OT: swimming pool forums?
- Thread starter Im Lon 2
- Start date
Im Lon 2
Premium Member
Over the last year we have been trying to find a leak in our pool. The pool is a inground 24’ hexagon pool (guessing 14,000 gallons). We were loosing about an 1†a night.. Not bad but a huge pain to keep up with. If the pump is running we hardly loose any water, but when the pump is off that is when we loose the water. If we cap the return lines in the pool.. We don’t loose any water at all. So I’m guessing it is a PVC fitting that is leaking on the pool side of the fitting.. We have dug up the lines on one side of the pool and cannot find any leeks. The other side is concreted and we cannot dig up
So my question is there anything you can put into the lines to stop leaks?
I can get the lines cleared by capping off all the lines and putting a check valve on one outlet to keep the water out of the lines..
And I also would like to find out a good pump size.. the one I have now does not have GPH but RPS I don't remember how many RPS but I was thinking it was around 3500. I will find out and let you know..
So my question is there anything you can put into the lines to stop leaks?
I can get the lines cleared by capping off all the lines and putting a check valve on one outlet to keep the water out of the lines..
And I also would like to find out a good pump size.. the one I have now does not have GPH but RPS I don't remember how many RPS but I was thinking it was around 3500. I will find out and let you know..
MayoBoy
Movin' on Up
Usually, when the pool only leaks when it's not running, that points to a pressure side leak (but not always). There are a couple of ways to isolate it:
1) Plug a different return every night and see if that isolates the leak.
2) Turn the pool off and slowly pour some dye in and see if it moves towards the return.
If it's a liner pool, you can remove most of the fitting and replace it and see if that fixes the problem. If it doesn't or it's a plastered pool take the return apart and see if there's a crack. If it can't be replaced, use A-B epoxy to try and repair it. If worse comes to worse, just plug that return fitting off.
As far as the pump, the RPS (Rotation per Second?) won't tell you anything. Size your pump to your filter. Let me know what size and type filter you have and I'll tell you what size pump you need. Most likely, for that size pool, it will be a 3/4HP pump that will be throttled down a bit. (Pool pumps run best and are quieter when throttled down. ) You don't want to go with too big a pump because you'll just be blowing the water and dirt right through the media.
2)
1) Plug a different return every night and see if that isolates the leak.
2) Turn the pool off and slowly pour some dye in and see if it moves towards the return.
If it's a liner pool, you can remove most of the fitting and replace it and see if that fixes the problem. If it doesn't or it's a plastered pool take the return apart and see if there's a crack. If it can't be replaced, use A-B epoxy to try and repair it. If worse comes to worse, just plug that return fitting off.
As far as the pump, the RPS (Rotation per Second?) won't tell you anything. Size your pump to your filter. Let me know what size and type filter you have and I'll tell you what size pump you need. Most likely, for that size pool, it will be a 3/4HP pump that will be throttled down a bit. (Pool pumps run best and are quieter when throttled down. ) You don't want to go with too big a pump because you'll just be blowing the water and dirt right through the media.
2)
Im Lon 2
Premium Member
We have tried plugging just one of the returns, and it still leaks. even if we plug all but one and switch that around. We were guessing that the water just filled up all the lines even if we capped one, two or three off (4 returns).
I will have to look at the fittings coming into the pool a little closer, I'm not sure how that works and that could be the problem to.
And yes It is a liner pool.
Okay I have one more question.. We just open the pool Monday, and it is still very milky (blueish) and hard to see the bottom. What is the best chemicals to use..
I do have to be honest we have never messed with the any of the test, because normally once the pool is open it stays crystal clear.
For the last couple of years we have started to use Store bought Bleach and it has done the trick and kept plenty of chlorine tab's in the skimmer box. What is your thought on that?
I will have to look at the fittings coming into the pool a little closer, I'm not sure how that works and that could be the problem to.
And yes It is a liner pool.
Okay I have one more question.. We just open the pool Monday, and it is still very milky (blueish) and hard to see the bottom. What is the best chemicals to use..
I do have to be honest we have never messed with the any of the test, because normally once the pool is open it stays crystal clear.
For the last couple of years we have started to use Store bought Bleach and it has done the trick and kept plenty of chlorine tab's in the skimmer box. What is your thought on that?
MayoBoy
Movin' on Up
If that's the case, then the leak is most likely behind the panel - either where the pipe hits the fitting or in the pipe itself.
Here's some stuff http://www.spacare.com/browseproducts/Fix-A-Leak-1-Qt..HTML but I can't vouch for it one way or the other.
If the pool's milky, it's a bacteria bloom - shock it. I'm not sure about the bleach/tab question but if it's working for you, why change? Have you ever tested the chlorine ppm?
Here's some stuff http://www.spacare.com/browseproducts/Fix-A-Leak-1-Qt..HTML but I can't vouch for it one way or the other.
If the pool's milky, it's a bacteria bloom - shock it. I'm not sure about the bleach/tab question but if it's working for you, why change? Have you ever tested the chlorine ppm?
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