I lost 1.75” in my pool water level in 60 hours. I had a bucket filled up and it lost only 1” in the same time. I’m worried about a leak and this seems to confirm it. A couple things that might be throwing test off is the pool is heated, the water level was 3” below the top of the bucket, and it wasn’t submerged in the pool at all, just next to it. Should I go to the next step of calling someone?
Bucket test.. possible leak
- Thread starter Nathanstl
- Start date
- Jul 21, 2013
- 53,892
- Pool Size
- 35000
- Surface
- Plaster
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Pentair Intellichlor IC-60
With your bucket not in the water the bucket water and the heated pool water were very different temperatures.
This temperature difference will effect the evaporation on cold nights.
I suspect you are getting evaporation from your heated pool and not a leak.
www.troublefreepool.com
This temperature difference will effect the evaporation on cold nights.
I suspect you are getting evaporation from your heated pool and not a leak.
Evaporation of Pool Water - Further Reading
www.troublefreepool.com
Thanks. Another red flag is my neighbor has water pooling on our property line as well about 20’ away from my pool. I tested the water for chlorine and it didn’t have any, also he had the same problem last year and they found a leak in his irrigation system, but they always suspected the pool. Now I just opened my pool 10 days ago and it’s back. He may have also turned on his irrigation system too. Anyway that’s why I did the bucket test.
- Jul 21, 2013
- 53,892
- Pool Size
- 35000
- Surface
- Plaster
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Pentair Intellichlor IC-60
Test that water for CYA. CYA does not occur naturally in water. Any indication of CYA in the water says it came from a pool.
What is the CYA level of your pool water?
What is the CYA level of your pool water?
- Jul 21, 2013
- 53,892
- Pool Size
- 35000
- Surface
- Plaster
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Pentair Intellichlor IC-60
How do you chlorinate your pool?
I would raise your CY up to 40 so you can get a good reading if there is CYA in that ground water.
Toxophilite
Silver Supporter
I was monitoring a suspected loss of water, and even with good high FC level, my groundwater test well at the edge of deck, not far from pool, would never test for chlorine. So I ignored that aspect as just groundwater. But, I did actually have a leak and wasn't until groundwater built enough that water seeped up by spa through pavers that I then got a positive test on that water. Didn't take much distance to neutralize that chlorine. Man, I know how frustrating this can be trying to Richard Tracy a leak. Good luck!
Is he a friend of yours ? Or Richard and Tracy are ? I've NEVER seen that autocorrect before. What will it think up next ?
Toxophilite
Silver Supporter
Yep, that's a doozie. Like calling em a Richard Cranium. A lot can be said without giving in to the AI police.Is he a friend of yours ? Or Richard and Tracy are ? I've NEVER seen that autocorrect before. What will it think up next ?
SWG. Chlorine levels have been at 5.5. Cya at 20 is very hard to get enough ground water to do a proper test in. It’s not sitting water just soft ground and mud. I was able to push out enough to test for chlorine. I’m doing another bucket test today with the water to the top of the bucket and sitting on the first step. I’ll also pick up a leak tester today to see if I can find isolate the pipe. There are tiny air bubbles in one of my returns. Pool is going on 17 years old so I’m just waiting for something like this to happen.
- May 3, 2014
- 58,934
- Pool Size
- 6000
- Surface
- Fiberglass
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Pentair Intellichlor IC-40
You have a SWCG. The hydrogen gas created exits the returns when the SWCG is generating.
I don't know this for sure, but chlorine would likely never show up in that small seepage from a pool.
Organics consume chlorine so soaking the pool water in the mud would consume it rather quickly.
As ajw22 already said, raise your CYA to 40 ppm (you need it anyway) and then test the leaking water for CYA content.
Organics consume chlorine so soaking the pool water in the mud would consume it rather quickly.
As ajw22 already said, raise your CYA to 40 ppm (you need it anyway) and then test the leaking water for CYA content.
Toxophilite
Silver Supporter
Two things I found after chasing a seepage leak for near a year, with a little trial and error on the PB's part, it's dang near impossible to devise a "test" that will isolate it, and even harder to pinpoint based on tracing wet areas. I'm pretty good a troubleshooting things and failure analysis, but once the leak detection company was brought on board I realized how amateur all my work had been.
Leak was no were near where I thought and not a part of what I thought. Turned out to be a small crack on one spa jet fitting. I didn't pay the company, PB did, but what should have been done day 1. They pressured the spa return system, listening with the equipment to locate general area, then inserted inflatable tubes in various jets and depths until it all lead them back to a singular jet fitting.
Leak was no were near where I thought and not a part of what I thought. Turned out to be a small crack on one spa jet fitting. I didn't pay the company, PB did, but what should have been done day 1. They pressured the spa return system, listening with the equipment to locate general area, then inserted inflatable tubes in various jets and depths until it all lead them back to a singular jet fitting.
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