Leak in my inground pool

[Paxcou]

This morning I realized I lost water overnight quiet significantly. The filter was turning all night as I am filtering. I put back some water and turn of the filter to isolate this first.

But it leaked again quiet a lot (i did the bucket think too, but it's very obvious.)

I am working on targeting the issue (jets, skimmer, drain, etc...).

Yesterday i brush my pool and i am wonderingly was the liking may be old (i bought the house 4 years ago and the liking is probably 10 years older) if i could do a hole by brushing it because i did not have the problem before. But it seems to be lot of water.

Another issue i had, i changed the O-Ring in the filter as it was leaking, but when i put back the filter i have noticed i was losing some sand in the pool (i have a sand filter). I fixed it and the sand stopped going in the pool. But is it possible that this would have affected the valve i believe we have below the drain at the bottom of the pool. I understood that some.pols have a system to allow the surrounding water to get inside the inground pool when there is not enough water but this valve can be stuck if there is too many debris. I have no idea but sharing with you this information.

Does anything i shared here with you may make you feel that the problem is located in one area or the other ?

See below the water i lost in 9 hours in a 16.000 gallons pool.

 

[Texas Splash]

if i could do a hole by brushing

It is possible

I fixed it and the sand stopped going in the pool.

That is usually from a bad lateral in the bottom of the filter. You would not lose water from that, however be sure to check your backwash (WASTE) line. See if water is leaking out of that line.

At some point, if you can't find the leak yourself, you may have to allow the water level to fall and then where the water stops is where the leak is.

 

[Texas Splash]

Be sure to review this page for more info. Maybe it will help.

Leak Detection

A number of things can cause leaks in your pool. You can learn tricks for leak detection and how to pinpoint where your pool is losing water.

www.troublefreepool.com

 

[Paxcou]

Thanks for the link.

The article essays this: "If the break is on the suction side (skimmer or drain to pump), water can leak “out” of that pipe with the pump OFF. If the leak is on the pressure side (after the filter towards the return jets), water can leak “out” when the pump is ON or OFF."

Does it mean if the pulp is off and the leak is still happening, it cannot be the skimmer ? Not sure how this would work.

 

[ajw22]

Does it mean if the pulp is off and the leak is still happening, it cannot be the skimmer ? Not sure how this would work.

The skimmer is on the suction side of the system and a leak in the skimmer will lose water with the pump off down to the level of the skimmer mouth.

If you let the pool leak does the water level stabilize at a level? That level is usually where the leak is just above.

 

[Paxcou]

The skimmer is on the suction side of the system and a leak in the skimmer will lose water with the pump off down to the level of the skimmer mouth.

If you let the pool leak does the water level stabilize at a level? That level is usually where the leak is just above.

My wife just told me that the water is now below the skimmer...

 

[ajw22]

My wife just told me that the water is now below the skimmer...

Is it continuing to drop or stabilized below the skimmer?

 

[Paxcou]

Is it continuing to drop or stabilized below the skimmer?

It seems to have stopped to drop below the skimmer

 

[Texas Splash]

It seems to have stopped to drop below the skimmer

Then follow that new waterline level all around the pool and around any fixtures it's in contact with. Your leak must be at that new waterline level. If it's just below the skimmer, inspect that skimmer very well.

 

[Paxcou]

On skimmer one the water stopped leaking exactly at the pool level.
On skimmer two the water is now dropping inside the skimmer below the pool level so it seems to say that the leak is in the skimmer 2.

What should I do next to make sure it is ? Should I refill the pool with water and put a plug in the skimmer 2 and run the pool filter to see how it goes ?

 

[ajw22]

Add some water to the pool and then put a drop of food coloring or leak dye from Anderson Manufacturing into the skimmer.

Dye Testers and Dye

Check out the deals in Dye Testers and Dye at Anderson Manufacturing Company, Inc.

www.leaktools.com

When using food coloring to trace leaks you want the water to be completely calm, pump off, and put just a drop of color into the water right near where you think a leak might be. Before the drop dissipates you will be able to see any movement in the water and if you are close enough to the leak will see the water get pulled into the hole.

 

[Paxcou]

Add some water to the pool and then put a drop of food coloring or leak dye from Anderson Manufacturing into the skimmer.

Dye Testers and Dye

Check out the deals in Dye Testers and Dye at Anderson Manufacturing Company, Inc.

www.leaktools.com

When using food coloring to trace leaks you want the water to be completely calm, pump off, and put just a drop of color into the water right near where you think a leak might be. Before the drop dissipates you will be able to see any movement in the water and if you are close enough to the leak will see the water get pulled into the hole.

Should I wait first overnight to see if tte water in the skimmer is stabilized so i know it's in the upper part ?

 

[Paxcou]

I have a leak in one skimmer. I have created a different thread on this. I have not yet located the leak, if it's below the skimmer in the pipe returning to the filter or of it is in the upper part of the skimmer.

