Ask the Pool Leak Experts
Do you have a pool leak related question that you need answered? Send an email to the Pool Leak Experts
at PoolLeak.info. We have decades of experience with all types of pools and pool leak problems.
Customer Questions & Answers from the Leak ExpertsQuestion Topic Quick Links - Click individual topics to viewAbove Ground Pool Leaks Above Ground Pool LeaksQuestion:What is the easiest was to detect and repair a leak in an above the ground(24 ft-10,000gallon)pool?There are no pool detection experts in our area and we probably couldn't afford them anyway. Mindy Answer:Mindy:Here's what you need to do. 1. Check around equipment for signs of moisture. 2. Check all exposed plumbing. 3. Use a Dye Tester to check around fittings or any suspect areas to identify water escaping from the pool. 4 Use a dive mask and inspect the entire surface of the liner for holes, cuts or scrapes. This is basically the procedure that any professional would follow. A professional however will have equipment that allows them to do the process more efficiently. Good luck, The Leak Experts Question:Is there a dye or something I can put into my above ground pool that will help me find a slow leak?Thanks Answer:There is really nothing that can be just thrown into the pool that will lead you to a leak. Dye Testers are available but they are intended to check areas that you may already suspect to be leaking. A small amount of dye is carefully squirted within 1/4" of these suspected areas (such as around fittings, etc.) to see if the dye is drawn out of the pool.Swimming pool professionals that specialize in leak detection may have a product called a LeakTrac 2200 that can be used to pinpoint very small leaks in the liner in minutes. To find a professional who may use this equipment poolleak.info. Thanks for your inquiry, we hope you can get your leak fixed. The Leak Experts Question:WE INSTALLED A NEW LINER IN OUR ABOVE GROUND POOL THREE YEARS AGO AND THRU THIS PAST WINTER, ALL THE WATER LEAKED OUT. WE HAVE A HUGE AMOUNT OF STAG BEETLES IN OUR YARD AND WE HAD SUSPECTED THAT IT COULD HAVE BEEN THEM.THE EXTERMINATOR SAID, THAT HE DOESN'T THINK THEY COULD HAVE CAUSED THE LEAK. WE ON THEE OTHER HAND DISAGREE. WHEN WE REMOVED THE LINER, WE FOUND AROUND 100 OF THEM BENEATH IT. THEY HAVE HUGE MANDIBLES. IS IT POSSIBLE THESE BEETLES COULD HAVE DONE THIS? PLEASE HELP! KIM Answer:Kim:I have heard of ants, and termites eating though liners so I suppose it's possible for stag beetles to do the same. I'm not real famiiar with this insect but based on the internet picture I just looked up they sure look nasty! If you still have the liner try holding it up to the sunlight to see if you can see small holes through it. The pattern of these holes may help you determine if the bugs are the problem. When ants and termites are the problem, extermination is the only permanent solution. I would advise putting some kind of insecticide under the liner before a new one is installed just to be sure. Good luck The Leak Experts In Ground Vinyl Pool LeaksQuestion:I am going to give you the long details of our issue….I hope you can advise…We live in New Hampshire and have a 20 X 40 in ground, vinyl liner pool. We believe the pool is about 15 years old, and the previous owner put a new liner in (approx 5-6 years ago). We just installed 2500 sq feet of stamped concrete (yes -- very expensive). During the removal, the old skimmer cracked in three places. We called in a very reputable pool service company (the one who put in the original pool) and they recommended replacing the skimmer versus using epoxy. They dug it out, put the new one in and pressure tested all the lines -- everything was great. By now, the pool was very green and we couldn't see the bottom. We added algae eliminator and the next day shock -- presto -- the pool wasn't clear, but it wasn't green. For the three weeks all the work was happening, we had the pump/filter running 24 / 7 with no problems (not the skimmer until the pool water was at the appropriate level). Sound good so far? When the pool cleared up slightly (still couldn't see the bottom), I started to vacuum. I felt some resistance in a few spots and checked to see what was on the vacuum head -- a PIN!! I immediately stopped. The next morning the pool was even clearer, but we lost 4 inches of water. I repeat -- everything was fine until I vacuumed. Next steps: (1) hired a scuba diver to try to find a leak. He couldn't -- too cloudy, but he pulled up all sorts of concrete debris and jagged parts of the skimmer replacement. Checked the