Does this mean my skimmer is not leaking?

[SunnySkies]

Hi,
I'm trying to figure out why my pool goes down 3/4 to 1 inch per day compared to 1/4 inch bucket test. My question is, the pool water level is below the skimmer, but there is still water in the skimmer. If there was a leak in the skimmer, wouldn't the water have drained out if it? If there is still water in the skimmer, that means the skimmer is not the cause of the pool leaking water, right? There is no equalizer line.
Thank you so much for your help.

 

[mas985]

The leak may not be IN the skimmer but it could still be around the skimmer. Most common is where the skimmer meets the pool surface, especially if it is a gunite pool.

 

[SunnySkies]

Hi mas985,
sorry, I didn't realize I got a response. Thank you.
Anyway, a pool leak detection company put in a new skimmer a few weeks ago but I was still losing the same amount of water. At the advice of the pool man, I turned off the motor and let the water go down. It stopped right below the skimmer. I told this to the leak detection company. They came back and said they overlooked a leak in the pool light. But the pool light is much lower than the skimmer. Could this be the problem? I'm paying them to come back to fix the pool light leak. But why did the pool stop losing 3/4 to inch per day and then start losing 1/4 inch right below the skimmer?.....as you say, where the skimmer meets the pool surface? We do have a gunite pool Can this be detected with a dye test? I spent over $1900 for them to put in the new skimmer.
Thank you for your help,
Sunny Skies

 

[mas985]

If the water stopped at the skimmer, then the leak is probably there.

Did they actually find a crack in the old skimmer to warrant replacing it? If they did not seal properly around the new skimmer, it can leak just as much as the old one.

 

[SunnySkies]

Yes, the leak detector guy showed me a pencil line crack. I think it was where the skimmer met the tile or pool surface. He said that was what was causing the water to go down an inch per day. But it still goes down just as much after the new skimmer was put in, if not more. How can I test to see if they sealed it properly around the new skimmer? Should I get a new leak detector company to test it? Or can I test this myself? Thank you.

 

[mas985]

Doesn't sound like that was what was causing the leak.

First inspect the skimmer. Look at all the locations where the plastic meets the gunite/plaster. There should be no gaps and/or cracks. You might need a mirror to do this from the deck.

If you find a crack you can test it for a leak buy using food coloring. Get very close to the crack before releasing it and what to see if it is drawn into the crack.

Is there a second skimmer or something else at the same level as the skimmer that could be causing the problem?

 

[SunnySkies]

The leak was from the light conduit. I was losing 3/4 to 1 inch of pool water A DAY. Now....the last time I put in pool water was 5 days ago and believe it or not, it has only gone down 1/4 inch since then. I think perhaps the reason the water slowed down below the skimmer, so it appeared it was from the skimmer, is because I read that the more water in the pool, the more pressure and the more it leaks. The less water, less pressure, so the leak slows down. Anyway, I'm so glad that's over. I live in Southern California and we're in a horrible drought and my water bill every month was sky high. I'm curious to see what my next bill will be now that the pool no longer leaks. Thanks for your help mas985!

 

[mas985]

Glad you found it. It isn't an easy task.