I'm sure I've got a leak somewhere!!

[HuskerFan_1]

Finally got borates in my pool last weekend, now I am pretty sure the pool is leaking somewhere. Murphy's law??? Here is what I have done so far, with the pump running I have lost about an inch in a 12 hr period without it running I have also lost about an inch in a 12 hr period. So can assume it is not in the pressure side? I have an auto cover and pool has been covered in this 24 hr period. Should be able to eliminate evaporation correct? I have marked the water level again and have capped the return lines. I will see in the next 12 hrs how much water if lost. If it goes down the same I will put the aqua doors on the skimmers to eliminate the skimmers. I used a bottle of phenol red and went around and inside the skimmers, around the returns, around the steps, and around the light fixture. Could not see anywhere where the dye was being sucked in by a leak. As I was looking into one skimmer I could see on the elbow at the bottom what possibly looked like a hairline crack. Could not tell for sure though. I have not noticed air bubbles in the pump basket and it does not lose prime, pump runs 24hrs/day, so am I safe to say its not in the suction side?

I guess I am going to see if in the next 12 hrs what the water level does. Am I on the right track at eliminating the returns, the skimmer( suction) lines, and lastly the vinyl liner?


Thanks for any advice,

Dan

 

[Bama Rambler]

Sounds like you have a good plan. Eliminate the plumbing then move on to the vessel.

Are your steps covered or cut in?

It could be a suction but you'd think it'd change with the pump running or not.

 

[HuskerFan_1]

UPDATE:

With return jets plugged water loss is still about the same rate. Aquadors are now on will know more tomorrow morning.

Bama Rambler, steps are covered by the pool cover.

 

[Bama Rambler]

Ok. Just going to mention to check the seam if they weren't covered.

 

[HuskerFan_1]

Update


Covered skimmers with aquadors. Water level is still dropping. Water is slimmer boxes not dropping. I guess the next step is to let it keep dropping to the point it doesn't drop anymore and I should find my leak.

 

[swimcmp]

Check where your light cord exits the niche. There is a conduit there that can leak also

 

[Russ103]

I'm having the exact same problem as you. We have planned to replace the liner next year due to it's high cost. Is it ok to just keep filling it even though it's leaking somewhere in the liner? (my guess is it's the liner) I've got the water crystal clear and have yet to get in due to the weather we've had. Don't really like using my well water to keep the water line halfway up the skimmers but I don't see what choice I have.

A pro pool inspection isn't in the budget right now, hopefully I can figure out what's going on soon. On a side note, how do you patch the bottom of the liner while it's full of water? How difficult on a scale of 1-10?

 

[Bama Rambler]

The patching is a 1 but the getting to it to patch it is about a 5 or 6.

The actual patching is eaasy but holding yourself under water while you try and apply the patch is the hard part.

 

[HuskerFan_1]

The water level has stopped now so I think it is either the conduit in the light fixture or where the liner meets the ladder on the deep end of pool. There are now visible cuts in the liner at the water level. I have not had to put a patch on yet, but I think its a matter of getting some vinyl and vinyl glue. Glue the back of the patch fold it in half and when you get it under water near the hole unfold and stick to the liner.

 

[Russ103]

The patching is a 1 but the getting to it to patch it is about a 5 or 6.

The actual patching is eaasy but holding yourself under water while you try and apply the patch is the hard part.

Thank you, looks like I'll just use a hose to breath through while looking for it.

 

[HuskerFan_1]

UPDATE:

Hopefully I found the leak this first pic is of the moulding next to the ladder that is broke.
[attachment=2:1uid9exk]leak1.jpg[/attachment:1uid9exk]

This next photo is after I pulled the broken piece off and loosened the moulding. The liner had a brown scum behind it. Hopefully this is evidence of the leak.

[attachment=1:1uid9exk]leak2.jpg[/attachment:1uid9exk]
This is the stuff I used to seal the leak up. 3M 5200 marine adhesive sealant.

[attachment=0:1uid9exk]3Madhesive.JPG.jpg[/attachment:1uid9exk]


I will let this cure for a couple days and then refill water and see if the leak stops. I did pull the moulding off of the other side of the ladder and it didn't have the brown scum behind the liner like this side had. So I am assuming that side wasn't leaking, but it got sealed up too.

I will let you know in a few days if the leak stopped

 

[Bama Rambler]

I think you found it.
Hopefully that's all there is.

 

[HuskerFan_1]

LEAK UPDATE


Refilled water and I still have a leak somewhere. I have slowed it down considerably, its now leaking about as half as fast as before. I have since tried to plug the conduit in the light socket with plumbers putty. The hole is filled in but don't know if it is water tight. I'm almost sure this is not where the leak is, its leaking the same before and after I tried to seal it up.

Is there any other product I can use underwater to seal up next to the trim moulding on the ladder? I still think that is where my problem is and I just didn't drain water low enough to fix it correctly. You can see the water line in the first picture and it stopped going down about an 1 1/2" above this point originally. I drained it down a little more before making repairs. Probably didn't go down far enough. There is maybe an 1/8" gap between moulding and the vinyl liner on one side and a little bigger gap between moulding and the moulded ladder. Can't really see it in the first picture above but that is the location I'm talking about.

 

[swimcmp]

You may need to replace the trim piece it should not be two pieces