This is my first post at TFP, but I have been lurking and reading for over a year. The information posted here and the helpfulness of the people who post it have been a tremendous resource for me. I purchased a home over a year ago in May of 2017 that has an in-ground vinyl liner pool. I don't know exactly how old the pool is but it has gone through at least one liner replacement and probably 2-3. The current liner is about 8 years old. It seems to be in pretty decent shape still. It has lost quite a bit of color, is completely white in some places, has some wrinkles in a few spots on the bottom, but otherwise seems fine. The pool is 6 feet deep in the middle, 3 feet at both ends, and is supposed to be 18,500 gallons. However, when I add chemicals for that volume, I get a larger shift than I should. It behaves more like a 15,000 gallon pool. A unique feature of my pool, according to the pool company that has opened and closed it, is a set of blue fiberglass steps with returns built into the steps. They don't like the returns being in the steps. There has been some obvious settling of the pool, too, as it is not level. From what I can tell, I think it has been this way for a long time. I don't see evidence of recent settling. Last summer I used the bioguard chlorine sticks from the previous owner but switched to the TFP method this summer. It has worked very well and I am very thankful to have learned so much here. So, I think that provides plenty of background on the pool.
Towards the end of the last summer (our first summer), I noticed we were adding a lot more water and losing 1-2 inches of water every day. I quickly determined that we must have a leak somewhere. I purchased the dye that glows when it comes in contact with the water and set about looking for the leak. I looked and I looked. I spent a ton of time on the returns, skimmer, steps, and pool light. I rigged up a contraption on a pole that allowed me to release the dye near the main drain. I didn't see any evidence of it getting sucked into the drain either. I could not find it. I hired my pool company to come out and look. They had the scuba gear that I don't to look on the bottom more closely. They couldn't find it either. The time came to close the pool and I do so reluctantly having not found the leak. I kept a close eye on the water level after closing and it continued to leak for another 4-6 weeks. I filled it a few times during that time so the water level wouldn't get so low that it reached the bottom. I wanted to make sure the liner stayed in place. After about 6 weeks, it suddenly stopped leaking. I figured at the time that leaves and other debris clogged the leak wherever it was.
Fast forward to spring and the pool opening. I vacuumed out the pool and cleared out all debris. I fully expected it to starting leaking again immediately. Surprisingly, it didn't. We went a full 2.5 months at the beginning of the summer without it leaking. At the end of July, it started leaking again just as suddenly as it stopped. I am now guessing this is an annual pattern for this pool.
I have started the search for the leak once again but I have yet to find it. I am hoping that the annual pattern is providing some clues and that the vast wisdom represented on this forum can help me. I am already grateful for all of the knowledge I have learned here and I would be even more grateful if someone is able to help me diagnose and remediate this leak.
Towards the end of the last summer (our first summer), I noticed we were adding a lot more water and losing 1-2 inches of water every day. I quickly determined that we must have a leak somewhere. I purchased the dye that glows when it comes in contact with the water and set about looking for the leak. I looked and I looked. I spent a ton of time on the returns, skimmer, steps, and pool light. I rigged up a contraption on a pole that allowed me to release the dye near the main drain. I didn't see any evidence of it getting sucked into the drain either. I could not find it. I hired my pool company to come out and look. They had the scuba gear that I don't to look on the bottom more closely. They couldn't find it either. The time came to close the pool and I do so reluctantly having not found the leak. I kept a close eye on the water level after closing and it continued to leak for another 4-6 weeks. I filled it a few times during that time so the water level wouldn't get so low that it reached the bottom. I wanted to make sure the liner stayed in place. After about 6 weeks, it suddenly stopped leaking. I figured at the time that leaves and other debris clogged the leak wherever it was.
Fast forward to spring and the pool opening. I vacuumed out the pool and cleared out all debris. I fully expected it to starting leaking again immediately. Surprisingly, it didn't. We went a full 2.5 months at the beginning of the summer without it leaking. At the end of July, it started leaking again just as suddenly as it stopped. I am now guessing this is an annual pattern for this pool.
I have started the search for the leak once again but I have yet to find it. I am hoping that the annual pattern is providing some clues and that the vast wisdom represented on this forum can help me. I am already grateful for all of the knowledge I have learned here and I would be even more grateful if someone is able to help me diagnose and remediate this leak.
