Possible liner leak after the pool has been closed?

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R

Rabjo24

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Jun 3, 2015
13
Pittsburgh, PA
We have finally admitted to ourselves today that the pool level looks low based on where the cover and pillow are currently sitting.

We dropped the water level to about 5 inches below the skimmer. There looks to be about 2.5 feet left in the pool. After pressing on the side of the pool, it appears to have dropped another 4 inches or so. The pool has been closed about 8 weeks. It hasn't been too cold here yet and we had a very nice September and October (outside of Pittsburgh, PA). It has been unseasonably warm but not hot and humid.

We bought this house a couple years ago and estimate that the liner is probably between 6-8 years old. So we may have to face the music and buy a new liner in the spring.

Any recommendations on what to do here? Should we keep pumping rain water off the cover? I don't want the sides to cave in. Should we put any water in the pool. I'm at a loss. We had such a good summer with the pool and didn't have any algae outbreaks. It continues to be a learning experience.
 
Following this post. I'm in the same boat. My liner is brand new though as i just got the pool installed this summer. Doing the bucket test now. Will check on it tomorrow. If it fails them plan on uncovering the pool to do an inspection either that or keep adding in water throughout the winter till next spring.
 
Is your pool still open?

I am wondering ... Our winter cover lays on the water. This is the second year using this cover. There could be some small holes that allow water to pass through. A few weeks ago we had a very very heavy rain and pumped water off the cover, but left the pump on the cover all night by accident. I am wondering if we pumped out some of the pool water that could have possibly passed through.

I'll be over here... hitting my head against the wall.
 
The pool was closed about 3 weeks ago.
I wondered the same thing about pumping out too much water. But the ground by the pool is wet.
My pool is built into the side of a sloping yard and the wet spot is at the downhill part .
I'm going to go with this bucket test to see if it works.
 
Did either of you notice if your pools lost water at the same rate during swim season? Did the water loss only start after closing?
The bucket test is a good place to start troubleshooting. If it shows there is a leak it would be best to do ahead and patch the leak. If you pool drains completely you are more likely to suffer structural damage to the pool from rain and snow collecting on the cover. You are also more likely to receive damage from high winds when the pool is empty.

And yes, a cover pump can pump too much water out if the cover is damaged.
 
I didn't notice any significant water loss until after i closed the pool. I noticed the ground was staying wet on the down hill side. Haven't checked it since i closed it. Thought maybe it was wet from the rain because the area on the down hill side of the pool doesn't get alot of sun. When i checked it i noticed the water loss. Performing the bucket test and going to see if i have a leak. I suspect i do. Have lost about 3 inches of water in about 3 weeks. The cover isn't torn it's brand new as well. I have a feeling the liner may have a leak.

If it does though do i have to revacuum the pool if i get on to Fix the hole? The pool is cleaned now and the filter and pump taken apart and stored for winter. I guess i can clean it the best i can and hope for the best when i uncover for spring?
 
No, I didn't notice the pool losing water like this in the summer. We did get some good heavy rains though. I only had to put water in twice I think. I really just noticed it in the 2-3 weeks or so.

My cover didn't appear to be torn at all.

How are you going to perform the Bucket Test if your pool is covered?

I am going to do a walk around today since we haven't had rain in a couple days and see if there is any obvious wetness around the pool. I haven't been able to detect any so far.
 
For the bucket test I'm performing i pulled back the cover a little bit. I set a step ladder in the pool and the bucket on it. The step ladder has rubber feet though. The issue i had when setting it up though is the bucket wants to float even with water in it. I had to fill it up on the inside above the pool water line. Then taped the water line in the bucket and the water line on the outside of the bucket. This should give me an indication of water loss between the 2 unless I'm missing something. I may have to actually measure though from each tape line to each water line though because they weren't equal when i set it up. Ideally they would be. Planning on checking today that way it will give it 24 hours and the weather is around 81 today. Hoping this works.

I have a wet area around my pool but with it being built into a small sloping yard it would be hard to say that's where the water is coming from since water is going to find the lowest spot in the yard. And the spot that is wet is the one area around my pool that doesn't get much sun. The pool and trees shade it.
 
After letting the bucket test run for 24 hours, the water level in the bucket and in the pool went down the same amount.

I jumped in the pool, very very cold! But tried the food coloring around where i seen the wet area on the ground on the outside and didn't come up with anything.

So I now have tape on the liner itself and left the bucket test up for a few more days. Trying to determine if i actually have a leak or if i actually lost 3 inches in 3 weeks to evaporation or possibly pumping pool water from when i pumped off the cover. 3 inches seems excessive but from what i understand after researching that it may not be that big of a surprise because the fall time the temps get hot in the day and cool at night.

Anybody else every have this happen after you cover the pool, it losing water like that? First time owning a pool and just got it installed this year. wondering if I'm being more paranoid than anything.
 
I think you drained the water from water seeping through the cover with the pump on. Even the solid new covers can do that. My cover is woven kind of like a tarp. I will say I live just north of you and have not noticed any water loss from evaporation in three weeks.
 

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That is one reason why I get a cheap cover every year. Had to fill pool back up one to many times. My brother drained half of his pool one time, when he left drain going all night.
 
Yea was wondering if maybe i did pump water from the pool when i pumped the cover. But didn't think i pumped that much and when the cover water was gone i quit pumping. Is it a slow process for the water to seep through the cover?

Also thinking my wet spot on the ground is more from the sun not getting to it. It's not soaked but it is enough to make the ground soft.

Planning on checking the tape i set up the other day to see if it's gone down. Issue is that we had some good rain yesterday so how effective is a tape or bucket test if it rains? I mean the pool is covered but that water on the cover will force the water in the pool up correct? Displacement?
 
So checked out the tape test today (Saturday) after i set the tape up on the liner on Wednesday. Have lost a half inch of water since Wednesday. So now debating if i really do have a leak?

My plan is to let it go for now and keep an eye on things to see how much lower it goes. Hoping it gets down to a point where it stops and possibly find the leak then? Question i have is how low can i let it go? I know it has to retain water for structural purposes on the wall. Anybody have any suggestions or thoughts?

I plan on keeping water in it through the winter and getting it inspected by a scuba diver and fixed in the spring. Cost is only 200 bucks in the spring compared to 400 in the winter.
 
I'm in the same situation.

My pool patch did not work out. So I'm still leaking 2" per week.

The weather is unseasonalbly warm over here, too. Still 70 during the day. I called the pool store to find out if they still replace liners this late in the season. So, waiting on the call-back tomorrow.

Might put on some gorilla tape again. Did that last year.
 
So i think i may have the dreaded leak i was worried about. Dunno how it happened. The pool was closed about a month ago and I'm averaging an inch of water loss each week. I called about getting a scuba diver out but going to wait until spring when is a little cheaper and just keep water in it through winter.

I have a piece of tape on the liner now to keep track of the water level and i go out every couple of days to see how much lower it's gotten. About a half inch or less every 2 to 3 days. So i move the tape down to the new water level. And recheck in another couple days.

I'm hoping eventually i will find the water level of the leak by doing the tape. Only question is how low can i go before it becomes an issue? The pool is 54 inches. I'm at 16 below the rim right now. Not sure how much lower i can go. I heard around 15 is where you wanna be max but no clue being a first time pool owner. I have a winter cover on but the Temps here aren't freezing yet so not causing alot of pressure yet.

Anybody have any thoughts? I'm racking my brain trying to figure this out.
 
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