Major leak- losing 1” per hour

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K

KylieKendrick

Gold Supporter
May 2, 2019
31
Orlando, Florida
Pool Size
26000
Surface
Plaster
Chlorine
Salt Water Generator
SWG Type
Hayward Aqua Rite (T-15)
Hi all! I’m looking for some help sealing up my main drain. I have a leak, and am losing about 1” of water per hour. I only have 1 jet left that is barely under water…the leak has gotta involve that main drain.

Any suggestions in how to seal it up? I called a few professionals and the earliest someone can come out is Friday. Pool will be completely drained by then.

Or, is it ok to let the pool drain completely until a professional come out to fix the issue? I’m in Florida, and I’m worried this sucker is gonna float if the water all drains. Pool was built in 1978.

Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated!image.jpgBA1CDC50-2172-4A88-88BA-955470A32741.jpeg
 
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I'd just close off your main drain and let skimmer(s) do all the work. If you choke off the MD and the level stops dropping then you'll know the source. Don't need main drain anyhow
 
rcs29 said:
I'd just close off your main drain and let skimmer(s) do all the work. If you choke off the MD and the level stops dropping then you'll know the source. Don't need main drain anyhow
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That’s essentially my question. How to I close the main drain? Do I cover it with something?
 
I mean that's the type of valve, 3 way, but I can't tell from that pic what line is what. You want that valve's closed indicator to be in front of the line that comes from your main drain right before the pump. If that's how you have it then yes that'd be correct.
 
Understood. Now that I’m thinking about it, I don’t think closing this valve, which is above ground, will stop a leak that is happening underground. What I really need it a way to plug that main drain.
 
Yeah you're right I'm sorry. Didn't think about that. Still want the valve shut though. Plugs that would be used for closing the pool should work for you. Getting them in a timely manner could be an issue.
 
Kyle,

I suggest that you just let it drain until it is below all of the returns and the light.

If it keeps draining after that, you can take the cover off the main drain and plug it. Once you know that the main drain is the actual problem, you can add a little more water until you can get a repair done.

Thanks,

Jim R.
 
Jimrahbe said:
Kyle,

I suggest that you just let it drain until it is below all of the returns and the light.

If it keeps draining after that, you can take the cover off the main drain and plug it. Once you know that the main drain is the actual problem, you can add a little more water until you can get a repair done.

Thanks,

Jim R.
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Thank you, Jim. I appreciate the help! I’ll head to the hardware store to buy a plug. Looks like I’m going scuba diving tonight 😊
 

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An inch per hour on any standard sized pool is a HUGE volume of water. On my pool, 1” of water is roughly 300 gallons. An inch per hour at 300 gallons per inch would 5 gallons per minute. That’s the equivalent of a garden hose running at full blast.

Have a look around your property and pool, can see that much water loss?
 
JoyfulNoise said:
An inch per hour on any standard sized pool is a HUGE volume of water. On my pool, 1” of water is roughly 300 gallons. An inch per hour at 300 gallons per inch would 5 gallons per minute. That’s the equivalent of a garden hose running at full blast.

Have a look around your property and pool, can see that much water loss?
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I know. :-( That’s why I’m anxious. I’m worried about the foundation of my home being affected by this. I see no pooling anywhere in the surrounding yard…yet. I’m still measuring 1” water loss per hour. I’m having a hard time getting the screws off of the main drain cover. I think I just need to let this ride and let the water drain. At this rate, all 25k gallons will be gone soon.
 
