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how can I find out where the pool is leaking from? There are no signs ter is evaporating too?

water level evaporating too fast, no other signs

4 Answers

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  • 1 decade ago
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    Short of calling in a pool pro, there's a few simple things a pool owner can do to find out if there is indeed a leak and if so, whether it's in the underground plumbing or in the pool itself. You don't mention if this is a vinyl in ground or a concrete (it would help).

    Do what's called a bucket test. Shut down the system , plug off all returns and skimmer. Place a weight (round and smooth preferably) into a bucket. Place this bucket in the water on your steps. Fill the bucket with water to the point where the level of the water in the bucket is equal to the level in the pool, when looking or measuring from the side. Leave it for 24 hours. If after 24 hours, the level has remained equal in both bucket and pool, there is no leak in thepool itself. There may still be one in the plumbing and it could still be evaporation, but at least we've ruled out one possibility very inexpensively with little time and work invested. Don't be surprised by your pool losing 1/2 to 1 inch per week. That can be normal evaporation depending on the difference in temps between air and pool water and if you use a solar cover or not.

    If the level of the pool has dropped below that in the bucket, you have a pool side leak. Time to go on a hunt. If this is a concrete pool, almost 99% of the time it will be a malfunctioning hydrostatic valve in the main drain. You CAN fix this yourself, but it'll require multiple dives and you'll need to be weighted down to be able to turn screws and a wrench. You're better off hiring a diver at about 100 bucks to do it. It's that or drain the pool to do it. It's cheaper to hire the diver.

    If this is a vinyl pool, there's a leak in the liner. One dead giveaway is that the liner feels "squishy" or is floating a bit, off the bottom.It's hole hunt time. Turn off the filter pump for this. If you have kids, start in the deep end. About 90% of the holes I dive to find are caused by kids using the wrong end of a vac pole to retreive something off the bottom. The water refraction throws off their aim and they miss their target and strike the bottom with the sharp end of the pole. It looks like a little smiley face. If you find anything suspicious, use either food colouring or an old bottle of phenol red (Ph reagent) and squirt a little near the spot. If it get's drawn in, bingo.( This is why you turned off the filter pump, to avoid confusing currents.)

    If you still haven't found anything, look around the stair stripping and under ladder bumpers. Additionally, I've seen over filled pools syphon off via the conduit for the pool light, if the water level got high enough to begin a syphon. It's usually the cause of leaks that mysteriously stop and never restart anytime soon.

    Don't give up, it'll be in there somewhere. Some bottom patterns make it hard to see. Scour the bottom and walls. Check around face plates.

    The bucket test can be done rain or shine. The bucket will fill at the same rate as the pool and will also evaporate at the same rate, the reason why this simple test is so accurate.

    If you still are losing water, after restarting everything, there's a leak in the plumbing. Unless you spot something obvious, like greener grass in an area, dampness or some soil settling, it's time to call in a pool pro. We can usually find a leak under 6 inches of concrete and 4 feet down, within 6 inches or so and do it in under half an hour. The average pool owner would be lost.

    Source(s): pool service technician / builder
  • 1 decade ago

    i had the same problem with my liner. The best way i found my leak was to search all around the pool for any possible holes. When i found a hole i took a bottle of food coloring underwater and squirt just a little near the hole. If there is a leak the coloring will be sucked out the hole. Most leaks will be found in the seams and corners of the liner. good luck

  • Anonymous
    1 decade ago

    Quit drinking the pool water.

  • 1 decade ago

    Are there any bubbles coming from anywhere, or try the washing up liquid it always works.

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