Normal water loss rate

[bpham]

My pool is an approximate 25,000 gallon capacity, i have a question about normal rate of water loss.

After 2 days, the water level in the spa remained same, no water loss. However, after marking the pool water level 2 days ago, I noticed that it lost about 1/2 inch of water. Is this water loss normal for 2 days (the temperature here is around 45 degree at night to 75 degree high)?

I'm also trying to troubleshoot a possible issue with water loss in general due to seeing some constant water trickling out from the main drain hole on the front house pavement next to the street. Other houses next to mine, with the same drainage holes, I don't see any water coming out from their holes. If there is a water leak from my IG pool, is there any connection anywhere from my pool/spa pipe system to that drainage hole in front of the house? I have a cartridge filtering system, someone at Leslie's pool told me if I have that system then I don't have any connection to the drain, I'm not sure that is true.

Thanks.

 

[Bama Rambler]

Depending on where you're located that much could be normal. The best way to tell is to run a bucket test. take a bucket and fil it partially with pool water and sit it on a step so the top is out. Measure the level of water in the bucket and in the pool. Wait a day or two and measure again. If the pool has lost more than the bucket you have a leak. If it's just evaporation they'll both lose the same.

 

[mas985]

If there is a water leak from my IG pool, is there any connection anywhere from my pool/spa pipe system to that drainage hole in front of the house?

If you have an overflow drain for the pool, it might be connected to the landscape drainage system. If you put too much water in the pool or after a rain, the pool will overflow out that drain. Is the pool new or have any recent changes? It could also over flow when your spa drains back into the pool. Do you have an autofill and/or an overflow drain?

 

[bpham]

I'll do the bucket water test.

In response to Mark's question, I don't think that I see any overflow drains from the spa or pool , just the drainage thru the filter tank. There has been no recent changes except a replacement of the pump and the filter tank 2 years ago. There was no leakage as I remember until a month ago, if I remember correctly. The reason why I notice it now is because few weeks ago, the water in the spa kept draining, so I looked at everywhere, and noticed that the water level in the spa went down, but the pool level did not, so I opened the pressure valve on top of the filter tank, that stops the water level from going down at all in the spa, but now the pool water level going down about 1/2 inch in 2 days.

Thanks.

 

[mas985]

I would do the bucket test individually for the pool and spa but you need to isolate the spa from the pool with the 3-way suction and return valves. This way if the spa is draining into the pool, isolating the spa won't throw off the bucket test for the pool or visa versa. Also, that will let you know if there is a leak in either the spa or pool or perhaps both.

 

[bpham]

Mark,

I'll do that. I've also read something from another post about losing water, which had mentioned something about some connection either from the skimmer on the ground or the drainage on the bottom of the pool at the deep end side to the drain, etc... Could something like that be similar to my configuration? I do have the blue print of the pool, and it does seem to indicate something like that but I'm not the engineer so I don't know exactly how it was built. It seems like it is more likely that I have to look for someone to come and look at it.

Is there anything on this forum that can recommend some good Pool/Spa technician that can come and look at my issue in the Chino Hills, California area?

Thanks..

 

[mas985]

As I mentioned, it could be an overflow. Sometimes they are in the skimmer. It would be a small hole near the level of the water. Sometimes, it is a separate unit that looks like a skimmer but also functions as an autofill.

 

[sbledsoe]

Check your valve control. Last summer my backwash was constantly leaking water. A new valve (the control that change the filter from "filter to backwash, rinse, etc.)

 

[bpham]

hi sbledsoe,

Can you explain little more, if possible please take a photo of your controls and point to me what you meant by backwash? I think my system has only a valve on the bottom of the filter tank that I release to let the water from the pool out.

 

[Richard320]

Has it been windy?

Even if it's not real warm, if it's windy I lose a lot to evaporation.

 

[mas985]

hi sbledsoe,

Can you explain little more, if possible please take a photo of your controls and point to me what you meant by backwash? I think my system has only a valve on the bottom of the filter tank that I release to let the water from the pool out.

Your filter may not have a backwash valve. Cartridge filters rarely if ever have a backwash valve but sand and DE usually do have backwash valves but not always.

