leak identification and solution

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primuspaul

Well-known member
Sep 3, 2018
129
NYC area
We suspected a leak from having to add water more often, but now I'm fairly certain of it. The June->July bill went from 10 CCF last year to 20 CCF this year. Our often suspected spot is the skimmer, so I turned off the pump and dropped some egg-coloring solution into it (these are the tablets that get dissolved in water/vinegar to paint Easter eggs), but I saw it go nowhere except to just spread out. I will try with a dropped later and drop the paint closer to the corners of the skimmer intake.

What sort of other troubleshooting can I do? Only other thing I can mention is regarding pump priming. Pump is on a timer and shuts off and turns on multiple times a day. I have not come across the pump this year and found it not primed. The pump always seems to be flooded.
 
primuspaul said:
What sort of other troubleshooting can I do?
Click to expand...
Since you are suspect of the suction side, you could plug the pressure side at all of the return jets. Leave system off and essentially do a static test to see if the water level drops from the suction side.

Another option is to do a DIY pressure test on the suction side if you have some parts and DIY ability. I made one such tool that you can see in my thread below.

Do you have a main drain? That is another potential leak area.

Leak Detection (Pressure Side), Results, and Frankenplug

After 9 years it finally happened – the dreaded leak. Here is my story. In the San Antonio area we have black clay soil that is horrible for structural support of any kind and often causes problems for home foundations, fencing, asphalt, pools, etc. When we observed excessive water loss, I...
www.troublefreepool.com www.troublefreepool.com
 
primuspaul said:
Our often suspected spot is the skimmer
Click to expand...
It seem this is the Achilles Heel (the skimmer area) here in Florida with concrete pools. I have repaired my skimmer, and also several neighbor's skimmers using pool patch products after detecting the actually leak.
I would recommend purchasing pool leak dye that comes with a syringe and extension tube that allows for a more precision application of the dye.
 
Texas Splash said:
Since you are suspect of the suction side, you could plug the pressure side at all of the return jets. Leave system off and essentially do a static test to see if the water level drops from the suction side.

Another option is to do a DIY pressure test on the suction side if you have some parts and DIY ability. I made one such tool that you can see in my thread below.

Do you have a main drain? That is another potential leak area.

Leak Detection (Pressure Side), Results, and Frankenplug

After 9 years it finally happened – the dreaded leak. Here is my story. In the San Antonio area we have black clay soil that is horrible for structural support of any kind and often causes problems for home foundations, fencing, asphalt, pools, etc. When we observed excessive water loss, I...
www.troublefreepool.com www.troublefreepool.com
Click to expand...
I have one return jet. What do you mean by plug it? I don't think I have anything to screw in there that will plug it. I tried food coloring with dropper around edges/corners of skimmer intake with flap immobilized, but saw nothing in particular. However your post gave me the idea to check the exhaust end (blower) as well.
 
jsygrls said:
It seem this is the Achilles Heel (the skimmer area) here in Florida with concrete pools. I have repaired my skimmer, and also several neighbor's skimmers using pool patch products after detecting the actually leak.
I would recommend purchasing pool leak dye that comes with a syringe and extension tube that allows for a more precision application of the dye.
Click to expand...
I tried with a dropped this morning after turning off the pump and immobilizing the plug and saw nothing. Only thing I can think of skimmer-wise is letting the water decline to below skimmer level, plugging the skimmer intake tube (to keep the pump running/water circulating to keep it from turning green), and doing a general application of some sort of general patching chemical on the concrete parts of the skimmer/joints.
Any patch you can recommend?
 
If you shut off and the water drops to below skimmer and then stops you know leak is at skimmer level

If it keeps going then it’s not the skimmer

Just a thought
 
BDY said:
If you shut off and the water drops to below skimmer and then stops you know leak is at skimmer level

If it keeps going then it’s not the skimmer

Just a thought
Click to expand...
That's what we're going to do. Going to stop adding water and run the pump until skimmer dries out. Then will insert skimmer intake pipe screw plug to keep the pump running without filling it with air (pump intake will continue via the bottom drain hole). I just wanted to have ready a crack fix solution (some kind of patch) and just applying it all over the concrete part of the skimmer intake while we have the water level below the skimmer. Kill two birds with one stone, so to say.
 

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If you can - shut skimmer valve off and run on MD alone and see if pump has enough flow. Otherwise I would be leery of running the pump with a dry skimmer
 
BDY said:
If you can - shut skimmer valve off and run on MD alone and see if pump has enough flow. Otherwise I would be leery of running the pump with a dry skimmer
Click to expand...
I don't anticipate too many problems. We have always been able to drain the pool that way, generally all the way to the bottom (especially with the new pump). The only problems occurred when we tried to RESTART the draining with just a little puddle left in the swimming pool, but that's not going to happen here so there will be plenty of pressure pushing onto the bottom drain.
Also I don't think we have a skimmer "valve." We have one of these:

1689349983464.png


When draining we wait for water to drain below skimmer line and empty into the pump, then screw that in.
 
How much water are you losing daily? In NYC, I would disregard anything less than 1/4" in 24 hours and perhaps as much as 1/2 inch on a hot day.

More than that and you surely have a leak.
 
duraleigh said:
How much water are you losing daily? In NYC, I would disregard anything less than 1/4" in 24 hours and perhaps as much as 1/2 inch on a hot day.

More than that and you surely have a leak.
Click to expand...
0.6"/day probably. But that's not how we determined we're losing more this year. Went based on meter readings, which showed DOUBLE water use this June/July cycle compared to last year.
 
Maybe do a bucket test? If the water in the pool and in the bucket decrease at the same rate it’s just evaporation. It’s a pool decreases faster than it’s a leak.
 
I’m told evaporation rate is related to temp differential between the water and air, as well as amount of wind. The folks at Anderson have an online evap estimator that may help get you in the ballpark of expected evap rate for your local weather and pool wind exposure.
www.leaktools.com

Anderson Manufacturing Company, Inc.

: Helping The Pool Professional Solve Leak Problems
www.leaktools.com www.leaktools.com
 
SoDel said:
I’m told evaporation rate is related to temp differential between the water and air, as well as amount of wind. The folks at Anderson have an online evap estimator that may help get you in the ballpark of expected evap rate for your local weather and pool wind exposure.
www.leaktools.com

Anderson Manufacturing Company, Inc.

: Helping The Pool Professional Solve Leak Problems
www.leaktools.com www.leaktools.com
Click to expand...
I'm at at least double the evap rate.
 

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