I Have a leak, I need help finding it.

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SWFLNICK

0
Dec 7, 2011
40
Naples, FL
Hey guys,

Well about 3 months ago our pool started to drop in water over the week. I figured it was just due to evaporation since we were getting into the warm months here in FL, and we have only been in the house since november.

Well I have found that we are now loosing about 2" of water PER DAY. I did the bucket test and sure enough, we have a leak..obviously

6 months ago the pool used no water and i never had to add any. Now I have to add 2 inches a day just to keep it high enough for the skimmers to not suck air...only change that has been made is we added solar panels, but that is unrelated, as I have those off right now anyways, and we put them in back in January but didn't have a water loss issue til around April.

Anyways, I have let the pool pump run 24hours straight and in that time lost 2 1/2" of water. Then I turned it off and let it sit for 24 hours and lost 2 1/4". We have a waterfall which I figured causes evaporation which would account for the slight extra loss in water when it was running for 24 hours.

I also know it is not leaking from the skimmer, as we were gone on vacation and the pool had dropped about a foot below the skimmer, so the leak is further on down in the pool I think.

So regardless of if it is running or not, we are losing water. I have since done the blue dye test with the pump turned off and squirted dye at each jet, drain, light and no noticeable suction from any area. there are also no cracks or anything in the pool (i've been snorkeling and checking things closely lol) I am at a loss, The only thing I can think of is a leak in the ground/plumbing somewhere..I see no leaks above ground...but even if it were in the plumbing it would still have to pull water from the pool from somewhere obviously, so why am I not finding where it is?

Any help or guidance would be so greatly appreciated.

Thank you!
 
The dye test is VERY difficult. The water has to be perfectly still and the dye release VERY near the leak....almost right at it.

If you feel like you have done that correctly, you can let the pool drain down until it stops and the leak will be at the waterline.
 
Since the pool looses the same amount of water running or not, you've pretty much ruled out the circulatory system (plumbing).

When you dye test, you should remove the drain cover and the light fixture, and introduce the dye directly at the hydrostat and the light conduit.

If it were me, I would replace the hydrostat (even with a rubber plug), and I would seal the light conduit (with either epoxy or a rubber stopper).
 
Thanks guys Im not sure how well I did the dye test so I will do it again to see what happens. Last resort is to hire a leak detection company so I hope I can figure it out and save myself some $$$ without having to go that route.
 
ricksass said:
What's a "hydrostat"?
Click to expand...

It's a spring loaded valve, located in the bottom of the main drain housing. It opens when water pressure outside the pool exceeds the weight of the water inside. They can stick slightly open or become worn and allow water to leak out.
 
ricksass said:
Where does the water leak out to? Is there a pipe that the valve connects to? What would cause outside water pressure to be higher than inside water pressure?
Click to expand...

Outside water pressure will be higher than inside pressure whenever the water table is higher than the water in the pool (for example during an acid wash).
If water then enters the pool (through the hydrostat) it may bring in some debris, which can then lodge in the valve holding it slightly open. When the pool is subsequently refilled (and the water in the pool is higher than the water table), it will then leak out through the hydrostat.

EDIT: The port that the hydrostat is fitted to sometimes has a well point attached to it to help minimize the backflow of debris through the valve.
 

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SWFLNICK said:
How would I go about finding this hydrostat..is it something I can see or do I have to remove part of the drain? Also can it be replaced with the water still in the pool?

Thanks
Click to expand...

The hydrostat is screwed into the bottom port of the main drain pot. To access it, you have to remove the main drain cover. It is, typically, a white device about 2.5 inches in diameter. It's also possible that there is a rubber plug in there instead.
You can change them with water in the pool (you'll almost certainly need SCUBA gear). Getting the old one out might be difficult (there is a tool for this). It is possible to extract one with a pair of channel locks, but this can be tricky too. Lastly, it may be 1.5" or 2" pipe thread. The most common unit is made by Hayward and has both threads (it'll need teflon tape on the threads).
Do be careful, if you bugger this up you might be in for a rather unpleasant and expensive experience.
 
SWFLNICK said:
Pool was built in 2007 I believe..and I am not sure if it has a hydrostatic valve or not. I need to dive down and see if I can figure out if it does or not. Sounds like I may have to hire someone to come in and do it unfortunately :(
Click to expand...

If the pool has a main drain, there's a port for a hydrostat in it. Whether there's a hydrostat or some other plug in the port, only an up close and personal visit will tell the tale.
 
Sorry didn't update.

No the valve was not the culprit..my pool doesn't have one, at least from what I can tell.

I did dye testing and never found the leak so hired a leak detection company to come find it. It was in the conduit for the wiring for the pool light. It was cracked around the edges real bad I guess in the fixture. They said it is a common problem. They sealed it all up..twice as the first time the leak was so substantial that it sucked some of the epoxy in over night, so they came to my place 3 different times to fix/check it and the bill was only $127! I was pretty pleased with that and no more leak. SOOOO nice not having to add water anymore. :party:
 
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