Re: My Leak Story, etc.
First off, the guy blowing pressurized CO2 into your lines is ... well .... i have no polite words for that. PVC piping is not meant to handle highly pressurized gases, it's designed for low pressure water flow. So anytime you "blow out" your lines, you should always start off with a garden hose and a FlowKing hose bladder. Using pressurized gas is a method of last resort and the person doing that should be experienced with it.
With the above said, I do tend to agree with the pool companies you've contacted. If the leak were above ground and in a valve or fitting somewhere, you'd be able to see it, especially a water leak causing significant water loss in your pool volume. Chances are you have a fitting in an underground PVC line or somewhere near the pool that is leaking water when the pump is running and the system is at-pressure. It is totally plausible that zero water pressure (pump off) would not cause a leak but running the pump does. The thing leaking could easily self-seal at low pressure and then open up when the system is running. I've seen this happen a lot in other situations I have been in where there is pressurized water (I used to be an equipment engineer).
With all that said, I would definitely be getting quotes from leak detection companies. There are many such companies here in the southwest, and it's not a huge cost to have them come out and do a full inspection of the plumbing system. I've known people in my neck of the woods who have had leak detection done on their irrigation systems because their water bills were hundreds of dollars a month only to find that they had a broken 1/2" feeder line at 25psi shooting gallons of water out when the drip system was activated. The money saved in finding the leak more than paid for the service. As well, for you, even if they don't find anything, at least you have peace of mind that your pipes are good.
Sorry to hear about your troubles! You did the right the thing trying to clean out your own filter, I really think the guy that blew the CO2 into your lines screwed it up.
16k gal IG gunite PebbleTec (Caribbean Blue), 18' x 36' free form with raised spa/spillway and separate rock waterfall. All Pentair Equipment pad - 3HP IntelliFlo VS / 1.5HP WhisperFlo, MasterTemp 400k BTU/hr heater, QuadDE-100 filter, IC40 SWCG, IntelliTouch/EasyTouch Controls
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