I have a leak at my pump pad area. Everything above ground has been carefully evaluated and the leak is definitely not above ground.
The most likely place for a leak I assume would be one of the pipes coming from underground up to the pump pad?
What throws me a little bit is that when the water first accumulates it has the appearance that perhaps the leak is on the bottom of the sand filter. The filter rests on a housing that came with the filter (or perhaps it is all one unit and just looks that way), the housing is not something I created. The under surface of the filter below that housing seems to me an unlikely spot for a leak, but perhaps you guys have seen it and found it to be not so unlikely?
I am going to have a leak-detecting plumber out to solve the problem wherever it is but I wanted to get your opinions and perhaps you can suggest to me some further troubleshooting actions before I call the plumber.
When I call the plumber I am going to ask him if he would like me to start carefully digging out in the vicinity of the pipes exiting from underground to expose those pipes to find the leak before he even gets here; so I would appreciate any suggestions about that process:
- be very careful so as to not crack a pipe?
- small scoops of dirt with a hand spade rather than attacking was a big shovel?
- start at the most suspicious place or expose them all because it could be more than one pipe?
- At what point do you turn a pump on so as to reveal the leak? Or do you do it while digging because hopefully it is just a few inches below the surface?
- Or do you recommend I not start the digging process and instead have the plumbers do the digging because maybe they can ping the pipes for a leak and go after the single culprit? I was just trying to save some labor costs of the plumbers doing the digging but if you think it is better to have the plumbers do the digging please let me know, (vs. if you think I can be careful why not have me start the digging)?
- if rain is expected delay the digging & plumber visit because it will complicate leak detection or not really?
-Any other comments appreciated
Do you want me to leave the pump off until I get the leak plugged/corrected ? I can brush the pool for circulation and treat it with chemicals accordingly no problem. I probably missed the leak for a few days or maybe it was even weeks, but now I see that it appears that the leak is getting bigger based on the fact that I am seeing quite a bit more water that I would not have missed during the previous few days or weeks, so that does concern me a little bit
If it helps:
- the water accumulates only when the pump is running.
- The filter and pump rests on the concrete pad; the pipes exiting from the ground do not exit through the concrete pad but rather through the dirt
- the attached photo was made long ago; there is an obvious water accumulation and leak versus that photo
Thanks
The most likely place for a leak I assume would be one of the pipes coming from underground up to the pump pad?
What throws me a little bit is that when the water first accumulates it has the appearance that perhaps the leak is on the bottom of the sand filter. The filter rests on a housing that came with the filter (or perhaps it is all one unit and just looks that way), the housing is not something I created. The under surface of the filter below that housing seems to me an unlikely spot for a leak, but perhaps you guys have seen it and found it to be not so unlikely?
I am going to have a leak-detecting plumber out to solve the problem wherever it is but I wanted to get your opinions and perhaps you can suggest to me some further troubleshooting actions before I call the plumber.
When I call the plumber I am going to ask him if he would like me to start carefully digging out in the vicinity of the pipes exiting from underground to expose those pipes to find the leak before he even gets here; so I would appreciate any suggestions about that process:
- be very careful so as to not crack a pipe?
- small scoops of dirt with a hand spade rather than attacking was a big shovel?
- start at the most suspicious place or expose them all because it could be more than one pipe?
- At what point do you turn a pump on so as to reveal the leak? Or do you do it while digging because hopefully it is just a few inches below the surface?
- Or do you recommend I not start the digging process and instead have the plumbers do the digging because maybe they can ping the pipes for a leak and go after the single culprit? I was just trying to save some labor costs of the plumbers doing the digging but if you think it is better to have the plumbers do the digging please let me know, (vs. if you think I can be careful why not have me start the digging)?
- if rain is expected delay the digging & plumber visit because it will complicate leak detection or not really?
-Any other comments appreciated
Do you want me to leave the pump off until I get the leak plugged/corrected ? I can brush the pool for circulation and treat it with chemicals accordingly no problem. I probably missed the leak for a few days or maybe it was even weeks, but now I see that it appears that the leak is getting bigger based on the fact that I am seeing quite a bit more water that I would not have missed during the previous few days or weeks, so that does concern me a little bit
If it helps:
- the water accumulates only when the pump is running.
- The filter and pump rests on the concrete pad; the pipes exiting from the ground do not exit through the concrete pad but rather through the dirt
- the attached photo was made long ago; there is an obvious water accumulation and leak versus that photo
Thanks
