# Pool leak



## thediyhubby (Jun 4, 2015)

Any tips on how to find a leak without digging up the whole back yard?


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## bud16415 (Jun 4, 2015)

Wish I did I would be a very rich guy. 

How much are you loosing and how is your pool set up? One pool I know had two return points on the bottom and we found that by plugging one the leak stopped. They have been running it for years that way rather than the major job of getting under the pool to fix it.


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## Speedbump (Jun 4, 2015)

More info please.


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## thediyhubby (Jun 4, 2015)

Loosing quite a lot. More when the pump is running. I have two outlet nozzles(sides of the shallow end) and the weir at the deep end. Wondered if there was a magic trick to determine where the leak is. A friend told me to put a few drops of food coloring in the water by the nozzles and weir and see if it stays in the pool or disappear into one of the outlets, but this didn't work for me. Just ended up staring at the pool for hours...

Looks like I will be digging this weekend..


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## Speedbump (Jun 4, 2015)

Water comes out of the nozzles when the pump is running, so the food coloring isn't going to disappear there.  The fact that you lose more when the pump is running tells me that the leak is in the return line/s going back to the pool.  The "where" is always the problem.


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## thediyhubby (Jun 4, 2015)

Had the food coloring in the pool when the pump was off and the water was perfectly still. My friend's theory being that if you add some sort of dey, you can see where there is a flow out of the pool. But didn't work for me as I said.

Think I should maybe stop being so lazy and dig a few holes..


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## Speedbump (Jun 4, 2015)

Even if you don't find the leak, you can go fishing with the worms you find.


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## thediyhubby (Jun 4, 2015)

Now that's a plan!


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## bud16415 (Jun 5, 2015)

Do you have photos of when the pool was built or any plans that would show you how the pipes were run. Could be a lot of digging if you don&#8217;t have a starting point. 
I have watched them build a few pools and it seemed like they had pipes running all over the place without access.


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## elbo (Jun 6, 2015)

does the water level in the pool drop when the pump isn't running ?To check this out, leave the pump off for 24 -48 hours then check the level again.This will tell you how deep you will have to dig to find the leak. If the leak is in the line to the pump, you should find bubbles in the return outlets as well. If the leak is in the return  line from the pump to the pool, you probably will have a swampy area (or at least a wet area )  in your yard  in the vicinity of the leak


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## thediyhubby (Jun 8, 2015)

Thanks everyone! Decided to dig some holes and found the problem. :banana:  The problem was a where the return line connects to the pool. Sore back today...


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## Speedbump (Jun 8, 2015)

I'm glad you found the problem, it's too bad you had to tear up that nice looking deck.


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