Echo of what JoyfulNoise said. Have you checked all around your equipment pad and property to see if there's anything that's wet or soaked or even damp that shouldn't be? I've found leaks in all kinds of places in the past (150' past my overflow edge basin where the drains all led out to a sewer area, major leaks in my pool equipment pad area, leaks from other basins that leaked water previously, small leaks through bad mortar, water loss in upper spa from a bad check-valve, and last year when they closed my pool they forgot to plug a drain in the bottom that needs to always stay plugged because it wasn't winterized right and now that line is cracked/broke forever, in other words, depending on the complexity of your pool, it can come from just about anywhere, the easier your pool setup , the fewer the locations a leak could be) ... If you can't find ANY standing water anywhere, then I'd suggest letting it go down past your skimmers and equalizers and pool lights and see if it stops. if it does, you know where the leak might be coming from, if it doesn't it's likely one of the drain(s) on the bottom of the pool. Keep some colored dye for pool leaks handy in the future too! Dye is cheap and can be a quick lifesave to pin point where a leak might be coming from but you also have to be really close to the leak when you put in the dye. In other words, putting the dye 3 feet away from the leak isn't probably going to help (although for a leak YOUR size, maybe it would?), you usually need to let the dye squirt out close to where you think the leak might be so you can see it getting sucked in. HTH
 
Also, this is PAST my area of expertise, but I wouldn't worry about the pool lifting/floating if it goes empty. You're in FL... so your ground won't freeze and shift. I've had my plaster pool EMPTY last Summer for close to a week or two without issue (not by choice but....). Maybe someone else can chip in, but I believe the lifting/pooling issue is just an issue for winters and cold weather and things of that nature. That's what I've been told by two different pool builders/service companies I've worked with. An empty plaster pool in Summer isn't great, and can hurt the plaster especially in really hot sun for ongoing days but, lifting? I don't think that's a concern. Someone correct me if I'm wrong please.
 
Along with shutting off the filter pump, if you did that, you could then PLUG your skimmers (and equalizers) and verify if the leak might be coming from those lines and that water isn't leaking from the skimmer pipes that lead back to your main filter pump.
 
@jesse-99 thank you so much for your posts! I’m still not finding any pooling in the vicinity of the pool, but I appreciate your suggestion and will be sure to check outlier areas as the pool continues to drain.

I’m also not sure how much of a concern floating is, but I’m relieved to hear you don’t think it will be an issue. On a related note, I was half tempted to let the pool sit empty once the water is completely drained, but your point about preventing sun damage is something I had not considered. Thank you for sharing that.

@JoyfullNoise - Yes, the water has continued to drain while the pump has been off. My guess is I somehow have a broken pipe deep under the ground. The water level has fallen below all jets and the light, but I’m still losing water at a rapid rate. It’s gotta be that main drain, but the water level is still too high for me to get the drain plugged up.

Hopefully the solution is to just let the pool finish draining, put a plug in that main drain, refill the pool, and use the skimmer basket moving forward.

Thank you all for your help! We can consider this thread closed.
 
It could be the hydrostatic valve in the main drain (assuming there is one) has failed or is stuck open in some way. That could cause the draining you are seeing.

We’ll consider this thread open until you tell us the end of the story 😉
 
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FYI, others can chime in on how long plaster (not sure the age of yours?) can be exposed to bare sun before it gets a bit risky. I think it's very weather/heat/sun dependent so an exact amount of time or # of days might be hard for people to chime in on, but figuring 75-80 degrees and mostly sunny days, I'd suspect you could still get by for days or a week. I went 1-2 weeks in Spring (50-80 degree temps) on 12 year old plaster and didn't see any cracks form or damage from not having water in the pool last year. As for lifting, I'm also lucky in that I'm on top of a hill, so likelihood of lifting due to water level underground is probably lower for me too than most others. Just try not to panic, I know it sucks and its a bit scary, I been there. but you're on top of it, so I think you'll get it figured out soon! let us know !!
 
JoyfulNoise said:
It could be the hydrostatic valve in the main drain (assuming there is one) has failed or is stuck open in some way. That could cause the draining you are seeing.

We’ll consider this thread open until you tell us the end of the story 😉
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I love the spirit! This forum is awesome. I’ll definitely follow up to share what the issue was and how it is resolved.

Thank you!!!
 
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