Can bad plaster cause water loss

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aggiejet

0
Apr 27, 2012
51
tulsa, ok
Howdy,

For starters, my plaster is 15 years old. I didn’t discover TFP till about 4 years ago, and based on my experience here, there was no way my pool was chemically balanced by the pool “service” I paid. I think my bad water chemistry ate my outter layer of plaster. I may be making that up, but I thought a pool had a layer of something to make it smooth and slick.

I have had my pool covered with a cheap blue tarp and water tubes. This storage season, (7 months) I have lost about a foot or water, twice. My tarp sagged in, and I refilled up to a normal storage level. Now it is down again. I have my main drain plugged because I had a leak in that about 10-12 years ago, and have not been able to locate the leak, even employing professional leak detectors.

Thanks
 
The plaster is watertight. An old pool often leaks from the light niche or cracks in the skimmer so I would not assume it is your old plaster.

Do you have cracks or holes in the plaster?

I suggest you read Leak Detection - Trouble Free Pool
 
Last edited:
Arizonarob said:
How far below?
Did it drop to just below the skimmer, then evaporate more from there?
Click to expand...

I drop my water level below the tile for winterization. So from that level I lost about a foot of water and refilled pool back to my “winterization level” in order to facilitate pool cover maintenance (water, leaves, big wads of oak tree pollen bombs) The water level again decreased about a foot, and I haven’t refilled it, as I need to replace 6/7 waterline tiles for this season and the less water the better for that project so I can stand in the pool as opposed to hanging over the edge. (I’ll be posting some pics and questions for that project as well. It’ll be awesome.)

So as far as I can figure out, I must be leaking water from either the recirculating jets/ports or the light. My main drain is plugged and the water line is below the skimmer inlet.

It is possible that the main drain plug is leaking. It was replaced two years ago when I had the main drain line leaked checked and the leak detection company plugged it with a new plug.
 

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I agree with pool guy Aggie.
1. Light
2. Main drain
3. Returns

When it drops the additional foot, does it stay there? Or does it keep going?
If it stops, where does it stop? Top or bottom of light niche? Just under the returns?

If it keeps going, let it go. If it drops below the light and the returns, then it’s most likely the main drain, or the main drain seal itself.

If your water is clear enough, you can perform a simple dye test yourself around the areas in question.
 
aggiejet said:
My main drain is plugged and the water line is below the skimmer inlet.

It is possible that the main drain plug is leaking. It was replaced two years ago when I had the main drain line leaked checked and the leak detection company plugged it with a new plug.
Click to expand...

Even though your main drain is plugged you may have a leaking hydrostatic relief valve in the main drain.


 
Arizonarob said:
I agree with pool guy Aggie.
1. Light
2. Main drain
3. Returns

When it drops the additional foot, does it stay there? Or does it keep going?
If it stops, where does it stop? Top or bottom of light niche? Just under the returns?

If it keeps going, let it go. If it drops below the light and the returns, then it’s most likely the main drain, or the main drain seal itself.

If your water is clear enough, you can perform a simple dye test yourself around the areas in question.
Click to expand...

I believe the water level will just keep going down. I still have my cover on it, but he water is clear. I will try the die test first. Good idea.
 
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