Getting quote $700 for leak inspection.....

[dpl252]

Hey folks, details in signature, my pool is losing more water per day than evaporation can account for. Bucket test confirmed it's not evaporation, started leaking maybe 2 weeks ago (not sure if it's related but that's roughly when the weather started getting consistenly colder). I'm in Norcal (easy bay of San Francisco) so we don't get freezing temps, lowest at night now is mid to upper 40s.

I don't know for sure but think I am losing maybe 1-1.5 inches a day. I noticed the water loss and after doing the bucket test I put my pump into service mode to see if it would still leak with everything off and confirmed it kept leaking. After about a week I lost about a foot below the water line and leak appeared to stop, maybe an inch or so above my returns.

Did a dye test on my skimmer basket and surround area and couldn't find any obvious leaking points. Walking around my pool I don't see any obvious signs of wet ground near the returns, my pump/filter area is not pooling water. When I had my pump on, I had some small bubbles in the basket but not large enough bubbles to make me feel like significant air was getting in. I'm kind of at a loss of where else to look, I was thinking maybe doing a dye test around the returns/main drain/light fixtures, but my pool is like 60 degrees so not looking forward to that.

Called 3 companies in my area, all three are booked out for at least a month and are quoting MINIMUM $600 to do pressure/nitrogen line test, dye test and sonar test. I expected a few hundred dollars for an inspection but the cost right now seems insanely high. Is that cost normal or just due to the demand/season? Am I better off waiting a few months (since we're not using the pool) letting it drain then just refill it and get it tested then? Would love any and all advice.

 

[DavidLast]

I think you can work a lot out on your own and already have.

Rapid leaking and slow down is normal as the amount of water above the lea reduces. The indication is the leak is from or around the return. Try dye test around the returns after topping up about 6 inches or so (to give a bit more flow to the leak).

 

[kul]

Sometimes people have luck letting the pool drain and seeing where it stops. However, that depends on whether that is safe to do in your pool. My understanding is that for fiberglass pools or pools that have liners that can be risky. Additionally, if it is a plaster pool, prolonged exposure of plaster can possibly be risky.

 

[JoyfulNoise]

That quote is perfectly normal. I had American Leak Detection out a few years ago to find a leak in my water main line and they had to resort to Helium leak detection to find it. It cost me $550 and it took half a day. The He leak detection added an up charge of $100 so the base price for them to do the standard work was $450. Like I said, that was 2+ years ago. And it’s California so …

 

[dpl252]

That quote is perfectly normal. I had American Leak Detection out a few years ago to find a leak in my water main line and they had to resort to Helium leak detection to find it. It cost me $550 and it took half a day. The He leak detection added an up charge of $100 so the base price for them to do the standard work was $450. Like I said, that was 2+ years ago. And it’s California so …

Makes sense then, was it a structural leak? I'm curious how much it cost to actually fix it hah

 

[Bperry]

Hey folks, details in signature, my pool is losing more water per day than evaporation can account for. Bucket test confirmed it's not evaporation, started leaking maybe 2 weeks ago (not sure if it's related but that's roughly when the weather started getting consistenly colder). I'm in Norcal (easy bay of San Francisco) so we don't get freezing temps, lowest at night now is mid to upper 40s.

I don't know for sure but think I am losing maybe 1-1.5 inches a day. I noticed the water loss and after doing the bucket test I put my pump into service mode to see if it would still leak with everything off and confirmed it kept leaking. After about a week I lost about a foot below the water line and leak appeared to stop, maybe an inch or so above my returns.

Did a dye test on my skimmer basket and surround area and couldn't find any obvious leaking points. Walking around my pool I don't see any obvious signs of wet ground near the returns, my pump/filter area is not pooling water. When I had my pump on, I had some small bubbles in the basket but not large enough bubbles to make me feel like significant air was getting in. I'm kind of at a loss of where else to look, I was thinking maybe doing a dye test around the returns/main drain/light fixtures, but my pool is like 60 degrees so not looking forward to that.

Called 3 companies in my area, all three are booked out for at least a month and are quoting MINIMUM $600 to do pressure/nitrogen line test, dye test and sonar test. I expected a few hundred dollars for an inspection but the cost right now seems insanely high. Is that cost normal or just due to the demand/season? Am I better off waiting a few months (since we're not using the pool) letting it drain then just refill it and get it tested then? Would love any and all advice.

About normal for here. It usually includes epoxy patching any leaks they do find.

An inch a day is a lot and depending where it’s leaking can cause lots of damage. Did you say the leak stays the same with the pump off? If so, that could be an indicator the shell is leaking. If it leaks only when pump is running, you may just have a broken pipe which could be delayed repair if you cap it (return or suction)

Also check any lights. I had a huge one there.

 

[JoyfulNoise]

Makes sense then, was it a structural leak? I'm curious how much it cost to actually fix it hah

Sorry. I meant my leak was with my utility main water line from the street meter to the house. ALD came out to find a leak in my utility line not my pool. But their leak detection process is the same either way - they try to pressurize the system as best they can and listen for subterranean leaks using specialized sounding equipment. Nitrogen or CO2 gas is used at first because it’s cheap and easy to work with. Helium gas is only used in special circumstance when the leak is small. But He gas is very expensive and not all ALD franchises have the helium sniffers capable of detecting it. So you pay a premium if they have to use He gas, usually in $ per pound of gas used.

 

[Ahhsomeguy]

Marlig used to make a product called "fix a leak". I met these people over 40 years ago at a show. I have recommended this to many pool owners over the years. Sounds like a gimmick but it does solve many leak situations. It may still be available. It is also inexpensive and may work for you If available.

 

[dpl252]

Marlig used to make a product called "fix a leak". I met these people over 40 years ago at a show. I have recommended this to many pool owners over the years. Sounds like a gimmick but it does solve many leak situations. It may still be available. It is also inexpensive and may work for you If available.

Will definitely keep this in mind! Now I just need to find the leak haha

 

[Ahhsomeguy]

Thats what the Fix a leak does. In many cases it stops it.