leak Detection dye?

[offthefront]

Is there a "generic" Dye I can use for leak detection? thanks ...mike

[Poconos]

I have some fluorescent red dye tablets I scarfed from a trashcan at GE years ago. Used for stream tracing. I looked on the internet once and found dye markers that divers use so you should be able to find them at a dive shop. The tablets I have do leave a temporary stain on the liner that goes away within an hour or so. You use so little of any dye there should be nothing to worry about.
Al

PS: Also welcome to the forum.

[waterbear]

There is leak detection dye readily available from pool supplies and pool stores. It is not an expensive item.
However it might not find you leak if it is not in the pool itself but in the plumbing.

[Poconos]

That link doesn't really say much about the dye. Do you dilute it? How big is that bottle for $10 ?
When I was chasing a leak in my deep end I know I went through gallons of dye trying to develop a technique and actually finding the cuts. The little they say tells you to lower the level to almost where the leak is. Big assumption.
Just curious.
Al

[waterbear]

I was simply providing a link to show that there is a leak detection dye available and it was not exorbitantly priced. It is actually available from several retail sources. We used to be able to get it on a day's special order where I worked but we did not stock it. I was not providing any leak detection instructions.
Whether dye is going to help one find a leak or not really depends on a lot of factors and, IMHO, if the source of the leak is not obvious then calling in a leak detection company might be a good idea.

[offthefront]

Thanks for the info guys ....I have some dye that is used to check for plumbing/sewer leaks that I am going to try ...I have several suspect areas ..cracks in the tile ...ect ....

[PoolDoc]

Most guys I know used food coloring or fountain pen ink or phenol red (the pH test dye). When I've done it, I've mostly used phenol red.

I'd check on the toxicity of plumbing dye before I put it into a pool.

The phenol red from the Taylor 2005 / 2006 testkits works well, and the bottle allows you to inject a fine stream of dye near suspected leaks to see if there is any 'ex-flow'.

Ben

[offthefront]

The phenol red worked excellent .....found several leaks and patched them with the 2 part dough type expoxy ...seems to have gotten most of it but loosing some level ....Hard to tell with 95* days ...will keep looking and maybe the bucket test ...thanks ....mike

[Pool Clown]

Just make sure that, once you use the Phenol red, to mark the bottle, and not use it for testing water anymore. When you squeeze the bottle, you get the dye. But when you stop squeezing the bottle, it will draw in pool water, diluting the Phenol and will give you skewed readings.

[Watermom]

Good reminder Pool Clown. Thanks for thinking to share that.