl and patched with pool liner vinyl on top (only about 3 min. later, I hope that wasn't a mistake but I botched the first patch a little and didn't know if it was really on center and covering. I used too much cement (all over my hands) but beginner skills here. It seems to be holding great.

I found another hole (about a 1/4 inch diameter) above the water line that I also patched. I thought about leaving it open for air to escape but decided I could always poke a hole in it to let air out if I needed too. I'm going to try to push the wrinkles out with a brush.

I'm a little nervous because I won't e able to check on the pool this weekend but family will be looking for me and adding water as necessary.

Please give me any more advice you have, the patches weren't really all that bad to do.

I went back out a little later and the liner sucked back to the wall on it's own (except a few long wrinkles near the patch, I think they had trouble going back because of the sandbag over the patch area while it cures). In any case I'm really impressed with how it worked out. Thanks for the advice.