Good morning all. I have the chemicals all figured out and water is clear. thanks to the TFP testing kit and app, which is a God send. So long story long. Last year we noticed we were losing water. We determined that our skimmer was the culprit. Did the dye test and it doesn’t appear to be leaking anywhere in the skimmer or around. So last yer we contacted the pool company and they said they would put us on the list....and to shut the skimmer off so we did that for all,of last summer. a year later we are still on the waiting list after multiple calls, probably Should I call a plumber. We live in Iowa so slim pickings on any pool authorities. Here is my take mind you I know no nothing and I’m just learning as we have only lived here 3 years. My husbands father was a plumber and apparently those skills aren’t genetic so I’m stuck figuring it out. What I have deduced is that the skimmer must be leaking in the pipe somewhere under the concrete. Because our water maintains right below the skimmer. And skimmer is completely dry Even when I continue to pour water into it It slowly drains. So that’s my skimmer story. Story #2. I have been running the pump 24/7 since opening the pool to clear water. all clear now so I shut the pump off and I was going to try and run it about 6 hours a day. And now it appears it is leaking around what I assume is the blue return valve shutoff. Because the red valve is shut which is the skimmer intake and I believe other red valve is the shutoff to the main drain. story #3 the pressure still read 20 something when pump,is off. Bought a new gauge can I just remove old one or will water squirt everywhere. Final chapter. What is this sand filter, I’m thinking it is original to,the pool which was built in 1971. the Air release valve on the top seem to be broken and if I were ever brave enough to clean the sand how do I go about that. All of our pool equipment is below level of the pool as it sits inside our garage. Thanks for reading and PLEASE any advice would be appreciated. I will include pics for everyone’s enjoyment
What do I do? Skimmer leak? Valve leak? Pressure gauge? Vintage sand filter?
- Thread starter Amyannwilson
- Start date
It looks like there is not any kind of plate sealing the liner around the skimmer. When you say you pour water into the skimmer and it just drains, is that without the skimmer being plugged?
Honestly as far as the valves and plumbing go, I would re-plumb the whole pad with hard pvc pipes and good quality valves. Those hoses are a disaster waiting to happen!
Since the equipment pad is in a garage, is there any drain for water in there? Does the backwash line lead outside? Without a drain or water containment system in place, cleaning the sand is going to be very messy and may flood the garage. If you are able to move the filter out of the garage to clean it? Since it has a side mount multivalve the opening on top of the filter is pretty small and you will need to be very careful pushing the hose into the sand bed during cleaning.
A little water may squirt out while replacing the pressure gauge. Have power to the pool off and set the multiport to closed, unscrew the old pressure gauge and screw in the new one. I am going to ask a couple of our experts to see if they have any advice.
@JamesW @jimmythegreek
Honestly as far as the valves and plumbing go, I would re-plumb the whole pad with hard pvc pipes and good quality valves. Those hoses are a disaster waiting to happen!
Since the equipment pad is in a garage, is there any drain for water in there? Does the backwash line lead outside? Without a drain or water containment system in place, cleaning the sand is going to be very messy and may flood the garage. If you are able to move the filter out of the garage to clean it? Since it has a side mount multivalve the opening on top of the filter is pretty small and you will need to be very careful pushing the hose into the sand bed during cleaning.
A little water may squirt out while replacing the pressure gauge. Have power to the pool off and set the multiport to closed, unscrew the old pressure gauge and screw in the new one. I am going to ask a couple of our experts to see if they have any advice.
@JamesW @jimmythegreek
Someone removed the skimmer faceplate, which will cause a leak.
You need a skimmer faceplate and gasket.
What skimmer do you have?
What part number is on the skimmer basket and skimmer lid?
www.inyopools.com
You need a skimmer faceplate and gasket.
What skimmer do you have?
What part number is on the skimmer basket and skimmer lid?
Hayward SP-1084, 1086 Face Plate/Gaskets Parts - INYOPools.com
Hayward SP-1084, 1086 Face Plate/Gaskets - INYOpools.com has the largest selection of swimming pool and spa replacement parts with over 70,000 parts in stock. Order today and save!
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Sorry. I removed the faceplate and gasket checking for leaks. Just didn’t put it back on before I took picture.
That wall looks like it may have some rust around the skimmer. Is it smooth and flat or does it feel a little bumpy? If that is the level where your pool stops leaking then the skimmer opening is probably the source of the leak.
Sorry I removed the faceplate looking for leaks And all is good there. And yes when I dump water into the skimmer I have no plug. I do have the skimmer valve closed. Should I also plug the skimmer while not in use, I have just had the valve closed and the dry skimmer., does this introduce air into the lines. we do have 2 drains in garage and the backwash runs outside. So you are saying to clean the filter sand we access through the top. thanks for advice on pressure gauge I’m out to do that now.
Yes, you go through the top of the filter. These videos shows how it is done. Since you have a side mount multiport it may look a little different inside, but the basic principal is the same.
UPDATE: Not sure if I should post here or not. But I replaced the pressure gauge with no problems. Pressure now reads consistently between 10 and 15 then I backwash. Still no word from the pool company, so we called a plumber he said that he would change all the plumbing in the garage for $250-500. He said our pump looks good, but the sand filter which is ancient seems to be leaking all around so he advised we get a new filter. My question is can you guys suggest a good filter we are here to stay and don't mind spending money on something that will last. Lastly on the skimmer it doesn't appear the skimmer box leaks anywhere inside or around, so he is going to cautiously remove cement and see if he can find the leak in the pipe underground. my question about this, is if we are tearing up around the skimmer are we best just to replace the skimmer box, and if so how do I figure out what to replace it with. See above pictures. Thanks again and if you think I should make a new post please let me know.