Leak below skimmer and jets but water still above light

[AJ]

Good Day

I'm new on TFP, getting alittle desperate and not to mention so frustrated. We have been fighting a leak for a few months, leak started getting worse 2 inches per day, but we just kept adding water. Seemed to leak more when the pump was shut off, over night. Finally we just let it leak until it stopped, which is below all input and output jets, 6 inches below skimmer, but the water is still above the light. I did the food coloring test all around the pool nothing obvious got sucked any where. I even ran my hands all around the side of the pool looking for a hole. Pretty much did the process of elimination. Besides calling the Pool Detection Company not sure where else I could look, and they cost money.

Please Help
AJ
Pool Size 14 wd 28 ln depth 3-6 sq ft. 360 sq ft. not sure what that equals to in gallons I think 16,000.
Filter cartridge Inground D.Brite pebble built in 99

 

[zea3]

Hi welcome to TFP! I have a few questions for you. Is the light completely or partially submerged at this point? Do you have a main drain? Have you noticed any damp or squishy areas on the ground around the pool? Do you have a waste line? The professional pool guys usually check in later in the day/evenings and they can help troubleshoot further. If you can post a picture of your pool and the equipment pad sometimes that helps with the troubleshooting process.

 

[bk406]

It could be leaking around the light niche and not actually go below the light. The reason for this is that the water pressure in the pool equalizes with the pressure outside the pool. Once that occurs, water will not continue to leak, even if the leak is further down. At this point, you have eliminated the return and skimmer lines since you lost water below that. Like Zea asked do you have a main drain? Has the water level stopped dropping, and if it has, how long has it been stable.

As far as wet spots around the pool, unless the leak is around the equipment pad or in a pipe very close to the surface, you wont see any wet ground with a leak in an inground pool if its a light niche or main drain.

 

[waste]

Welcome to TFP!!

The previous advice is very valid! However, my first thought on reading your post is that the conduit out of the light may have broken and be the cause of your leak. The conduit will come up to a junction box and could be broken at your current pool level.

It's tough at this time of year to dye test the conduit What I'd do is remove the light and putty the back of the niche where the conduit connects - it won't hurt anything and removes the conduit from the equation. Let the putty set up fully before reinstalling the light

 

[AJ]

Thank You for your reply's, Zea we have a main drain, the light is completely submerged, no damp or wet areas around the pool. No waste line. Pls see pics.

bk406 the water is still above the light about 4 inches, I took out the light about 2 weeks ago, put new epoxy over the old epoxy, didn't seem like there was any obvious holes around the conduit, then added 2 inches of water just to see if that made a difference, no.

I believe like you posted that the pool has pressurized and the leak can be anywhere except the obvious (skimmer, jets) I'm beginning to think the main drain. Probably going to have to get the pros in to find it.

Thank You for your help
AJ

 

[zea3]

If there is a shut off valve for the main drain try closing it. If not see if you can put a plug in the main drain to close it off. Then put in some water and see if it holds.

 

[Guest]

When you did the dye test, did you test the MD at the same time? Since you say it has stopped dropping at the level shown, and it is below all wall penetration except the light (which you don't feel is the culprit) it would make sense that it is the MD.

I would fill the pool back up to protect the plaster (you may get a "bathtub ring" if you leave it where it is for an extended time, and it will not come off) and try and dye test the drain. A diver could go fix/plug that later if it is determined to be the culprit.

 

[AJ]

Thanks for all the advice

No I didn't do the dye test on the MD, I'm going to start filling up the pool, kinda freaking me out I don't want to have a pool pop, and I don't want to get that bathtub ring.

Tomorrow I will put the scuba gear on and do the dye test on the main drain, then check for a shut off valve, if none I will try plugging the MD, see if it continues to leak. Will keep you guys posted. Thanks again.....

 

[AJ]

Good Morning I had the pool guy over and he figured the leak was in the skimmer area, you know how there is two holes, one that leads to the main drain the other is for the filter, well the drain one
had some obvious corrosion around the hole which he was pretty sure was causing the leak. I got him to do an acid wash to brighten up and remove some of the stains.
So Ok he did the acid wash, drained the rest of the pool. He plugged the one drain hole in the skimmer, then he plugged up the main drain on the bottom of the pool as well he seems to think we don't need it or it really doesn't serve any purpose, (not sure). It's been 3 days and the pool has held it's water, no leaking, also looks alot better from the acid wash, but still a few streaks on the shallow end. In the end it cost 400.00 and i think that was well worth the money.

 

[waste]

THANK YOU!! for the update (we like to hear how issues were resolved )

I'm very happy that your problem was identified and rectified and you're water level is stable!

 

[Dcrnch]

Our pool is inground fiberglass, 14x32, 4' to 7' deep. Same senecio as above. We do not have a WD. Water leave has remained at same level for 24hrs. The surface water measures 36" with the distance to the bottom of the light at 36". The light is submerged 3-5" below water level.