Help with leak

[BeckyT]

I have a 20 x 40 inground vinyl lined steel sided pool. It is around 10 years old I think. We bought house last year. The previous owners never winterized and we live in northern Arkansas and experience hard freezes. They would just drain to below return jets but no plugging or blowing out main drain.

This is our second summer. The pool has had several issues. We have pretty much rebuilt the filter because of sand leaking back in. We concentrated so heavily on that issue that we didn’t notice the leak. Last year it leaked about 1/2 inch to 3/4 inch per day. But it was a hot dry summer so I kind of ignored it. This summer it has been leaking up to an inch a day and we noticed a puddle behind the pool. It’s built on a slope. I can see a small hole in one skimmer basket where the pipe meets the opening. The other skimmer basket leaks also. I did a dye test and can see dye being sucked in.

The liner will probably be good a few more years. I’ve been researching online and am considering using that stop leak liquid. But I’m fearful of messing up my equipment as I have nearly a thousand in the filter. Has anyone tried using the fix a leak? If so, any advice? My hope is to put off digging until I replace the liner.

It has two skimmers, a main drain, two return jets and a return for booster pump.

 

[zea3]

Hi, welcome to TFP! Do not use any fix a leak type stuff in the pool. Can you see the area in the skimmer where the pipe is leaking? You may be able to patch it with some epoxy if you can reach it. If you could post some photos that will help us troubleshoot your problem.

 

[jimmythegreek]

Agreed dont use as seen on TV stuff. Best way is to drain below leak let it dry out and use a 2part epoxy compound

 

[BeckyT]

Hi, welcome to TFP! Do not use any fix a leak type stuff in the pool. Can you see the area in the skimmer where the pipe is leaking? You may be able to patch it with some epoxy if you can reach it. If you could post some photos that will help us troubleshoot your problem.

I can see a small hole in one skimmer. It’s where the pipe meets the basket. Pool guy came today to continue to work on filter and said he could see a hairline crack down the pipe. I can’t see it. He accidentally left his dye bottle and I tested other skimmer and can see dye going down that pipe also.

 

[BeckyT]

We have plugged both skimmers and notice very little water loss at this point. Maybe an eighth of an inch yesterday. My plan is to plug the skimmers when pump is not running and deal with skimmers when redo pool liner, planning to do this in 2021. Think we can possibly get by? We only have the pool open 3 months a year.

 

[jimmythegreek]

What did the pool guy say as far as the fix? By the pics I would think you could lower pool water level and either spin some primer and glue from inside or plug it with epoxy pretty easily

 

[BeckyT]

What did the pool guy say as far as the fix? By the pics I would think you could lower pool water level and either spin some primer and glue from inside or plug it with epoxy pretty easily

The pool place said this guy only would repair filter not look at leaks. But he checked it anyway. He said nothing about the fix. He didn’t seem too knowledgeable about the filter or the leak. They are supposed to send someone else to check out the leak at a later time. So we are plugging skimmer baskets for now. The yard has dried up and the pool level is not going down any. I can’t run the pump any way because they took my multiport and laterals.

 

[BeckyT]

I have another concern. I have been researching suction side leaks. It says air is always present in returns. We have no air bubbles when the pump is running. Not even when we first turn the pump on. However there is no leak now that both skimmer baskets are plugged. Any ideas? I am worried because I live in a rural area. Leak detection said I would have to pay $1000 just for them to come look.

 

[jimmythegreek]

if you have them plugged and no leak something else may be going on. 1000 bucks is alot for a leak detection. Do you have any pool companies around? somebody with decent knowledge can probably put a bandaid on this to get you thru a while

 

[BeckyT]

I’m not having real good luck with pool companies. Since I am rural, the nearest is 45 minutes away. We are still waiting on them to repair my filter. Not sure I trust them for the leak after the nightmare we have had with the filter.

Yes $1000 is really high for detection and she said that would be the starting bid. It will go up depending on how long it takes to find it. I kind of feel like we might be able to redo the plumbing for that price.

