Leak through bottom drain, I think

[TGMcCallie]

When I took the Safety Cover off my pool yesterday, I found that the water had leaked down to only about 3 to 4 feet of water remaining in the deep end. This told me that the leak
must be in the main drain.

Does anyone have any idea how this can be fixed without completely bustin up the bottom of the pool and replumbing it? I noticed that a magazine that I got from In The Swim has a
product in it that says it will stop leaks up to 1/8 inch even in plumbing. Has anyone had any experience with this or any other product.

Any ideas would be appreciated.

I have a pool man coming Monday. He told me to refill the pool completely and he would use diving gear to enter the pool and inject dye to find the leak. I do not think that this is
necessary because the water is already down past the walls and I know that the water will stop leaking out once it has settled level with the leaking point. He should be able to
inject the dye in the water that is left and find the leak without refilling it completely. If I refill it completely and the leak is in fact in the main drain then the water will have to be
pumped back out which would waste approx. 30,000 gallons of water.



Am I correct in assuming this?

Thanks
Tom

 

[duraleigh]

Is the pool still leaking?

 

[TGMcCallie]

Is the pool still leaking?

I put a piece of tape at the water line. It appears that since last night it may have leaked very little. The amount it leaked may be from evaporation.

I think I will leave the tape where it is and fill it up about a foot past the tape and see if it leaks back down to the tape. Think this is a good idea?
If it does then the leak is somewhere else not the bottom.

 

[swimcmp]

The pool will stop leaking when the pressure the water in the shell has equals the pressure that ground water around the shell has. If you have a drain field around your pool that can alter those results.

 

[TGMcCallie]

The pool will stop leaking when the pressure the water in the shell has equals the pressure that ground water around the shell has. If you have a drain field around your pool that can alter those results.

Then should I refill the pool in order to find the leak even if it is in the bottom drain?
Tom

 

[duraleigh]

If your pool has stopped leaking at it's current level, that is the level of the leak...not the bottom drain.

 

[TGMcCallie]

If your pool has stopped leaking at it's current level, that is the level of the leak...not the bottom drain.

Thanks, for your reply.
Tom

 

[swimcmp]

Not trying to argue duraleigh but that isn't always true. The pool will leak until interior and exterior water pressure equalizes. If there is a drain to remove excess ground water from around the pool this will get it closer to true leak level. If no drain that doesn't always leak down to the leak.

 

[TGMcCallie]

Not trying to argue duraleigh but that isn't always true. The pool will leak until interior and exterior water pressure equalizes. If there is a drain to remove excess ground water from around the pool this will get it closer to true leak level. If no drain that doesn't always leak down to the leak.

I can certinally see that this would be true. If the inward pressure from the water surround the pool from the outside is greater than the outward pressure from the water still in the
pool then the water line could or could not be accurate. I would think that if it was leaking inward then there would be dirty water in the pool. The water that is in the pool is
perfectly clear.
Tom

 

[swimcmp]

Tom more often than not water won't force it's way back in the pool. Even when I have seen it do that it will be clear water more often than not. The best thing to do is get a diver to plug your main drain line fill the pool to a point below any other penetrations mark the water level and do a bucket test.

 

[TGMcCallie]

Tom more often than not water won't force it's way back in the pool. Even when I have seen it do that it will be clear water more often than not. The best thing to do is get a diver to plug your main drain line fill the pool to a point below any other penetrations mark the water level and do a bucket test.

I am having to have some repair work done on the coping and deck. This will include a complete restaining of the deck and coping. I am not going to fill the pool until I get through
with that work because it will be easier for the man to do the concrete repair if he is standing on the bottom of the shallow end of the pool.
I will then have the pool man that is going to search it for leaks do the operation to see if in fact it is leaking and correct that.
Thanks
Tom

 

[ship of fools]

I lost about a foot of water plus any rain and snow that was added over the winter but when i opened and filled it back up it has not been leaking. One of the people on here who lives somewhat close to me suggested the possibility that my hydrostatic relief valve opened and then was stuck open until it worked its' way shut. He said he has seen pools lose all of their water from this.

No idea if this is your issue obviously but i figured i would throw it out as a possibility.