I have a 9 year old 15,000 gal in ground concrete pool in SW Florida, with pavers for the patio surface.
My recent water test showed low on everything- and needed calcium hardness increaser for the first time ever. The guy at pinch a penny asked if there was as leak. I have auto fill and wasnt sure, so I turned it off for the last week, the pool water level probably dropped about 1/2 inch during that time.
I also notice some sinking of the pavers near the skimmer area.
Attached is a photo of the bottom of the skimmer. You can see some paver sand and debris in one of them.
The other odd thing I notice- is that when the VS pump is on maximum speed, the skimmer water level gets really really low, almost like its not refilling fast enough.
So- my theory is that i have a slight leak at the PVC connections near the skimmer tubes. This is causing the water levels to drop slowly and be refilled with untreated water, causing my chemical loss. Then, sand enters in the tube and settles in the tubes when the pump is off.
I am a pretty capable DIY'er , is this something thats best handled by a professional? Or can I just pull up the pavers and remove the sand and base gravel, and look for visual signs of intrusion to the pipes?
Then I was thinking I can use pool putty and wrap the area that shows intrusion. Thoughts or recommendations?
My recent water test showed low on everything- and needed calcium hardness increaser for the first time ever. The guy at pinch a penny asked if there was as leak. I have auto fill and wasnt sure, so I turned it off for the last week, the pool water level probably dropped about 1/2 inch during that time.
I also notice some sinking of the pavers near the skimmer area.
Attached is a photo of the bottom of the skimmer. You can see some paver sand and debris in one of them.
The other odd thing I notice- is that when the VS pump is on maximum speed, the skimmer water level gets really really low, almost like its not refilling fast enough.
So- my theory is that i have a slight leak at the PVC connections near the skimmer tubes. This is causing the water levels to drop slowly and be refilled with untreated water, causing my chemical loss. Then, sand enters in the tube and settles in the tubes when the pump is off.
I am a pretty capable DIY'er , is this something thats best handled by a professional? Or can I just pull up the pavers and remove the sand and base gravel, and look for visual signs of intrusion to the pipes?
Then I was thinking I can use pool putty and wrap the area that shows intrusion. Thoughts or recommendations?
