Checking for a leak

Last year, I was losing water pretty rapidly in my pool. I want to have it checked and fixed this spring. Any suggestions? I Googled pool leaks and there are some "miracle" products that are for sale that say all you do is pour it in with the pump off and it finds and plugs the leak. Looking forward to my first full summer of bleach and more $$$ in my pocket! Bye-bye Baquacil! Too bad all of the data was lost. I posted pics of my conversion for others to see. If I still have them I will post them agian in the Baquacil thread.

What kind of a pool is it? Also, do you have any idea where the leak is? In the plumbing, shell/liner, etc. I can't imaging any 'miracle goo' that would be able to plug any kind of a leak considering the dilution it would go thru while finding its way to the leak. Best thing is to find it and fix it permanently. Depending on your answers to the above questions there are lots of ways and tricks to finding and repairing leaks.
Al

Al, sorry for the info I left out. I have an 18 x 36 IG pool with a liner. I have no idea what or where it is leaking. I was skeptical of the miracle product to fix it. I want to go ahead and get it fixed when I open the pool and before we start swimming. Thanks!

I chased a leak last Spring in mine that took a couple weeks of fussing and experimenting to find. There were 3 tiny slits in the deep end where the liner made the transition from bottom to wall. No idea how they got there. Was losing about 50 GPH (yes...50 gal per hour). Wound up using dye. Rigged a thin piece of auto vacuum hose to the end of a 10' PVC pipe and hooked the hose to a garden sprayer loaded with red dye. Started along the seams, then at the transitions. Have to go VERY slowly and squirt just a little at a time. When I got within a few inches of the leak it was obvious. The dye was a solution of water and dissolved stream tracing tablets. Can also get dye markers from a dive shop and make a solution. You'll need a bunch of dye.
After fussing for many days I decided to find what I can see. Started a siphon with a garden hose at the bottom and set the flow to the leak rate. Then played with various dye injection methods to see what I should be looking for. Settled on the thin hose, pole, and garden sprayer.
Leading up to this I measured the loss accurately using a piece of old steel rule ty-wrapped to a pole to get an accurate depth reading. Can also measure relative to a skimmer opening or any other fixed object. Topped the pool and measured the depth every couple hours and let it leak down about a foot. Since the rate wasn't changing that indicated the leak was probably deep. If it had been near the surface then the rate would have decreased as the depth to leak decreased. Once I realized it was deep I then started the dye experiments.
If necessary I can also give you tips on how to lay a patch at the deep end when the water is too cold to get in. That was tricky too. Also, there are electronic leak detectors and I looked into them but decided at about $1400 I'd try brute force first. Also tried making my own electronic version but didn't quite get there.
Hope this helps.
Al

Al, I'd be interested in how you layed the patch in the liner. I had this problem last year in my ag pool. So far so good, but it doesn't look like a "forever" fix...it's a little scarey! Also what material did you use?

Thanks,
SR

SR,
I found most of the underwater adhesives curled the vinyl patch way before I was able to get it to the bottom. One adhesive, Boxer-100 I believe, is a slow setting stuff that worked great. Available at pool stores. I'll have to take some pics of the rig to really clarify how I did it but basically I used a 3" paint roller taped to the end of a 10' PVC pipe and a paper clip arrangement and some plastic sheeting to hold the patch on the roller until I got it where I wanted it, then released it. As I said, tough to describe in words without pics. I'll try and take some tomorrow and post with a better description.
Al

Al,
Sounds like you watched a lot of McGyver episodes!

You are probably right about McGyver. He probably did, but only if it didn't conflict with "Modern Marbles." Actually, our friend Al is -- shall we say -- a little different! I have never known anybody else quite like him, but he is a great guy and a great help here on the forum. He'll come through for you with the info you need about finding your leak. Good luck.

Hi Folks,
Still experimenting and learning with the new forum software so I hope this works. I said I'd post pics of how I laid a patch at the deep end so here they are. My problem last year were three small slits about 1/2" long within a 2" diameter circle about 8 feet at the deep end where the liner transitions from bottom to wall. I needed to patch it and the water was way too cold to get in and besides, trying to place a patch while swimming/diving, which ain't my expertise, can be a problem. Needed to patch from above. I found that all the adhesives that come in the 'underwater' patch kits are really strong acting and will curl the vinyl patch to the point where you can't place it properly and get a good bond. Also tried various PVC glues. I found stuff at a pool store, Boxer Adhesives #100 in a small can with a dauber for about $9 I believe. Boxeradhesives.com. It's a slow acting adhesive that will not curl the patch but takes quite a while to set and bond fully. For the patch I used a piece of leftover original vinyl liner. I took a 3" paint roller and duct taped that to the end of a 10' PVC pole. I coated the roller with silicone seal and let that set for a couple days. The silicone provides a surface that the adhesive won't stick to and also gives somewhat of a better grab when working underwater. Took a piece of plain plastic sheeting and siliconed one side except for a small section in the middle where I'll stick the vinyl patch with double sided tape. The plastic sheet is way bigger than the patch. In the pic the black tape at the corners helps seeing it when underwater so you can position it properly and center the patch. Siliconing the sheet will prevent excess glue that will spread out of the patch area from sticking to the plastic sheet. Not much sticks to silicone seal. The plastic sheet and patch are folded around the paint roller and held in place with big paperclips. Procedure is to goop the patch, use a lot of glue, then use the pole to position the patch above the target area to be patched. With this glue you have some time. When centered, press the patch against the liner and hold it for at least 30 seconds, probably a minute, before moving anything. This lets the glue somewhat stick the patch and liner together at one point. Then pull the string to release the paperclips and free the plastic sheet and patch assembly. Use the roller to press the patch into place and squish excess glue. As I said above, excess glue will not stick to the plastic sheet because of the layer of silicone seal. In my case I then dropped a pillow case sandbag onto the plastic sheet and patch and left it there for a week. The string on the plastic sheet lets you pull the sheet off after the glue has cured and water has loosened the double sided tape. Patch has been in place for a year and shows no signs of peeling.
Have Fun Patching.
Al
(ajs-1)

Al,
Thanks for the pics...really helps to see your "invention"! I will probably do this when I open this spring since it will be a long time fix.

SR