 

[jimmythegreek]

I would try unplugging the skimmers and let it leak to see where it stops. If ita the skimmer piping its gonna be alot more than a grand to cut deck open change both skimmers and repipe past the broken pipe. Take a pic of where its leaking behind the pool. I think if u let it drain down you could take a flashlight and look carefully and see if theres a crack. If one skimmer is dry behind it maybe try to repair that if ita the body and run on one skimmer

 

[BeckyT]

As soon as the pool people get the filter back and I can see that it is working properly, I will try to see how far down it leaks. Last year, I noticed that it was losing water but I hoped it was evaporation. It’s definitely not evaporation as there is puddling behind the pool when the skimmers aren’t plugged. I think repairing one and running on it may be the way we have to go. I have no idea what it will cost. But I’m sure it won’t be cheap. I just can’t see spending 1000 for someone to tell me where the leak is. It did not leak after it was winterized last fall. As a matter of fact it collected so much rainwater last winter that I didn’t have to add any water to get it going in May.

 

[BeckyT]

This is area behind pool before I plugged skimmers. It is dry now. The yard is sloped and the water naturally went to bottom of slope. Pretty sure the actual leak is no where near this area.

 

[BeckyT]

Sorry I keep posting but I can’t quit obsessing over this. So there are two pipes coming out of cement going into pump/filter. I am assuming one is to main drain and other is to both skimmers. Main drain is not plugged and no water is leaking. Which means skimmers are connected at some point, correct? If so, does this mean if one skimmer has a leak the line will continue to leak until both are plugged? Or am I just that unlucky and have leaks in both skimmers? There is no visible leak in one of the skimmers. Pool people were supposed to come today but didn’t make it out here. Praying they come soon. I’m losing my mind over this. Part of me wants to fill the dang thing in and call it quits.

 

[jimmythegreek]

Need pics of inside of both skimmers and a pic of the pipe at pad. What they usually do is pipe the drain to the skimmer which is the easy cheap way. You would be lucky to have a seperate line for drain. I'd bet each line is for a skimmer and the one closest to drain has it pumped in. By seeing inside of skimmer you may have a single hole and a plug in one and both holes open in the other that would confirm this. To have standing water like in pic and losing half inch or more a day in water is a substantial leak. Does it seem worst when pimp is running or is it same regardless.

 

[BeckyT]

At first we thought it leaked with pump on or off. But I started measuring and taking pics every 12 hours of water loss. I am not losing any water with lines plugged and pump off. I will double check when my filter is working. But I am pretty sure we don’t lose any water when the pump runs. The main drain is not covered and the pool isn’t losing any water.

Pics look odd because we have a wood deck over the concrete deck. Not sure why this was done.

The skimmers both have two holes but one hole in each skimmer is permanently plugged.

I think I am going to call another pool repair place Monday. It probably won’t hurt to have two opinions anyway and the place that has my filter never returns calls.

How bad would it be for me to just plug skimmers when I’m not using pump to get me through mid August?

 

[BeckyT]

I called another pool place today and I have some hope. They are going to send their builder out to look at my situation. She thinks it’s possible to repair one skimmer and run off of it until we are ready for a remodel. At least she took the time to respond to my questions and offered suggestions to keep it up and running until repairs can be made. Fingers crossed.

 

[sktn77a]

OK, so you knpw the leak is somewhere between the skimmer and the pump. I'd patch the crack and the hole in the one skimmer first and see if that stops the leak. If it does, you're golden. If it doesn't then you have a leak somewhere in the pipes - let's hope that's not the case!

 

[jimmythegreek]

Do you have anyone that can do simple PVC pipe work? That plumbing is horrible the rubber boot on intake to pump is about as bad as it gets. If possible get someone to cut out the pipes feeding the pump and seperate them with valves then to the pump. If you have 1 line for skimmers and 1 for drain you can just run off drains for a while and just manually clean pool. I agree with trying to patch either or both skimmers if you can see the crack and hope it's up high. That's why I recommended leaving it to drain until it stops to better know where leak or leaks are

 

[BeckyT]

Do you have anyone that can do simple PVC pipe work? That plumbing is horrible the rubber boot on intake to pump is about as bad as it gets. If possible get someone to cut out the pipes feeding the pump and seperate them with valves then to the pump. If you have 1 line for skimmers and 1 for drain you can just run off drains for a while and just manually clean pool. I agree with trying to patch either or both skimmers if you can see the crack and hope it's up high. That's why I recommended leaving it to drain until it stops to better know where leak or leaks are

My husband could probably do the pvc work. But we are clueless about pool plumbing. The pool place I talked to yesterday is sending someone out ‘soon’. But it is busy season. I plan to ask what they would charge to do the work.

As soon as my filter is plugged in and I can see that it is working properly I will let it drain. But I have spent $800 to get it repaired and I want to make sure it’s working properly before the other pool place rides off in the sunset.

It is flooding right now and I have no way to back wash. Hoping it won’t hurt the pool to overfill.