help needed - water level super low

[bioteacher]

Hello,

Noticed the water level was low after peaking under our permeable cover. We marked the water level two weeks ago and we are down about 6 inches since then. The water in the pool is only about a foot deep! Should I add some water so that the walls don't collapse? I was planning on trying to open this wknd as the water temp is about 50. Obviously, we have a leak. What do we do next to figure out where the leak is? How do we know if it is a problem under the pool with the floor drain pipes? Is this something we can figure out ourselves, or should I call the pool company and prepare for a massive bill?

Thanks,
Kelly

 

[JasonLion]

Start by walking slowly all the way around the pool and looking for damp/wet ground. Often it is fairly easy to get a rough notion of where the leak is this way, though sometimes you won't find anything.

 

[bioteacher]

I have done this several times over several days. There are areas where it is a little damp, but they are on the downhill side of the pool under the deck (shaded) and are almost always damp. Should we remove the cover and try walking around to see if we can find a hole in the liner? I patched a couple small tears last summer, but they were well above the current water level. I am worried that a pipe may have cracked below the pool (floor drain) where we can't see it and that the pool will eventually run dry.

Thanks,
kelly

 

[pooldv]

Here is a link to an article on leak detection, maybe that will help get you started.

http://www.troublefreepool.com/content/150-leak-detection

 

[bioteacher]

Should we add some water? At what point is the water so low in an AG pool that the walls can collapse? Our pool does get a lot of wind exposure...

thanks

 

[pooldv]

Yes, I would think that it should be at least half full.