Skimmer leak? Pricey problem and need some advice

[gkvarga]

So this is my first post as I am looking for some advice on how to deal with what I believe will now be a major repair.

So I have had air leaking into the pool pump ever since we purchased the house 3 years ago. Not knowing anything about pools, I've had to familiarize myself with air leaks, why they occur, and how to get rid of them. While the pool pump air has been relatively intermittent since owning the pool, it seems this year it is progressively getting more pronounced. Perhaps using a kreepy krauly suction side cleaner all this time has finally opened up leak to something bigger.

I've been able to isolate an air leak in the suction line, by doing a pressure test and sure enough it wont hold. I've dug up the piping and elbows beside the pump, filled the hole with water to test if air disappears from the pump but it did not. As a final resort I've tried fix-a-leak liquid sealant but it did not hold. Fix-a-leak worked will when circulated it through a closed look system on the suction pipes, and held 30psi for 48 hours, but once the pump was turned on and pressure turned to vacuum, the seal was lost.

I now truly believe the leak is below the skimmer. All signs point to it and most evidently is the collapsing concrete pad around the skimmer and the concrete drop by expansion joint. (see picture)

So my question is, is it safe to try and dig below the concrete pad (which I can, see interlocking brick to the right) and find the leak, fix, and then try to compact the soil back in or do I need to get a pro in to break up the concrete, remove the skimmer, install a new skimmer while in turn fixing all connections to the suction side lines from the skimmer. A new concrete pad and skimmer will be pricey and labour intensive but my fear is that digging below the pad will only cause it to sink more over time.

Sorry for the lengthy post, but there's a lot of troubleshooting behind this post to finally nail it down to a skimmer problem. Never knew how much fun pool ownership could be.

Thanks

Karl.

 

[1Sammy]

That crack don't look to bad and seems not to be offset. I would rent a saw and cut that pad away removing all around the crack. If you are careful when next to the skimmer and cut away small pieces you may be able to get the cement away from it and not break it. No need to remove the skimmer from the pool wall unless you break it or it is already broken. The 90 at the bottom of the skimmer is the likely problem and if you dig away enough dirt you can get in under it, remove and re attach the pipe with a coupler.
If you turned your suction line into a pressure line and stopped the leak, then put it back to a suction line then you will have no issues doing this yourself. Just takes time.
Once fixed back fill and water the dirt in as you go. Leave it as long as possible before adding cement so it settles. I would wait to cement just before the snow flies. On the edges of the cement where you cut drill in some Tap Cons every foot or so and leave then half way out. That will keep your new cement from moving. It may open but it will not offset and when it opens get caulking in there so the water stays out and the frost don't bust it apart.

 

[gkvarga]

Thanks for the reply and feedback Sammy. I have a leak detection company trying to find the leak now. We were able to dig underneath the deck and expose the skimmer. Bone dry!! Where I could have bet the leak was at the skimmer, it is not. Totally confused now.

 

[1Sammy]

Keep us updated, good luck.

 

[duraleigh]

This thread is typical of suction side leaks. Most everyone assumes it is underground because it is hard to find. The truth is it CAN be underground but almost NEVER is.

That said, your "bone dry" comment is worth thinking about. It is very possible to have a suction side leak but not have any water running out so "bone dry" does not eliminate that as the source.

Before you cover anything up, be sure you check all those connections very carefully. That FLEX pipe is a source of trouble and I would make sure that (pump running) you are not sucking in any air.

 

[gkvarga]

.....and this is what happens when your landscaping company drives a lawn-edging spike through your suction side line. We purchased this house knowing that the patio stones were not laid properly as many of them have sunk...it should be no surprise then this would also be the result of shoddy landscaping work.

Thanks everyone for your input.

 

[1Sammy]

wow. will your test was correct when you said it was underground lol.. good catch.

 

[Pool_Medic]

Yup, it happens, I’ve had pools leak because raised decks were placed on those big decks screws. Yup, clear through a pvc line. At the bottom of your skimmer, did I see hose clamps on that poly pipe?

 

[gkvarga]

Hi Pool_Medic. Yes there were hose clamps on the poly pipe and they seemed in good condition. Was a bit bummed actually to find everything was good there, which just meant spending the entire day troubleshooting and hunting for this lawn spike.

Thought it good to post this find so perhaps on day, maybe, someone else reads this and takes into consideration that maybe it is something as silly as a nail driven into a poly pipe. Something as careless as this ultimately turned into a $1100 bill.

Cheers.