I have (had) a leak... -> Resolved 10/27

[an1vrsy]

I have been adding a lot of water since my completed pool was filled on March 1st. I have an auto-cover so I thought I could eliminate evaporation. I performed the bucket test. The level outside the bucket and inside the bucket after 24+ hours was the same. I even left the cover open overnight for the test.



I did evaporation research contained within further reading on here on TFP. From my research, I could lose 1/4 inch to 1/3 of an inch of water a day. However, the cover is closed at night when I believe the most evaporation would occur.

So, Thursday, 5/27, I filled the pool, I do not have an autofill. I measured the water level at the top step to the tanning ledge, 2-3/4 to 3" with the movement of the water, then closed the cover. We had to leave the house over the Memorial Day holiday weekend. We returned yesterday, 5/31. I opened the cover, and measured again, same spot. the water fluctuated between 1-1/2 to 1-3/4 inch.

Is this just me or we should not have dropped an inch of water with the cover closed?

 

[an1vrsy]

In the background of the photo, you can see the globrite light. Can the leak be within the niche? I don't think I can use a sealant around the light. Even under water the light gets hot I would imagine.

 

[Texas Splash]

So basically between 1-2 inches in four days right? Cover was set to closed the entire time you were gone with no chance of opening intermittently? System was also running on as schedule I assume?

 

[an1vrsy]

Yes to all. The pump runs 24/7 on a schedule. Auto-cover's safety mechanism requires a key to activate.

 

[Texas Splash]

Well, might be something to watch. Seems little excessive with the cover on. Your lights probably have a silicone around them when installed like mine do. You can try some some homestyle leak detection for now to see if anything obvious shows. I use the products below whenever I have a question about an area. Shut everything off and get in the water quietly with minimal movement and give few squirts of dye close to the item to see if any of it gets pulled inwards to a light, around the skimmer, etc. If not, it may just be a matter of heat & condensation under the cover. Perhaps do another bucket test with cover off to rule that out again. Beyond that I wouldn't exhaust myself too much. Your pool must still be under warranty and I would think your builder would come out and pressure test (and listen to) lines if needed.

 

[an1vrsy]

I will try the syringe and food coloring. Which was my next step per the leak test further reading article. Unfortunately, I am the pool builder, since I did an owner build.

 

[an1vrsy]

From the time the plumbing was installed, I was concerned about plumbing piping leaks. I discussed this with the plumbing sub and he said as normal practice they put gauges on suction side pumps and since the pool main drain, skimmers and returns are all capped until plaster we can monitor the gauge and tell if there is a pressure drop.

Although, I took these photos of the equipment pad way back then, I did not observe much, if any, pressure drop over 3 months between end of plumbing and start of quartz install. The gauge at the top of the filter is visible, the needle is pointing up and if you look closely enough the gauge on the spa pump (left pump) is visible but not readable at this distance. I was looking at those gauges weekly, along with the gas line gauge at my gas meter, which also held pressure till the gas company came to hook up the gas to the heater.



So, if the food coloring syringe shows a leak at the globrite lights at the tanning ledge, is there a specific sealant I can use? Don't the lights get hot, although underwater?

 

[Texas Splash]

So, if the food coloring syringe shows a leak at the globrite lights at the tanning ledge, is there a specific sealant I can use? Don't the lights get hot, although underwater?

Let's cross that bridge if needed. I'd have to ask about the heat factor, and while there are some underwater sealants available, lowering the water level for access is perhaps the most ideal. But let's wait and see.

 

[an1vrsy]

Fine...

I'll look for a syringe to use with the food coloring. I will come back with my syringe testing. Thanks.

 

[an1vrsy]

Well, the amount of water I have been adding over the summer really concerned me. Here in the southwest we have been in a drought and I felt like I was being wasteful. As recommended, I turned off the equipment then I did do the dye test with syringe around the returns, globrites and skimmer. I did not see any sucked in. Then I asked 3 of my neighbors with pools how much water they had used over the previous three months. We were all close in total gallons. My pool is 25k gallons and their pools were between 14k - 16k. I just felt I had to live with it, unless we all had a leak. So then I did the following...

 

[Tcadwall0]

So then I did the following...

... another cliff hanger... Hoping to hear the answer by March...

 

[an1vrsy]

I called a leak detection company. A couple of months ago, they asked if I had done a bucket test and I said I had. They said since you passed the bucket test, you really don't want me to come out and leak test. Another couple of months go by and I call them again. This time they said before we come out you need to isolate your pool and spa. See which one drops water level. I thought, oh well might as well.

On Saturday, I closed the spa drain and the spa return valves. Deleted the spa chlorinate schedule. Then covered the pool as normal practice. The three photos are day 1, day 2 and today.



The water is below all of the jets. The last place it could be are the drains or the globrite. Should I go ahead and have the leak detection company pressurize the drain lines? I do not believe the spa should lose water...

 

[an1vrsy]

Update - well the water stopped leaking. I read here somewhere in another leak check thread that where it stops, at that point the leaking area should reveal itself. Sound advice. The leak stopped at the spa wall quartz plaster coverage at the pvc drain pipe. If that makes sense. The photo shows where there is a space of missing quartz. I’ve called the plaster company and they said they’d get back to tomorrow, Monday morning.

 

[mknauss]

As you have a salt water pool, are you adding salt continuously?

 

[an1vrsy]

That was another reason I knew (at the time I couldn’t prove it) I had a leak. I just looked at my Pool Math summary for this year. I have added 39 bags of salt, 7600 ppm. I last tested salt at 2800, 18 days ago. The IC60 displays 2800. I bought 10% LC and have been dosing manually, for the past week. The same with CYA, I’ve added 24 lbs of dry stabilizer, ~113 ppm. CYA was 50 two weeks ago.

 

[mknauss]

You have a leak. I do not add salt unless I drain water.

 

[an1vrsy]

Resolved!!! Leak fixed, finally.

On Wednesday the plaster company sent their pool guy. He agreed that the the quartz plaster didn't cover the drain pipe very well. He chipped around the area, then used a two part epoxy to fill in the space. The photo shows the before. Dummy me, I didn't think to take an after picture. I filled the spa and after 48 hours, I can confidently say all good.