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#1
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Swimming Pool Losing Water
I have a lined in-ground swimming pool - 20 x 40 - holding 28,000
gallons of water. In the last week it has started losing water - maybe an inch a day. We have been having dry weather - but this is the first time in a year that I have had to add make up water. We are in Tallahassee Florida. The liner looks like it is in very good shape. What are some good ways to find where the leak is? Harry PS - What is a swimming pool? A big hole in the ground where you throw money away. |
#2
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There are many sites that explain how to find a leak.
Leak could be in pipes or in liner. If you are loosing water if pump is OFF, that most likely would mean in liner. If it is in pipes, you are not likely to find a leak yourself. I just had a leak in liner about a month ago. Took me 3 days to find. Every day I spent 10-15 minutes looking for leak. I had a food coloring diluted with water and I would drop few drops in water and check if color is sucked in the wall. You have to make sure that drops would come very close to suspected place. Later I would just squirt some colored water under water near suspected places. You should very carefull check: 1. Around and in underwater light fixtures (that was my problem). Test 3-4 times there. 2. Around skimmer. 4. Where liner changes direction and is more streched. Good luck With a bit of luck you can find a leak in liner "Harry" wrote in message ... I have a lined in-ground swimming pool - 20 x 40 - holding 28,000 gallons of water. In the last week it has started losing water - maybe an inch a day. We have been having dry weather - but this is the first time in a year that I have had to add make up water. We are in Tallahassee Florida. The liner looks like it is in very good shape. What are some good ways to find where the leak is? Harry PS - What is a swimming pool? A big hole in the ground where you throw money away. |
#3
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"Harry" wrote in message ... I have a lined in-ground swimming pool - 20 x 40 - holding 28,000 gallons of water. In the last week it has started losing water - maybe an inch a day. We have been having dry weather - but this is the first time in a year that I have had to add make up water. We are in Tallahassee Florida. The liner looks like it is in very good shape. What are some good ways to find where the leak is? Harry In ground pool with a liner???? Do you mean plaster? Lower the water level below the skimmer in the wall. Place a mark or suspend something over the side to accurately measure the level. Check level twice a day. I had an ingrown pool, concrete and plaster. The 'Black Bottomed' skimmer developed a leak. It cost me almost a grand to have it replaced. Ya the hole in the water where all the money goes.... |
#4
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Also, if is a sand bottom look or feel for depressions in the liner
"abc" wrote in message ... There are many sites that explain how to find a leak. Leak could be in pipes or in liner. If you are loosing water if pump is OFF, that most likely would mean in liner. If it is in pipes, you are not likely to find a leak yourself. I just had a leak in liner about a month ago. Took me 3 days to find. Every day I spent 10-15 minutes looking for leak. I had a food coloring diluted with water and I would drop few drops in water and check if color is sucked in the wall. You have to make sure that drops would come very close to suspected place. Later I would just squirt some colored water under water near suspected places. You should very carefull check: 1. Around and in underwater light fixtures (that was my problem). Test 3-4 times there. 2. Around skimmer. 4. Where liner changes direction and is more streched. Good luck With a bit of luck you can find a leak in liner "Harry" wrote in message ... I have a lined in-ground swimming pool - 20 x 40 - holding 28,000 gallons of water. In the last week it has started losing water - maybe an inch a day. We have been having dry weather - but this is the first time in a year that I have had to add make up water. We are in Tallahassee Florida. The liner looks like it is in very good shape. What are some good ways to find where the leak is? Harry PS - What is a swimming pool? A big hole in the ground where you throw money away. |
#5
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"SQLit" wrote in message ... "Harry" wrote in message ... I have a lined in-ground swimming pool - 20 x 40 - holding 28,000 gallons of water. In the last week it has started losing water - maybe an inch a day. We have been having dry weather - but this is the first time in a year that I have had to add make up water. We are in Tallahassee Florida. The liner looks like it is in very good shape. What are some good ways to find where the leak is? Harry In ground pool with a liner???? Do you mean plaster? NO! He means a in-ground pool with a liner. Duh! If you have no knowledge of these, you shouldn't be giving advice. Lower the water level below the skimmer in the wall. Place a mark or suspend something over the side to accurately measure the level. Check level twice a day. I had an ingrown pool, concrete and plaster. The 'Black Bottomed' skimmer developed a leak. It cost me almost a grand to have it replaced. Ya the hole in the water where all the money goes.... |
#6
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Harry,,
An inch a day may mean you do have a leak, but I have been fooled by my pool losing about half an inch a day. I thought sure it must be leaking, but it wasn't. Some days, due to humidity variations, it will lose more water than others. I also had a problem with my filter selector handle not seating properly, and leaking slowly but constantly out the backwash pipe. Good luck! |
#7
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I'm in Tampa Bay area. My pool was refinished two summers ago - Diamond
Brite finish - so I am reasonably sure it's not leaking. But .... it sure did go down fast this past week. I am keeping an eye on it but really do think it's just evaporating. We haven't had any rain in over two weeks. That system that has Ophelia stalled over NC has kept us from getting any rain. Think at this point, I would just keep an eye on your pool and add just enough water to be sure the pump stays working. If mine gets too low, it(the pump) makes a noise. |
#8
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On Thu, 15 Sep 2005 11:39:56 -0400, Harry wrote:
I have a lined in-ground swimming pool - 20 x 40 - holding 28,000 gallons of water. In the last week it has started losing water - maybe an inch a day. We have been having dry weather - but this is the first time in a year that I have had to add make up water. An inch is a little over 500 gallons, so that gives you an idea of the size of the puddle you're looking for. We are in Tallahassee Florida. The liner looks like it is in very good shape. What are some good ways to find where the leak is? A leak this size should be fairly easy to find in the liner. Put a mask on and swim around. If it's in the bottom you'll likely find debris collecting around the leak. If it's in the wall it shouldn't be too hard to see either. My bet is that you have a leak in a pipe though. Plug the vairous pipes and remove the bug screencover on the pump (to break any siphon). Then mark the water level on the skimmer cover with a pencil. Wait; measure. Open the lines, one at a time (or do a binary search ;-) to see which one is leaking. -- Keith Harry PS - What is a swimming pool? A big hole in the ground where you throw money away. |
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