think I found the leak...can it be fixed?

survey77777 · Jun 21, 2008

Hoping someone could please help me. First off, I have been away from the board due to a serious tragedy in my life. I just don't want anyone thinking I'm just using the board without participating without a reason. I desperately need help now though.
My pool is losing water when the pump runs...and I mean serious amounts of water. We have had leaks in the lines upon opening two seperate years, one on each of the returns. There is no air being returned to the pool now. I have cleaned and replaced the gasket on my pump. I can not pinpoint the leak, but my best guess is that the water is being lost at the pump. Could anyone help me to locate and repair this issue as soon as possible. Is it possible/likely that the pump could be cracked somewhere at the bottom? The top and sides of the pump are remaining dry, the floor is getting wet, but as it's an old wooden floor in an old shed I can't tell exactly where it's coming from.
I just need help, I've managed to get the algae problem semi into control, the water is now pretty clear and I can finally see bottom. But with this leak issue I can't leave my pump running for long periods or it runs dry and I have to refill the pool. I am at the hospital pretty much all day,have no time, and so can only run the pump for a short bit before bed or before I head back in the morning. I'm rambling on, but I guess I'm hoping someone can empathize with my situation and help me out on my limited time budget. Let me know if you need more info to help me here.
Thanks,
N

vegas_dp · Jun 22, 2008

Re: losing water

I am not an expert. but... No air coming out would mean the leak is after the pump. Check the connections, filter and everything else past the pump.

waste · Jun 22, 2008

Re: losing water

Survey77777, sorry to hear about the tragedy :!: I'm sure this leak is about the last extra thing you need to deal with right now. There is an article in Pool School on leak detection that would be worthwhile to read http://www.troublefreepool.com/category/pool-school/leak_detection

A couple of things not covered there that you'll want to look at is the backwash line leaking, get a flashlight and look under the pump to see if the seal is bad and inspect all visible connections and equipment, and check the lawn between the pool and pump house for wet spots.

Hopefully it will be something simple and obvious, if not do the test from the article and post the results and we'll help you from there.

survey77777 · Jun 22, 2008

Re: losing water

Thank you for your sympathy waste, you are right, my pool is the last thing I need to worry about right now, but with the possibility of a few hour visit home I don't want the pool to be something for him to worry about and want it up and running if possible.
There is no air coming out of the returns. The pool does not lose water while the system is turned off. The pad around the equipment does appear to be wet. There is no water on the top or sides of the pump itself, but the majority of the water does seem to be under it. My gut tells me that it's some part of the pump housing on the underside that the water is coming out of. I have no idea 1) how to check this as I can't lift the pump while it is running due to the connections 2) if there is any possibility of repairing it if this is the problem, or if I have to just suck it up and buy a new pump 3) if there is any way of confirming this before I do buy a new one as funds are tight right now.
Thanks again for all the help and support I have received in the past and am receiving now.
N

survey77777 · Jun 23, 2008

It appears that the leak is at the gasket between the pump motor and the pump itself. Is this something worth fixing or can it be fixed, or do I need to invest in a new pump at this point. We had to have the motor itself rebuilt two years ago on this pump too so it runs alright other than this new issue.
Thanks

sefrlw · Jun 23, 2008

Every year I have to tighten the 4-5 nuts and bolts that hold my pump motor to my volute(where the water is?). Tighten these bolts and see if it stops leaking.

Aquaman95 · Jun 23, 2008

I'm not familiar with your particular pump, but it sounds to me like the mechanical seal between the pump and the motor has gone bad. If that's the case, it is fixable.

Here's a decent how to:

http://www.wikihow.com/Replace-a-Swimmi ... -Pump-Seal

waste · Jun 23, 2008

Aquaman, nice article! (it seems more for Sta-Rites, but covers the basics of what's involved - some of the info is 'off' for Hayward superpumps and northstars, but does explain what's involved) And I think you're right about the shaft seal assembly - though the housing gasket could also be bad.

Survey, a visit home sounds like good news :-D - even if it's a short one. As the article that Aquaman linked shows, it's not too complicated to change the seal - if you want to try it and need a little help, I'll tell you what I can (I could do a superpump blindfolded :cyclopsani: , but have more limited experience with other manufacturers pumps). However, perhaps trying the bolt tightening first, as per sefrlw may solve the problem.

Good luck with this! And prayers for you and yours!

survey77777 · Jun 23, 2008

I ended up taking it in to have the seal replaced. I just don't have the time, energy or patience to do it myself right now. So far so good, but I won't know for sure if this fixed it until the morning when I check my water level, but the pad looks dryer for now. Of course, now the connection at the pump towards the filter is leaking :roll:

Thank you all for your help, and yes waste, a visit home is good as well as scary after three months of waiting. Thanks for your prayers...we need all we can get right now.
I also managed to finally locate a slime bag at the place I took the motor in to. I'll be starting another thread now with my questions about this

Thanks again.
N