Pool Leak Driving My Dad Insane

[swimspaguyy11]

Hi, my dad has been trying to find a leak in his inground vinyl liner pool for what feels like years now. Last year I helped him buy a brand new liner, because we thought the liner was the issue. Well sure enough the leaking continued. The company that installed the liner was sure they would fix the issue with the new liner sso they paid for a scuba diver to come and find the leak. The scuba diver believed it was leaking from the under water light and said he fixed it. it continued to leak.

Over the winter, my dad says that the water dropped below the skimmers and stopped dropping. The light and the return jets are below the skimmers.

He says that the water level drops much faster when the pump is off. He said it barely drops when the pump is running. With the pump off, he said it will drop several inches over night. Does thiss make it more likely its the skimmer plumbing? I was thinking if there is suction on the line, its less likely for the water to leak out a crack?

The thing is, last night we plugged both skimmers and it still leaked about an inch. We are at wits end! We did notice there is a crack at the bottom of the skimmer around the exit hole, same thing as i have on my pool, but the scuba diver didnt detect any leak from the skimmer and its not showing a leak with the dye.

Thanks

 

[reggiehammond]

I'd consider hiring a professional service like ALD - Leak Detection Services.
It'll cost a bit but they'll find issue and you can be done with it.

 

[1poolman1]

Hi, my dad has been trying to find a leak in his inground vinyl liner pool for what feels like years now. Last year I helped him buy a brand new liner, because we thought the liner was the issue. Well sure enough the leaking continued. The company that installed the liner was sure they would fix the issue with the new liner sso they paid for a scuba diver to come and find the leak. The scuba diver believed it was leaking from the under water light and said he fixed it. it continued to leak.

Over the winter, my dad says that the water dropped below the skimmers and stopped dropping. The light and the return jets are below the skimmers.

He says that the water level drops much faster when the pump is off. He said it barely drops when the pump is running. With the pump off, he said it will drop several inches over night. Does thiss make it more likely its the skimmer plumbing? I was thinking if there is suction on the line, its less likely for the water to leak out a crack?

The thing is, last night we plugged both skimmers and it still leaked about an inch. We are at wits end! We did notice there is a crack at the bottom of the skimmer around the exit hole, same thing as i have on my pool, but the scuba diver didnt detect any leak from the skimmer and its not showing a leak with the dye.

Thanks

Do you have a main drain? It could be leaking from that line. With the pump running there is negative pressure in the suction line and the leak will be minimal. That's the first real clue to which part of the circulation system the leak can be found. If possible, put a plug in the main drain at the bottom of the pool. If there is a valve that controls suction between skimmer and main drain, close that as well. That will isolate that line from the rest of the pool.

 

[swimspaguyy11]

Even though they said they didnt see any dye leaking, i think this has to be the leak. The leak is caused by the skimmers, but still leaks when they are plugged. The concrete slab that holds this skimmer settled into the ground and i think basically pushed the pipe through the bottom of the skimmer. I am going to repeat the dye test myself to make sure they didnt make a mistake.

Couple of questions:

1) Would a leak here still be helped by the pump running? I would assume yes because there is going to be strong suction here.
2) What is the best thing to use to seal this? I was thinking maybe JB Weld epoxy stick?

 

[Hootz]

Dye testing is not as easy as it would seem. You know that the leak is somewhere above the bottom of the skimmer. That skimmer crack needs attention regardless. Pool putty is a two part epoxy that will cure completely under water.

Atlas | Epoxybond Pool Repair

www.atlasmin.com

 

[swimspaguyy11]

Dye testing is not as easy as it would seem. You know that the leak is somewhere above the bottom of the skimmer. That skimmer crack needs attention regardless. Pool putty is a two part epoxy that will cure completely under water.

Atlas | Epoxybond Pool Repair

www.atlasmin.com

Thank you, would it be helpful at all to wait until the water drops below the skimmer again and vacuum out the skimmer and apply the putty in a dry environment, or would that be pointless?

I forgot to mention also, the pipes did not lose any water when they were plugged. the water level didnt drop at all in the pump bucket (which is highest point in the system). I feel fairly confident this crack is the leak.

Thanks

 

[Hootz]

It would make the patch job slightly easier if it were dry, but the putty works very well wet also. Your call.

 

[wireform]

Amazon.com

Amazon.com

 

[1poolman1]

Thank you, would it be helpful at all to wait until the water drops below the skimmer again and vacuum out the skimmer and apply the putty in a dry environment, or would that be pointless?

I forgot to mention also, the pipes did not lose any water when they were plugged. the water level didnt drop at all in the pump bucket (which is highest point in the system). I feel fairly confident this crack is the leak.

Thanks

If you let the water drop, use Plast-Aid, a more permanent repair.

 

[swimspaguyy11]

Looks like its NOT the crack!!!

The water dropped overnight with the pump off to the exact bottom of the skimmer (like 4 inches) but there is still water in the skimmer! If the crack was the issue (or the skimmer plumbing) wouldnt the skimmer be empty?

I dont get it.

 

[BDY]

If it stopped at a certain level then that level is where the leak is … are there any other cracks in skimmer or any other fittings at that level?

 

[gazerbeam]

Hi, my dad has been trying to find a leak in his inground vinyl liner pool for what feels like years now. Last year I helped him buy a brand new liner, because we thought the liner was the issue. Well sure enough the leaking continued. The company that installed the liner was sure they would fix the issue with the new liner sso they paid for a scuba diver to come and find the leak. The scuba diver believed it was leaking from the under water light and said he fixed it. it continued to leak.

Over the winter, my dad says that the water dropped below the skimmers and stopped dropping. The light and the return jets are below the skimmers.

He says that the water level drops much faster when the pump is off. He said it barely drops when the pump is running. With the pump off, he said it will drop several inches over night. Does thiss make it more likely its the skimmer plumbing? I was thinking if there is suction on the line, its less likely for the water to leak out a crack?

The thing is, last night we plugged both skimmers and it still leaked about an inch. We are at wits end! We did notice there is a crack at the bottom of the skimmer around the exit hole, same thing as i have on my pool, but the scuba diver didnt detect any leak from the skimmer and its not showing a leak with the dye.

Thanks

Funny I just went through this. I was losing several hundred gallons per day. Used a syringe and food coloring and discovered a leak at a prior repair that had failed. It was in the skimmer, pretty much in the same area you described. Got some A&B epoxy from my pool store and the problem is gone. I pull the basket so you could see the repair. (It was suppose to cure white. IDK why it's pink.) This was an underwater repair as well. No need to drain anything. If you use A&B let it warm up first so it's easier to mix.