Losing water? Possible leak?

[asoccio]

We went on vacation and after about 6 days away the person taking care of our pool called to say the water was below the skimmer. This would have been about 4-5 inches of water loss in 6 days. Conditions have been very hot and humid. When we got home I added enough water to bring it back above the skimmer. When I turn the pump on there are air bubbles coming out of the jets. I am continuing to add to the water level and monitor but are there any suggestions or ideas of what might be going on? I

 

[Texas Splash]

Welcome to TFP! Let's go over a few things about your situation:
- Be sure to update your signature. See mine as an example. Listing all your pool and equipment info is very important for us to help.
- Does your pump run continuously or do you have it programmed in & off at certain times?

You might also post some pics of your equipment pad so we can see everything from a couple angles. We'll do our best to help you out.

 

[asoccio]

The pump runs from 8-8 every day. It is 17 years old so I expect some issues. I finally started understanding water chemistry this year and had things looking good. So now I’m so disappointed this may be something mechanical! I have a pool company coming on Monday but was trying to trouble shoot as much as I can this weekend.

 

[Texas Splash]

Air bubbles are generally a sign of a suction side air leak - air getting in. Doesn't always mean a water leak out. So you can check everything above ground at the pad to see if there are any possible places air could get sucked IN. The water dropping could simply be a coincidence, or it could be that when the pump is off, water seeps OUT of the suction line underground. That could explain some water loss. Underground leaks are not the most common, but they do happen. The link below should help give you some pointers.

Suction Side Air Leaks

If you see air bubbles coming out of the return lines in your pool, you likely have a leak. Some signs that a suction side plumbing leak has occurred include: Read more

www.troublefreepool.com

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

 

[asoccio]

Air bubbles are generally a sign of a suction side air leak - air getting in. Doesn't always mean a water leak out. So you can check everything above ground at the pad to see if there are any possible places air could get sucked IN. The water dropping could simply be a coincidence, or it could be that when the pump is off, water seeps OUT of the suction line underground. That could explain some water loss. Underground leaks are not the most common, but they do happen. The link below should help give you some pointers.

Suction Side Air Leaks

If you see air bubbles coming out of the return lines in your pool, you likely have a leak. Some signs that a suction side plumbing leak has occurred include: Read more

www.troublefreepool.com

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

Thanks for the help! After further inspection I found a small leak around the newly installed salt cell. I think between that and evaporation on a super hot week, that’s what caused the water loss. I’ve been adding water and monitoring very closely and it’s been stable.

I’m thankful for all the help! I’ve depended on pool stores before this and I’ve learned so much in the last few weeks. It’s been great!