Can I put a plug in this skimmer, close the pipe going to this skimmer and run the filtering system using the drain and the other skimmer (i have two skimmers) without creating another issue (in the first skimmer, the pipe, the pressure in the filter etc...)?

If the problem is below the filter, leaning in the pipe below the filter, what would be the next step? Professional repair ? Any idea of an average cost for such a repair ?

 

[Texas Splash]

Can I put a plug in this skimmer, close the pipe going to this skimmer and run the filtering system using the drain and the other skimmer

If the leak is in the skimmer body you will need to repair it (if possible) because eventually you'll have to raise the water back up to normal for the second skimmer to work properly. If you learn that one skimmer is leaking down in its PVC pipe, then you might be able to isolate that plumbing line by plugging that pipe/hole at the skimmer hole and back at the equipment pad "IF" possible. Much depends on your plumbing set-up.

If the leak is beyond your capability to repair, then you would have to consider calling someone who can pinpoint the leaky area and repair it.

 

[PoolStored]

I have a leak in one skimmer. I have created a different thread on this. I have not yet located the leak, if it's below the skimmer in the pipe returning to the filter or of it is in the upper part of the skimmer.

Can I put a plug in this skimmer, close the pipe going to this skimmer and run the filtering system using the drain and the other skimmer (i have two skimmers) without creating another issue (in the first skimmer, the pipe, the pressure in the filter etc...)?

Yes. I ran mine in the same fashion for the first year with one skimmer for the same reason. Worked fine. But my leak was below the plug in the line. If you have a leak in the skimmer, then it will still leak.

If the problem is below the filter, leaning in the pipe below the filter, what would be the next step? Professional repair ? Any idea of an average cost for such a repair ?

I'm not sure I understand this question. When you say filter, do you mean the skimmer basket?

If there is a crack in the skimmer body, you can sometimes do a repair with Pool Putty Epoxy. I had a couple hairline cracks in my skimmer I fixed 3 years ago and it is working fine. If the whole is large, then there may be other fixes.

If it is in the pipe from the skimmer to the equipment pad, there are a VERY FEW companies that can do a CIPP (cure in place pipe lining). If you have 1.5" pipe, there will be even fewer. In my case, I found 1 company in my state or contiguous states that can do CIPP on 1.5" pipe. Even the CIPP presents issues, such as...it will be difficult to do a CIPP repair and retain the threads in the bottom of skimmer, making closing difficult.

Most times, if you have a leak in the pipes from skimmer to pad, it is a dig up and repair situation. Many times, they can find the leak with sonics and only dig up a small area to repair the leak.

 

[Paxcou]

Thank you so much to both of you for your help.
Right now i am trying to identify if the leak is in the skimmer body or the pipes going to the pool filter. I could not see a crack in the skimmer and i lost few inches in a days.

If the water is lower in the skimmer than in the pool and lower han in the second skimmer, which is at pool levels it is safe to say that the leak is in the skimmer body or pipes between the skimmer and the pool filter right ? Just want to make sure I am not missing another area I should be concerned about.

 

[PoolStored]

If the water is lower in the skimmer than in the pool and lower han in the second skimmer, which is at pool levels it is safe to say that the leak is in the skimmer body or pipes between the skimmer and the pool filter right ? Just want to make sure I am not missing another area I should be concerned about.

Not sure how the water in the skimmer is lower than the pool...or lower than the other skimmer...that really makes no sense. Unless your pool is not level. Mine is not level and one skimmer has water that is about 3/8" higher than the other.

Is your pool filled so that it fills 1/2 way up the skimmer door opening?

One way to isolate skimmer leak from pipe leak is to plug the skimmer (make sure to close off the valve to that skimmer). Wait a day. If the pool loses water, the crack is in the skimmer. If it does not lose water, the leak is likely in the pipe.

 

[Paxcou]

The skimmer has water below the pool level (the pool level is slightly above the basket) in this skimmer.


In the other skimmer, the water level is right at the pool level, and when he got their, it stoped going Lowe, as the pool has stopped losing water.

But in the first skimmer above, i have lost few more cm of water.

So to me it means the crack is below the current pool level inside the skimmer or in the pipe going from the skimmer to the filter.

Does it make more sense ?

 

[PoolStored]

Does it make more sense ?

Yes. Is the pool water level just below the skimmer opening? (i.e. no new water can get into the skimmers.) Compare the water level between each of the skimmer face plates...this will tell us if the skimmers are level.

So, I'd take the basket out of the low skimmer and take another few pictures, maybe we can see the problem.

Leave the basket out of the low water skimmer, plug it, and mark the water level, or fill it to the top of the skimmer like the full one. If it goes down, it is a crack in skimmer if it stays where it is, it is in the return line.

 

[Paxcou]

I am very puzzled:

- skimmer one is still full of water.
- skimmer 2 is totally empty of water
- but the pool has continued to drop at a lower rate and the pool level is now below the skimmer.

Which means that it may not be the skimmer but then there is a connection between the pipes happening. How can we explain this ?