Hello, newbie on the site. Did a quick search and couldn't find specific advise on this. Hope someone can help. My pool is leaking about 1.5 inches per day ONLY when the pump is on. Does not leak, or very little, when pump is off. Pool held water all winter, in fact, had to drain a little a couple times late in winter. No bubbles in lines, pump basket stays mostly bubble free, filter stays bubble free. I think I've eliminated the water fall as the return culprit. I shut that off and still have leak. Any advice on finding the leak? Any tricks for figuring out which of the three returns is responsible? Thanks in advance. JO
HELP. Need to find a pressure side leak
- Thread starter joandsp
- Start date
The first step would be checking your waste line (if you have one) for water flow during normal filter operation. It's a very common failure.
After that, looking for green grass or damp spots in front of the pump or around the pool is next. Your returns aren't likely plumbed individually, but are plumbed on a single run that loops to make each run the same length.
After that, looking for green grass or damp spots in front of the pump or around the pool is next. Your returns aren't likely plumbed individually, but are plumbed on a single run that loops to make each run the same length.
I had a pressure side leak a couple of years ago, and ended up hiring a professional lead detector to come out and find it. I think the cahrge was around $350, but he did pinpoint the leak which was in an elbow fitting under the concrete at the corner at the shallow end of the pool. (the pool builders had used a drain pipe elbow fitting, not a pressure pipe fitting, which has a smaller mating surface, it blew out after 29 years).
He first used a detection device that looked like a heavy coffee can with headphones, he said this was good for very small leaks, but not so good on larger ones. After spending about half an hour not finding anything with this device he then had me turn off the pump, plugged the second return eyeball with a custom built plug, and screwwed a custom built adapter into the remaining eyeball fitting. This adapter allowed him to connect a standard garden hose to the eyeball and back feed it. Making sure the garden hose was full of air he connected it and turned it only slighlty. This forced air into the lines and he went around with his ear to the ground until he found the gurgling hiss of the leak.
Next time I have a problem I think I will try building a plug and a hose adapter out of plumbing parts and trying it myself, i suspect it could be done with $15 or so in parts. My pool has a single return line that feeds 2 eyeballs, therfore the need to plug one.
Ike
p.s. my leak was around the size of the one you describe, maybe a bit more
He first used a detection device that looked like a heavy coffee can with headphones, he said this was good for very small leaks, but not so good on larger ones. After spending about half an hour not finding anything with this device he then had me turn off the pump, plugged the second return eyeball with a custom built plug, and screwwed a custom built adapter into the remaining eyeball fitting. This adapter allowed him to connect a standard garden hose to the eyeball and back feed it. Making sure the garden hose was full of air he connected it and turned it only slighlty. This forced air into the lines and he went around with his ear to the ground until he found the gurgling hiss of the leak.
Next time I have a problem I think I will try building a plug and a hose adapter out of plumbing parts and trying it myself, i suspect it could be done with $15 or so in parts. My pool has a single return line that feeds 2 eyeballs, therfore the need to plug one.
Ike
p.s. my leak was around the size of the one you describe, maybe a bit more