Another possible IG leak

[Poconos]

!/2" a day may be hard to find. Was never successful at this when I was chasing my leak last year but at that damp area 6' from the pool, dig a small hole, let it fill with water if it will, then test the water for chlorine. Just maybe it will show some chlorine if it's pool water. May have to let the sample stand a little for the dirt and sediment to settle out. If it doesn't show chlorine, inconclusive. If the leak is in a return pipe then you won't get dirt in the pool because those pipes are under pressure when the pump is running. You can also try plugging the returns and skimmer for 12 hours or so and see if the leak stops. If it doesn't then my next step would be dye and if you get this far, post and I/we can dig up a bunch of posts on the techniques. You are already doing one thing right and that's making accurate measurements of the leak rate. Have you any idea if the leak rate is a function of the pump running?
That's it for now.
Don't get discouraged...you'll find it eventually.
Al
PS: Mine was 3" a day, 1000 gal/day. Good thing I had free stream water to keep it topped. And talk about discouragement and panic? Also a challenge to find and fix.

[JenniferB]

Thanks for the reply! No, I have not yet tried plugging the returns and skimmer. That will be my task for tonight. Hopefully that will help me narrow down if it is in the body of the pool or the piping. I'm not sure which one I prefer it to be!

Thanks also for the idea of testing the water in the backyard. We actually have a tiny puddle that has already formed in one spot, so there should be no problem in getting a sample.

I'll post the results!