Manual Skimmer Line Leak Non-Destructive Fix

tdn96

Member
May 30, 2023
8
Massachusetts
Hi all, any and all help and advice will be greatly appreciated.

I have a standard 18' x 36' in ground pool that has 2 skimmers, main drain, and 2 return jets. Upon cleaning the pool and running the pump over the summer last year, I realized that there is a leak the previous owners never fixed due to water levels dropping about 1/2" to 1" every day. My suspicions were confirmed when I saw bubbles in the pump. I never got around to getting it fixed but the lines are buried under concrete around the pool and quotes from contractors were upwards of 5 figures, which I'd rather not do for a leak that they may not potentially pinpoint. As a result I instead just constantly filled my pool up with my hose, which took time and rebalancing but was ultimately cheaper than destructive repair at the time.

I was able to isolate the skimmer lines that caused the leak by shutting down all the valves and running the pump with just 1 valve open. As spring approaches I'd like to fix the leak before balancing my pool again. With some research I came across a product called Marlig Fix-A-Leak Pool Leak Sealer (link deleted by Jim R.) that apparently seals small holes and cracks up to a certain diameter by simply circulating the product through the pool. However, I'd like to keep the product constantly circulating through the affected lines and not just sitting at the bottom of the pool or through the main drain.

My plan is to run an isolated closed loop with the pump where the affected skimmer is fed via a vacuum hose by a large bin containing water with the pool sealer product. The pump would circulate the water mixed with the sealant through the affected line, bypass the filter, and then exit the return jet. Since my return jets are those eyeball screw in types, the plan would be to buy some PVC fittings and return the solution back into the bucket to close the loop. All other lines would be closed so ideally, the solution would only flow through the affected line and through the crack/hole to work its magic. Incredibly cheaper than digging up concrete.

Is this a sound plan? Anyone else have experience using this sealing product? Are there any recommendations for standard PVC fittings I can buy or any other potential solution to the leak without invasive measures? Thank you!

New member links not allowed and deleted by Jim R.
 
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Hi all, any and all help and advice will be greatly appreciated.

I have a standard 18' x 36' in ground pool that has 2 skimmers, main drain, and 2 return jets. Upon cleaning the pool and running the pump over the summer last year, I realized that there is a leak the previous owners never fixed due to water levels dropping about 1/2" to 1" every day. My suspicions were confirmed when I saw bubbles in the pump. I never got around to getting it fixed but the lines are buried under concrete around the pool and quotes from contractors were upwards of 5 figures, which I'd rather not do for a leak that they may not potentially pinpoint. As a result I instead just constantly filled my pool up with my hose, which took time and rebalancing but was ultimately cheaper than destructive repair at the time.

I was able to isolate the skimmer lines that caused the leak by shutting down all the valves and running the pump with just 1 valve open. As spring approaches I'd like to fix the leak before balancing my pool again. With some research I came across a product called Marlig Fix-A-Leak Pool Leak Sealer (link deleted by Jim R.) that apparently seals small holes and cracks up to a certain diameter by simply circulating the product through the pool. However, I'd like to keep the product constantly circulating through the affected lines and not just sitting at the bottom of the pool or through the main drain.

My plan is to run an isolated closed loop with the pump where the affected skimmer is fed via a vacuum hose by a large bin containing water with the pool sealer product. The pump would circulate the water mixed with the sealant through the affected line, bypass the filter, and then exit the return jet. Since my return jets are those eyeball screw in types, the plan would be to buy some PVC fittings and return the solution back into the bucket to close the loop. All other lines would be closed so ideally, the solution would only flow through the affected line and through the crack/hole to work its magic. Incredibly cheaper than digging up concrete.

Is this a sound plan? Anyone else have experience using this sealing product? Are there any recommendations for standard PVC fittings I can buy or any other potential solution to the leak without invasive measures? Thank you!

New member links not allowed and deleted by Jim R.
It’s pretty unlikely to be a leak in the underground pipe and much more common for the skimmer body itself to be leaking at the skimmer opening joint. You can hire a leak detection company to isolate the leak for a few hundred bucks or use some food dye in the skimmer to see if it gets sucked in anywhere.

Leaving a leak like that can cause expensive damage to the pool by compromising the surrounding soil.
 
I’d be wary of any liquid that seals leaks. Per their own instructions suction side lines can only be fixed by pressurizing the lines with the magic fluid. If I read your post correctly you are going to try to use the pool pump to perform the fix. This will not work as the line in question will still be under vacuum with your pool pump. You’d need to isolate the line and use an auxiliary pump to pressurize it during the “repair” process.

