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View Full Version : Very slow leak...should I bother finding/fixing?



JimK
05-24-2014, 10:17 AM
The past couple winters I noticed the water level dropped about 4 inches over the 7 months it's been closed for the winter (I use a solid cover, btw). I'm not sure if the water level stopped at the leak location of if would have continued to leak if I left the pool covered/closed longer.

During the summer I don't notice any unusual water loss.

Since I'm only losing about 1/2 inch per month, is it even worth persuing finding and repairing the leak at this point? Or should I take a wait and see approach and address it if it gets worse?

Themadczar
05-26-2014, 10:25 AM
Sorry nobody has replied yet... I really can't offer any solid advice here since I have not experienced this. How old is your liner? If it were my pool, and I was within a few years of replacing the liner, I would just keep an eye on it and wait it out. Otherwise I would probably do some investigating over the course of this season and hope to find the leak (or at least a suspicion of where it is). Hopefully someone else here can provide a better answer.

JimK
05-26-2014, 10:31 AM
Sorry nobody has replied yet... I really can't offer any solid advice here since I have not experienced this. How old is your liner? If it were my pool, and I was within a few years of replacing the liner, I would just keep an eye on it and wait it out. Otherwise I would probably do some investigating over the course of this season and hope to find the leak (or at least a suspicion of where it is). Hopefully someone else here can provide a better answer.

Thanks for the response. :)

The liner is 10 years old. Other than some fading, it appears to be in very good condition.

I'm inclined to take a wait and see approach unless someone here offers a good reason why I should address it now. :)

waste
05-27-2014, 02:37 PM
Sorry for the delay! (my computer is acting up this week :( )

I don't think you have a leak :)

Your solid cover will accumulate water/ snow/ ice over the winter and displace pool water. Add to that the fact that water expands when it freezes and it's reasonable to expect a 4" loss in the spring. Also - if you have a hole in the solid cover, you'll be draining the pool when you pump the water off of the cover.

Enjoy your pool!

JimK
05-27-2014, 03:24 PM
Sorry for the delay! (my computer is acting up this week :( )

I don't think you have a leak :)

Your solid cover will accumulate water/ snow/ ice over the winter and displace pool water. Add to that the fact that water expands when it freezes and it's reasonable to expect a 4" loss in the spring. Also - if you have a hole in the solid cover, you'll be draining the pool when you pump the water off of the cover.

Enjoy your pool!

Thanks for the reply. :)

Yes, the first time it happened that's what I was thinking, especially since during the summer I didn't notice anything unusual. But when it happened again this past winter, and the loss was almost exactly the same, it got me wondering if I have a slow leak.

When I was cleaning the cover this time, I did find one hole, but it was near the edge and would have been above the water level.

Maybe when I have some free time I might check and see if I can locate a leak. That said, when I do have free time I'm usually in the pool enjoying it rather than chasing mystery problems...:D

Do you have any ideas I might try next time I close the pool that might help solve this mystery?

waste
05-29-2014, 06:20 PM
First thing that comes to mind id keeping water off the solid cover for as long as you can(before it freezes). This might help and is worth a try

JimK
05-29-2014, 06:54 PM
First thing that comes to mind id keeping water off the solid cover for as long as you can(before it freezes). This might help and is worth a try

That I do. For reference, the pool rarely freezes here in SE coastal VA. ;)