Finding leak in Inground pool - started mid summer

[Bleach=Chlorine?]

One more point to add to last comment.... plug drains, skimmer and return and then do the bucket test to compare water loss. If you lose more in the pool than in the bucket then you have a leak either through the gunite (sounds like fun), light or the hydro valves.

[Jalmlof]

I am losing <1" per day,maybe 3/4max, but definitely more than evaporation. I will try the bucket test to get an accurate measure. I will plug the skimmer and drain and see how that affects the loss.

Have you ever heard of leaking through the gunite wall (without the notice of an actual crack visible)?

Also, do you know how small the leak can be to cause this water loss? (should I be looking for something very minor)? When i hear losing 3 -4 inches plus / day, that is much more than our pool is losing.

But, up till last week, the level did not change at all (except minor evaporation)... But over the last week or so, i need to add 1"+ / every other day.

Thanks,

John

[Poconos]

To answer Johns first question of type of dye, someone suggested RIT the clothing dye? Some say phenol red...expensive, Food dye also expensive, can go to a dive shop and get a dye marker and break it up and dissolve to make a bunch, I use stream tracing tablets, I also suggested raw beets. Chop, boil, save deep red water for dye, eat beets.
Al

[waste]

Hi John, welcome to the forum! Leak detection is an inexact science, what's already been suggested (plug lines and bucket test) is the usual place to start.
I have a suggestion or two for you to try:
Check the inside walls and especially the bottom of the skimmer (s) for hairline cracks - easy enough to do as you'll be plugging them off.
Check the backwash port on your multiport (if you don't have one this will be very hard to do ) for seepage - while you'rre there check for wet spots on the filter pad.

You're not loosing a ton of water/ day so the leak is going to be small, unfortunately that makes it harder to find, if it's not something obvious - however any water loss is too much.
Since I don't know where you are I have to ask about your rainfall this season, lots of flooding like in the NE? If so, all the rain may have prevented you from noticing a leak until last week - also lots of rain might have made the hydrostat pop and perhaps it didn't properly reseal (good thing you've got the SCUBA set).
Please let us know how the tests go - we're falling over each other trying to help - Good Luck -- Waste

[Jalmlof]

Thank you to everyone who has been providing assistance to a newbee in the pool care arena.

I have all the suggestions written down and will try to find the solution this weekend and report back my findings.

To answer a couple questions, -- Waste - I am in MA, and we did have a lot of rain. In fact during the non-leak timeframe, i had to drain the pool to get the skimmer from being totally overflowed and overflowing the pool. I do not believe that disguised the leak.

Last year when I just let the pool leak, it stopped at a specific area (which gives me some other areas to focus on - besides just the main drain - hydrostatic valve).

I dont know if this has any bearing, but there has been a significant debris around the main drain (we have two dogs who swim - and shed)... This is still my first area to focus on.

I can check the pump area (in fact will do the testing to see if the leaking stops w/out the pump running). On visual inspection, there is not anything noticable.

Thanks again to all the suggestions, and i will do my best to identify (and then see about repair) the leak.

John

[Jalmlof]

Thank you to all who assisted.

On Saturday, equiped with SCUBA gear and dye, I proceded to the Hydostatic valve. It was working perfectly normally, no leaks, or any problems. From there, I went around the pool and eventually found a very small seperation (gap) on one of the plugged return pipes. I checked this previously, but the leak was tucked underneath and could not be seen without the SCUBA and dye approach.

I found some "Aquamend" epoxy, which set up and cured nicely.

Now, the leak is no more and the pool is in great shape.

Execpt -- the temp is VERY warm - thanks to very hot outside.

Thanks again.

john