He's dead, Jim...

[goober07]

First, a big thank you to TFP for helping me turn this:

Into this:

(I rotated the photo and vbulletin still put it in upside down )

Unfortunately, once all the backwashing was over and the solar cover was on, I kept losing water. That's to say, fill it to the top of the skimmer Thursday night and by Sunday evening adding water again.

So I did the bucket test. Bucket evaporated 1/4" while the pool (still with cover) lost 1-1/4". American Leak Detection wanted $325 and couldn't make it for 2 weeks, so I let it leak down. We tried food coloring with a dropper, thought we ruled out the return, but the leak finally leveled off around there.

Drained the shallow end down to about 1"... Changed the return faceplate & gasket, changed all 3 stair gaskets... Refilled it, adjusted PH, CYA, started SLAM. And now 14 hours later I'm down 1-1/4" from where I started...

I'm stuck. I can't afford a replacement liner this year. Any advice?

 

[Texas Splash]

What a bummer about the liner. But I can't get over the transformation you accomplished with that swamp. That's always amazing to see. Well done.

 

[ship of fools]

Hire a leak detection service and they will find and patch your leak(s). I was hesitant to do so but after going through it i am sorry i waited so long and spent a whole season adding water!

They put a small electric charge in the pool and a ground rod outside and the only way for that electric charge to get to ground is through a hole in the vinyl liner. They have a directional listening device and can pinpoint any and all leaks. When my guy got done he said "i'm not sure this is worth chasing". As we talked he said it looked as if the previous owners had a brush or vacuum head that caused a number of pinhole leaks and then there were a couple of larger ones and then the main one where my lab ripped the liner on the step while she was climbing out.

I asked him if he would try and patch it with the understanding that i wouldn't hold him responsible if he couldn't fix it all in the hopes that i could get another season or two out of the liner. Two years later so far so good!

 

[goober07]

Any recommendations in NW Ohio (Findlay area)? I spoke with American Leak Detection and they specifically said they only find leaks - they won't repair them. For similar cost, I elected to drain, change gaskets, and refill. Kicking myself...

Pool was existing when we bought the house. It sat covered last season, but from the folds (can't even call them wrinkles) and sun fading on the shallow end, it looks like the previous owners left it uncovered and unmaintained for a while...

- - - Updated - - -

We have similar methods of fault locating on underground medium voltage cables (15kV class). Really neat how it works. I just took the doom and gloom approach that if the stair and return gaskets don't fix it, we're probably facing a total liner replacement so why pay for testing.

 

[ship of fools]

Daudelin Pool Services - Inground swimming pool construction, service and renovation

This came up on google. You could try asking around at the pool stores in the area for a local guy.

I was in a doom and gloom mode for an entire summer so i feel your pain. It's worth a shot even if you only get a season or two out of it.