 

[bpham]

I asked one of the guys from Leslie's pool to come over and he said there is no backwash or anything in the inground that allows overflow water and nothing around the edges of the pool either, so he did not know what causing the water receding inside the spa. I replaced the valve that controls the water coming back from the pool and spa, the valve that controls the water going into the pool and spa and the valve that allows the water to flow back from the spa into the filter tank, and the water still receding in the space. I'm lost. The only thing now is if there is a leak somewhere in the spa, but I did not see anything on the ground to indicate that either...it might be a very small leak?

 

[mas985]

Did you ever try the bucket test? That will tell you straight away if you have a leak.

 

[bpham]

Yes I did, I place the bucket into the second step of the pool, and the pool seems to lose more water than the water in the bucket. If that indicates the sure sign of leak? I think the water in the pool because of the greater surface area of the pool compared to the surface area of the bucket (1.5 feet diameter), I'm thinking that the pool usually loses more water. The guy from Leslie's pool looked at it and he said usually he saw regular water loss is about 1/4-1/2 inch a day...so he said that might be normal...dont know what to say. I might just have to ask the leak specialist to come and find the leak, but it would cost at least $300...ouch!!!

 

[mas985]

Yes, if the pool loses more water than the bucket in inches, it is a sign of a leak. You can isolate the leak to the pool or spa if you can isolate the plumbing between them. So if you can shut off the spa, do a bucket test in just the spa and see if the there is a leak in that.

I think the water in the pool because of the greater surface area of the pool compared to the surface area of the bucket (1.5 feet diameter), I'm thinking that the pool usually loses more water.

In terms of gallons, this is true but they will both lose the same number of inches due to evaporation.

 

[sbledsoe]

Sorry. I'm no help. I've fought leaks in pools for 30 years. If it's not termites, leaks in liners, or busted pipes under the concrete sidewalk, it would be something else. I think the Leak Gremlin just sits around waiting for someone to put a pool in, then goes to work.

 

[bpham]

Ye, this one, leaks or not, is kind of a puzzle to me because there is no evidence of a leak, just water receding in the spa...eventually, I will find out if it was a leak, it would get bigger and serious, then I'll probably see it...for now, it is not that serious, but I'll keep looking.

 

[sbledsoe]

I have used cut-up panty hose (in 4-5 inch by 1 inch strips), cut the pump off, waited until the surface was very still, then thrown in the pieces of panty hose. The hose are light and float and often float right toward where a pool is losing water. This only works if the leak is NOT in the pipes.

 

[bpham]

I actually used the food coloring (red color) and I dropped a few dropped everywhere in the pool areas, and also in the spa areas where I suspected a leak, but no evidence of the leak anywhere (of course I did this when the pool water is very still..the only thing that was influencing the flow was the slight wind in the air)...frustrating to say the least. I think if there is a leak, it could be in the pipe somewhere and it is a very, very small leak.

 

[charley2009]

Water loss due to evaporation is normal and it can be quite a lot. It depends on various factors, such as wind speed, air temperature as well as water temperature. When I had build my pool about 6 years ago (inground pool, 15000 gallons, 9 x 4.5 x 1.4 m) , I experienced water level drop of 1-2 inches a day and immediately I thought of a leakage. After the pool was inspected and absolutely no leakage was found, the pool specialist explained to me that evaporation is a big water "drain", especially when the climate is "right". Here I have to explain that my pool is located on the Philippines and there are 3 kind of "climates" during a year. March to May is high summer season with usually very dry and partly very hot air, this is the high evaporation loss season. June to October is rainy season with high humidity and partly high temperature, this is the moderate evaporation season. Nov to Feb is normal humidity and temperature at around 28 degrees (celsius), this is the low evapuration season. During peak summer (as right now) the daily evaporation can be 2 inches or more a day, which around 2000l (about 530 gallons) of water loss. If there is no wind (very seldom in my area ), then it's about 1.5 inch "only". The only solution to save water would be a pool cover...... I am still thinking about it .....
Hope this sharing gives some "relief" to those who fear leakage problems, just observe whether the water loss is depending on weather/climate condition or not. The bucket test will not tell always the truth, unless you use a wide diameter bucket and keep it even with water surface as much as possible. Otherwise the wind effect on the water in the bucket is much less than on the pool surface.