dirt around lite

[Artist]

After it rains there is a streak of dirt that stains the side of the pool under the light in the deep end. I have a leak but for the life of me cannot figure out where it is coming from. The bucket test shows that I am loosing about 1/4" of water per day from evaporation. With various things turned on and off it is a litle more than that. About another quarter inch or so. I think I am losing about 1/2" per day including evaporation when everything is running. I have run the pump with no skimmers. I have run the pump with one skimmer closed. I have run the pump with the cleaner pump off. I have two fountain nozzles on the side of the wall that I have turned on an off with no loss. So back to the dirt stain around the light. Could this be a source of the leak? How could water be leaving the pool when the conduit runs up higher than the water line?

Thanks

 

[257WbyMag]

Yes, it could and it sure is suspect considering that you do have dirt coming through there. You can remove the light fixture and identify the little hole where the wire runs through the back of the light recess. Fill that little hole with pool putty to create a seal between the dirt and the light niche and then put your light fixture back in there. That should take care of it.

 

[Artist]

My lite wire is coming through the conduit. Is the hole you are talking about different from the conduit. I wish I could take a picture but it is under water and I want to try and fix it without lowering the water.
Thanks

 

[257WbyMag]

No, that's the hole I am talking about.

Are you able to see evidence of dirt within the light niche itself when you remove the light assembly from the niche?

 

[Artist]

yes, there is dirt settled in the fixture housing

 

[257WbyMag]

Okay. Then my guess would be that somewhere along the conduit, there exists a crack, break, or separation which is allowing soil to come in and water to leak out through the conduit.

Now my light fixture only has one hole in the back of it and this is where the wires come through, which lead from the junction box, through the conduit from the junction box, down underground to the light assembly. You may have two holes in yours, as some of the pictures that I am pulling up on Google have housings with two. But I think that by putting some pool putty in there at the back of the niche where the wires enter, you should be able to fix the problem.

Can anyone else think of something else that might be taking place or a different solution to Artist's problem?