|
|
|
NOTHING is more frustrating for a pool owner than to be continually loosing water from your pool and not being able to determine where the leak actually is. Is it in the vinyl liner? Is it in the plumbing? Is it possibly from a crack in the steps? The first step for any pool owner to take when tracking down the source of a leak is an easy one: Just Do A Little Math! Nothing complicated...It’s as easy as “1 + 1 = 2” This step is designed to basically divide the pool into two separate and distinct parts. 1.) The plumbing, and 2.) The “vessel” or the pool itself. The Bucket Test: The next step is referred to as the “bucket test”. Here’s how it works: The very first thing that you will need to do is to turn off the circulation pump and plug off all of the “holes” in the pool that connect to the plumbing (i.e.: the skimmer(s), the return fitting(s), and even the main drain if so equipped. It is important that these plugs be secure and water tight. (It is usually best to use the same plugs and “gizzmo's” that are used during winterization.) Next, you will need to obtain a bucket. Just about any old bucket will do, as long as it doesn’t leak and holds at least 4 or 5 gallons. After plugging off all of the “holes” in the pool, measure the distance from the water line to the very top of the pool wall or concrete deck. This usually will be somewhere between 8” and 10” if the pool is filled to its “normal” level. Then, measure this same distance from the top lip of the bucket down, and draw a mark inside the bucket at this point with an indelible marker for easy visual reference. Also place a small mark exactly at the water level of the pool on the skimmer face plate as a reference, using a lead pencil which will not be a permanent mark. Now fill the bucket right up to the mark which was placed, with pool water and set the bucket preferably in the first or second step of the pool, if so equipped, to assure that the temperature of the water in the bucket will remain close to the water temperature of the pool. If your pool does not have steps, simply place the bucket beside the pool, close to the waters edge. (TIP: It sometimes helps to put a couple of bricks into the bottom of the bucket before adding the water to prevent it from floating away.) What we are trying to accomplish here is to duplicate the conditions in the pool as closely as possible within the bucket. Any evaporation which takes place in the pool will also take place in the bucket. Any rainfall which falls into the pool, will also fall into the bucket. Simply compare the bucket level to the pool level after 24 to 48 hours. Make sure that all family members and guests realize that a test is being conducted and do not disturb the bucket! If the pool level is significantly lower than the bucket at the end of the test period, it is pretty much a given that there is a leak somewhere in the pool itself. (If the bucket level is lower than the pool, then either an animal, a pet or a pesky neighbor kid was messing with the bucket! It should NEVER loose more water than the pool!) If both the bucket and the pool remain at the same level, then the problem is in the plumbing and NOT in the pool itself. Now that we have narrowed the problem down to one area and eliminated the other, where do we go from here? Well first, let’s assume that the bucket test has confirmed that we are leaking from the plumbing. The plumbing can also be divided into two separate and distinct “halves” of parts: 1.) The suction side of the system 2.) The pressure or “return” side of the system. Remove all of the plugs and gizzmo’s and restart the pump. After being allowed to fully prime, look at the “basket” of the pump. (Most every pump will have a transparent lid of some sort which can be removed to clean leaves and debris from the basket.) Is there a continual stream of bubbles coming into view through this lid? Is there a continual stream of bubbles also blowing into the pool through the return jet(s)? If the answer is YES, then this is strong evidence of a leak in the suction side of the system; which is any plumbing coming from the skimmer(s), the bottom drain, as well as any sidewall vacuum ports built into the pool and the pump itself. (If your pool is equipped with valves just before the pump to isolate these lines, shut them one at a time and determine if the bubbles stop. If so, then the line connected to that valve is a prime suspect for the leak.) If no bubbles are visible when the pump is running and rapid water loss occurs only when the pump is running, then the problem doubtless lies in the pressure side (return line(s)). The only way to confirm what you now suspect, is to perform a “pressure test” on the plumbing, which may well best be performed by a pool professional. In this test, the individual plumbing lines are plugged at each end and then pressurized with an air/water combination and then checked against a gauge to see if the pressure can be held. If pressure is lost, then hopefully the escaping air and water combination will make a “sputtering” or “bubbling” sound which can be heard via a high tech listening device through the concrete. Many times this sound will be able to precisely pinpoint the leak within inches of it’s source. (This is invaluable when faced with the alternative of cutting through dozens of feet of concrete deck, “chasing” a plumbing line and trying to find the break!) Now, on the other hand, let’s assume that our bucket test has confirmed that the source of the leak is in the pool itself rather than in the plumbing. In the old days, it took a sharp eye, and usually a SCUBA diver to actually find out and repair the leak. Well those days are over (in most cases)! Thanks to modern technology, there is an amazing device which allows a leak, or multiple leaks, to be pinpointed within the pool, without dye, without draining the pool, without even getting wet! Here’s how it works: The sophisticated but simple to use device puts a small electrical charge into the pool water. This charge seeks to make a connection to ground. Since a vinyl pool liner is a good electrical insulator, the only ground connections are through conductive penetrations (Holes, Tears, Rips, etc.) in the liner. The system detects electrical current flow in the water as it seeks these ground connections, and produces audible signals that lead the operator to the exact location of the leak. Once the leak(s) are found, they can be patched via conventional means, depending upon the actual size and source of the leak. (Occasionally, the source of the leak could be a mechanical problem in a light or set of steps, which may require “getting wet” to repair. So, if you have had or ever do have a problem with loss of pool water, get out the bucket and try to determine the source. If you find that you are perhaps, “in too deep”, then we are just a phone call away and have all of the latest and greatest gadgets to help get the problem fixed. |
|
Send mail to
dvetter@roadrunner.com with questions or comments about this web site.
|