I’d echo +1 on a leak detection company. For a few hundred bucks they can definitively find the leak and then you can decide on the exact method of repair that is suitable. Even leaks in buried pipes can be identified/pinpointed with high rate of success by sounding equipment or tracer gas leak detection.
 
Thanks for the advice, I'll hire a leak detection company and follow up. Unfortunately my pool is cloudy green at the moment haha
Leak detection company probably won’t come out unless the water is clean and clear. It’s. It isn't safe to swim in if you can’t see under water for swimmer rescue if needed.
 
Leak detection company probably won’t come out unless the water is clean and clear. It’s. It isn't safe to swim in if you can’t see under water for swimmer rescue if needed.
This is certainly a factor and you’re correct, however since a line is suspect they may very well come out and test the lines without the pool being swimmable……just not the shell. I know my guys would, but I also have a good relationship with them and they tend to work within special circumstances for me when needed.
 
This is certainly a factor and you’re correct, however since a line is suspect they may very well come out and test the lines without the pool being swimmable……just not the shell. I know my guys would, but I also have a good relationship with them and they tend to work within special circumstances for me when needed.
Certainly possible. I had to text them a picture the day of my appointment to prove the water was clear so that’s been my experience.
 
Thanks for the responses again. I wanted to confirm that the leaks were from the skimmer pipes and not the housing. Pool was at max capacity as it collected rain and snow since it was winterized and plugged. I removed the threaded gizmo plug from the skimmer port line in question and as expected the pool drained about an inch overnight, so I can confirm somewhere between the pump and skimmer there's a leak.

That being said, I'd still like to use Fix-a-Leak to repair the line, but as Lake Placid pointed out it will only work under pressure. I am able to completely detach the pump from the suction lines as it is connected via a union fitting so the pump and filter won't be affected. To make a pressurized closed loop then, I'll purchase a $50 1/4 hp submersible pump, 2 hoses, a 10 gallon bucket and some adapters to connect to the hoses to the union fitting and skimmer port.

So the flow would be from bucket containing Fix-a-Leak, to pump, to skimmer, to union and back into bucket to close the loop.

Can I get a sanity check? If it sounds good, I'd greatly appreciate advice or recommendations on how to connect hoses to adapters and fittings. The submersible pump I plan on purchasing has a 3/4" GHT male thread, so I can probably just attach that to my garden hose. Not sure how to connect the hose to the threaded skimmer port, or from a male union to a small hose line.
 

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Can you help me understand why I shouldn't use fix-a-leak? Digging up my concrete is financially prohibitive at the moment
Are you aware that a leak detection company can likely pinpoint the leak underground with some specialized equipment? Knowing where the leak is and why it occurred would be super valuable for knowing what it’ll cost to repair. It may not be in a place that’s hard to get to.

As for why not to use the stop-a-leak? Have you ever tried the radiator stop-leak products for cars? Most people waste money on those only once for a reason.
 
Are you aware that a leak detection company can likely pinpoint the leak underground with some specialized equipment? Knowing where the leak is and why it occurred would be super valuable for knowing what it’ll cost to repair. It may not be in a place that’s hard to get to.

As for why not to use the stop-a-leak? Have you ever tried the radiator stop-leak products for cars? Most people waste money on those only once for a reason.
Yes, I am aware that a leak detection company can pinpoint and identify the leak. I can't afford that at the moment. All my lines are under concrete except the valves.

And no, I have never tried any radiator stop-leak products for cars. That's why I'm asking. As much as I appreciate the advice, it doesn't answer my questions.
 
Yes, I am aware that a leak detection company can pinpoint and identify the leak. I can't afford that at the moment. All my lines are under concrete except the valves.

And no, I have never tried any radiator stop-leak products for cars. That's why I'm asking. As much as I appreciate the advice, it doesn't answer my questions.
The stop leak stuff just doesn’t work. Snake-oil products. Best advice would be to leave the line plugged in that case until you have the finances to repair it properly.
 
If you use air pressure, you can listen at the ground and hear the bubbles and then dig it up yourself.

It's easier than you think.

Only use a few pounds of pressure like about 2 or 3 psi.

Once you find the leak, just replace the plumbing, it's not that hard.

Note that air pressure can be dangerous if you pressurize things too much like equipment, so don't do anything you are not comfortable doing.
 
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Can you help me understand why I shouldn't use fix-a-leak?
In my opinion, it is a waste of time.

My goal is not to try to tell you what to do, but just to give you enough information to make an informed decision about what will work best for you based on your situation and your priorities.
 
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