obvious spots at the light, etc., but not the skimmer since we were still losing water and the level was below the skimmer. (2) added 6,000 gallons of water to get the skimmer working again so we could filter better and blind vacuum again -- no luck -- couldn't maintain suction since we lost 4" of water overnight again (3) we turned off the filter Tuesday 6/5 at 6 am -- guess what -- we don't lose water!!! Based on everything I've seen, this points to a leak in the return line. So what next? (1) leak in return line? Why did it start only after I vacuumed? We had been running the pool 24 / 7 with no water loss until then. How big a "hole" could I have if I'm losing 4-5" overnight? Is there something we can do to fix the return line without digging up all the concrete? We have someone coming to pressure test again, but is there anything we can do to prevent the costly repair of digging everything up? (ie., Fixaleak fluid, roto rooter the line -- install a smaller line within the existing? (2) could it be a main drain problem? Wouldn't we still lose water if the filter was off, but valves open? Your thoughts are greatly appreciated. Diane R Answer:Diane:I'm going to start with what we know for sure. 1. Your pool is leaking 2. 5" of water loss equates to about 2500 gallons (20' X 40' X 5" X .62 gallons per 1'x1'x1") . . . so it is a big leak. 3. Fix a leak will probably not work on this size of a leak. Beyond this, speculating on the location of the leak is only that. I can understand your frustration since the observational evidence you provide does not lead to a consistent conclusion. It's very possible that because the pool is so dirty some leaks may be getting plugged up and then re-opening as dirt/algea/etc. are cleaned or sucked out. They only way to truly know what is going on is to have someone come to the pool who is prepared to both pressure test the lines and survey the liner. Because the pool is dirty, I would strongly suggest that you confirm that this person uses a LeakTrac 2200 Vinyl Liner Leak Detector. This unit will allow them to find leaks without having to get in the water and actually see them, and it will find leaks that may be temporarily plugged with debris. They should also have a Listening Device that will allow them to pinpoint undreground plumbing leaks in the pressurized lines. Hopefully, once the problem is identified this same professional will be able to provide repair options that will be least intrusive to your new deck. Unfortunately, if the leak is in a line under the deck this will probably involve cutting an 18" x 18" hole in the concrete to acces the problem. I'm assuming you have already tried searching for a professional on our site poolleak.info. If you have not found someone here please feel free to give me a call at 800-348-1316 for a list of other names. The Leak Experts Plumbing Leaks (Under Deck)Question:HelloWhat is the best way to detect a leak under a concrete deck? Thank you Answer:The lines must be pressure tested. Then a special listening device can be used to pinpoint the sound of air escaping from the leak. This is usually best handled by a professional with experience and the proper equipment. I would suggest using the "Find an Expert" feature on our website poolleak.info.Good luck The Leak Experts EvaporationQuestion:Hello Pool Leak Experts,I am living in Fountain Valley, California. My pool (36 ft x 12 ft) is losing about 3/4 to 1 inch per week. Is this normal water evaporation or a leak? Thanks in advance for your advice, Minh Answer:Minh:This could very well be evaporation. Normal evaporation is difficult to define because there are a number of variables that contribute to the rate at which it happens. The biggest contributors are: Water temperature, wind movement water movement (waterfalls, fountains, etc.) and dewpoint (and indication of the humidity and temperature). Because several of these variables are weather related the evaporation rate can vary greatly from day to day. Windy dry periods can lead to especially high evaporation rates especially if your pool is not sheltered from the wind. A simple way to account for evaporation and confirm a leak is to do a Bucket Test, or for more accurate results to purchase and use a Check-A-Leak System. Hope this helps. The Leak Experts
Spacer |
| ||||
|
A swimming pool leak expert using the latest equipment will be able to find pool leaks in the shell, liner, or plumbing efficiently. Take the next step to fixing your leaking pool by finding a pool leak expert here.
How does an expert find and fix pool leaks? |
| |||
|
| ||||