Greetings From Vegas - LEAKS!

[QiingGuy]

This is the only place forum will allow me to post so mods feel free to move to appropriate area if necessary.

Were due to start construction on IG pool this past March but some medical bills have pushed it to November. Couldn't do my third summer here without something cool to jump into so I bought an Intex 16 x 48 from a guy on Craigslist. Said it was in great shape, only used a few months, no leaks. Well guess what, I get about 3 inches of water in and notice the bottom of the pool is moist.

I stop filling it and look for the leak and cannot find it. In the mean time very small pools of water are appearing on the tarp around the pool (picture below shows the largest, their are maybe three others and they are 6 inches round, however, the entire bottom of the pool liner and tarp are moist.

After crawling on my hands and knees and going over every inch of the bottom of the pool and corners I cannot find the leak. Even used red dye to see if I could figure out where the leak is but no luck.

Last night just for kicks I put another foot or so of water in it and this morning same amount of water around the pool, I was expecting more.

So here are my questions, 1) Any tips on finding this leak? 2) Since this is temporary, would it hurt to leave it as is and use it?

Thanks in advance!

http://i217.photobucket.com/albums/cc317/lerobinett/Misc/20140614_183644.jpg (http://s217.photobucket.com/user/lerobinett/media/Misc/20140614_183644.jpg.html)

[CarlD]

Funny. The water is not actually touching the pool where I can see it. Using the dye is tricky. You MUST turn off the filter and let the water get very still, then add the dye where you think it's leaking. The dye should, after it dissipates a little, if the water stays still, should clump near or at the leak(s). Then you can patch it with vinyl patching and Boxer Glue (the best underwater glue for vinyl).

Something else may be the cause, but that's why used small AG pools are a bad bet. They leak and people on eBay HAVE been known to lie.

[QiingGuy]

Yea, did the dye thing when there was about 3" of water in there and couldn't see a leak.

I know what you mean about buying used, however, this guy seemed like a stand-up guy, former military, good job with good company here, don't think he'd compromise his integrity for $300. That said, it has a leak.

[QiingGuy]

Anyone have any thoughts here? If I need to take it down I don't want to let it sit too long and let the water get yucky ;)

[Watermom]

Can't really give you advice on this one. But...... you can pour a little bleach in there (maybe a cup) and stir it around with a clean broom or something to keep the pool from turning green while you figure out what you need to do. If it sits for a couple of days, add a little bleach each day.

[QiingGuy]

Thanks @watermom It's been up a couple of days and the bottom is still wet and the little puddles are still there. The one thing I've got going for me is I live in Vegas so the water evaporates pretty quickly. Other thought is if we use it maybe the leak will get bigger and we can actually see where it is . . .

[PoolDoc]

+ I think if you slid towels under the edge of the pool, they might absorb enough water to allow you to localize the leak. That is, the towel near the leak OR near the path the leak follows on its way out from under the pool will be the one wet.

+ Regarding buying used -- you and your seller were much more likely to puncture the liner during the take-down, transport, and set-up process, than during use. He might have punctured it unknowingly, or you might have done so.

+ As W-M suggested, don't let it get slimed. It's hard to clean up algae in any pool, but it's nearly impossible to do so in an Intex, due to the small filter. You can KILL it, no problem. But getting out all the particles that cloud your pool is very difficult.

+ . . . membership updated.

[QiingGuy]

Thought I'd update the thread; leak is gone! About a week after setup it just stopped leaking. Not complaining but how is this possible?

[PoolDoc]

It happens.

Unfortunately, liner leaks that disappear are often a matter of the hole filling with debris . . . which lasts till the debris is dislodged.

But it's not worth worrying about -- you can't look for a leak that's not currently leaking.

Good luck.