Help Needed: Sealed off main drain/suction line

[mdyren]

Help! Our late 70s-early 80s inground concrete pool has a single bottom drain that is apparently sealed off with a plug. Why I don't know but I suspect the previous owner must have had this done in order to stop a leak. Assuming there is a leak somewhere in that suction line how can one find and repair it? Right now the only water my pump and filter get is through the skimmer.

1. Do pool companies or plumbers have endoscopes, i.e., cameras fitted to the end of a snake that they can see the inside of the line. I have access to a circa 2" PVC pipe at the pump end?
2. Are there other ways of finding and locating the leak if one exists?
3. How does one go about repairing the same if there is an issue under the pool?
4. Could one alternatively pull through a 1.5" or 1.75" tube and seal it to the drain (on the premise that even though water flow is reduced it would still be much better than nothing which is my current state?

Thank you for this forum and for any help you our your readers are willing to share

Appreciatively, Michael

 

[PoolStored]

Welcome to TFP!!!

After helping 1000s of pool owners...here is my advice: Leave it alone.

Simple easy. There is no need for a main drain. I have a 30K pool without a main drain, and there are 1000s of pool owners here without main drains (either by design or they have plugged them.

To answer your questions.

1. Do pool companies or plumbers have endoscopes, i.e., cameras fitted to the end of a snake that they can see the inside of the line. I have access to a circa 2" PVC pipe at the pump end?

Yes.

2. Are there other ways of finding and locating the leak if one exists?

Some also have sonic scopes (listen for the sound of water going out a leak).

3. How does one go about repairing the same if there is an issue under the pool?

Dig it up.

4. Could one alternatively pull through a 1.5" or 1.75" tube and seal it to the drain (on the premise that even though water flow is reduced it would still be much better than nothing which is my current state?

There are VERY few places that can do CIPP down to 1.5" There is only one within 750 miles of me. It is expensive and there are ancillary issues (you create other problems) when you do this.

 

[1poolman1]

Help! Our late 70s-early 80s inground concrete pool has a single bottom drain that is apparently sealed off with a plug. Why I don't know but I suspect the previous owner must have had this done in order to stop a leak. Assuming there is a leak somewhere in that suction line how can one find and repair it? Right now the only water my pump and filter get is through the skimmer.

1. Do pool companies or plumbers have endoscopes, i.e., cameras fitted to the end of a snake that they can see the inside of the line. I have access to a circa 2" PVC pipe at the pump end?
2. Are there other ways of finding and locating the leak if one exists?
3. How does one go about repairing the same if there is an issue under the pool?
4. Could one alternatively pull through a 1.5" or 1.75" tube and seal it to the drain (on the premise that even though water flow is reduced it would still be much better than nothing which is my current state?

Thank you for this forum and for any help you our your readers are willing to share

Appreciatively, Michael

A leak detection company could find, and probably has found the leak. You could pull the plug and allow the water to get to its lowest point. That is the height of the leak, finding it from there is not so easy.
The least expensive repair is a plug. Many times hydraulic cement is poured down the hole for a more permanent stop leak.
Main-drain not needed, especially if you have any type of auto pool cleaner. Your current state will not hurt anything in particular.
Trying to pull a tube through the hard 90-degree fittings would be nearly impossible.
A repair to that line usually involves draining the pool, digging into the pool wall to find the pipe, repair the leak, repair the wall. Not inexpensive. Plus, it is an ugly repair and if done at all is usually done when a pool is re-plastered.