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Pool Leak Repair
Despite the hype, most swimming pool leaks are found and repaired with five simple tools.
First, make certain that you have a leak. Check your evaporation rate by placing a pail on your deck, add water and mark the level. A loss of 1 inch in the pail over a weeks time explains a 1 inch loss in the pool over the same period.
Does your pool lose more water with the pump running?
With the pump running its normal cycle, measure your loss for a 24 hour period. Now, turn the pump off at the breaker and wait another 24 hours. If the loss is about the same, you have a static leak, usually something simple inside the pool. If the loss is noticeably (2 or 3 times) more, you have a pressure leak, something in the plumbing and a little more interesting to look for.
Where does the water go? In Florida, water flows straight back down to the water table.
How big is a leak? One pencil sized opening can easily lose 2 inches a day.
Most pool leaks can be found and repaired with 5 simple tools;
- a hand mirror
- a tester bottle filled with red food coloring
- a small wire or stiff tooth brush
- a set of 2- part epoxy tubes
- a little patience.
Click on the photo to find a leak under this return jet.
Note: All 468 color photos on the Pool School PRO CD are enlargable.
If you know the 'stop- level' of the leak (where it stops leaking), you already know the elevation of the problem and any fixtures at that level (skimmer, return and lights) become suspect.
Leaks generally occur where two different materials meet. This includes where the skimmer meets the vinyl, tile, grout or marcite of the pool surface. The next most common site is beneath the vacuum and return wall fittings in concrete pools and seams in vinyl liner pools.
Place a drop of the dye near a suspected leak site.When the dye reveals water flowing through the pool wall, you've found your problem.
Two- part pool putty (available any pool or on-line pool supply store) is the basic cement pool leak repair material. Every repairperson who's ever tackled their second pool leak carries it.
We buy pool putty by the case. Mix two equal marble- sized parts to a consistant color and apply to the leak site. You have about 20 minutes to work with putty before it begins to set. And the amazing thing: 2- part works underwater!
When you find a leak at a return fitting, remember that all fittings were installed by the same plumber, on the same day, under the same conditions. It's very common to find more than one leak.
Vinyl and Fiberglass pools rely on a marine sealant like 3M-5200 (available most hardware, home supply or any marina or marine supply) to stop leaks around skimmers and return fittings, although 2-part putty will hold them until it's convenient to partially drain the pool.
A skimmer is the weakest element in any pool. The stop level in this pool was the bottom of the skimmer and a quick check revealed the crack visible here.
Swimming Pool Leak Repair fills over 92 pages of text with 85 photos and drawings in both the Pool School PRO CD and Pool School Leak Repair Manual.
