Even though this video is five years old, today, I watched it and found the leak in our pool in about five minutes. My pool guy just told me it was evaporation, but it was a leak. Thank you!
Great video. Very helpful. I wanted to mention that what may look like a tiny leak (like around a pump fitting) adds up really quickly. Even that drip, drip, drip sucks gallons out of the pool fast.
One thing, if u dont have dye u can look around the house for stuff. I settled on the left over coffee in the pot from that morning and it worked perfectly. Kool aid powder or fruit juice would probably also work
Most swimming pool algaecides have a dye in them and many times, I've done leak detecting using a syringe filled with the customers pool algaecide to act as the dye to be pulled into the leak.
Finally a Pool Guy that knows what He's Talking About.... at least I can understand something of what he's saying, Thanks and will check out your other Videos .
Thank you so much! We try to have a little fun with these videos but then most important thing is delivering accurate information in a way the average person can understand.
That was a very helpful video My regards to this amazing man I found the leak by myself after the leak detection company told me that there wasn't any leak found
Thanks for posting. Did this today and found a small tear in my liner. Local pool store had a repair kit for underwater repair. Water was cold but no more leak. Thanks for posting 👍
Great video. My pool is very close to my house. A few years ago I started noticing water underneath my house. I thought it was rain water that was getting underneath because it always seemed to happen after heavy rain. Today I was filling the pool level with a hose and I forgot to turn it off. The level was very high so I decided to look underneath the house, we haven’t had rain in a few weeks and everything is dry, and sure enough there was water underneath the house… I know that non of the equipment outside is leaking enough for that to happen. Maybe now I can figure out what’s going on…
I got short of breath watching him unscrew that cap.Dudes got a good pair of lungs on him. I can only hold my breath half as long before suffering a panic attack!
Great vid! I have been working on pools for about 20 years now, and I have never heard of this test. I live in PA though where we only get about 6-7 months of the year. Thank you for the great info.
Great way to waste time. Just call the pros man. Its like trying to repair your own shoes and you know nothing about shoe repairs like a shoe repair man. Same as when working on your car not a mechanic dont fuck around just get it lokked at amd repaired by the pros. So what does a homeowner do after revealing a leak??? Fix it or just call the pro and tell him where it is and how to fix it? LoL
@@hectormeza991 How may "pros" have you called and after you paid for their visit/identification service got quotes for thousands to fix, only to find out they are clueless and have made the wrong diagnosis, or just want to charge you for things that are not broken. Seen this happen so many times it got ridiculous. If a homeowner can do something themselves (properly & safely with research) there is no substitute, and it will be a huge money saver. That said everyone should know their limitations and not be afraid to get professional help, but only if the professionals are proven honest and the issue and best repair process is actually confirmed.
Excellent advice! I just bought a new home with a swimming pool and since I never owned a swimming pool before, I was curious as to why I have to add water every other day I am going to follow your advice to see if in fact I have a leak. Thanks 😊
here's a question, if you have a 45 year old concrete pool (northeast - solid ice winters), how long can you expect plastic fittings to last - do they shrink and become compromised over time? If you had to change a bottom drain fitting and bore out a 12 inch hole to address the rot around the fitting and reset a new drain fitting, how would you do that with ground water on the other side?
I have plenty of tile and grout missing from my pool and no leaks at those locations. Where I found my leak to be was where the plastic part of the skimmer meets the pool structure/concrete. Pool remained the same during winter so I knew it wasn’t bottom drain it also drained quicker when pool was filled more which meant the water pressure effected leak therefore no need for bucket test.
I think mine is in that area as well because we will fill it up a little higher than middle of skimmer and we keep having to fill it up more than we should. At first I thought it was evaporation (just purchased the house and in FL heat) so I waited awhile. Then I noticed some cracking around the skimmer mouth. I just put some of that pool putty on those cracks today and filled it back up so we shall see in the next few days if that’s where the leak was coming from and the ONLY area as I don’t want to deal with the main drain 😩 lol 🤞
You can listen/hear common pool leaks at your jets or skimmer or Tiles with a $10 automotive stethoscope.. Pump is off, quiet surroundings. You can hear leaks.
I had a leak at my main drain in the bottom of my (fiberglass) pool. After draining the whole pool, I found that about half of the bolts holding the sump housing to the bottom of the pool had corroded and was allowing the sump housing to sag toward that end of the pool and allowing massive amounts of water to exit the underside of the pool and overflow into a neighboring yard. Replaced all of the bolts and the problem was solved.
Holy Smokes! While you did say earlier in the video to turn off the pump, it'd be a great safety tip at 8:20 to remind viewers to MAKE SURE THE PUMP IS OFF BEFORE REMOVING THE MAIN DRAIN COVER.
Main drain in residential pools are a non issue, they are equalized at the skimmer. VGB was implemented based on a accident that happened in a hot tub.
When our pool was put in the water level went down 3 inches overnight. The installer was freaking out, thinking he'd have to tear up the concrete after finding no leaks in any of the common places. Turned out the the electrician had put too sharp of a bend in the electrical line for the light and it popped off the back of the niche. Easy fix fortunately.
If the pool pump has to pump water up every time it's turned on (Hayward Super Pump, pumping water as if unprimed takes about 15 seconds) after being shut off for several hours. Is this indicative of a leak?
The unit heats up fast and is super quiet. It looks fancy ua-cam.com/users/postUgkxl8Od2BvnGbn1ffwqsuFXW0QnmcZgMiVY and can be kept in the living room. It gets hot within a split second of turning on the unit. The build quality is exceptionally good and is safe to be around kids and pets. This one is super quiet and can be kept on while in office meetings, my wife loved it. It shows the temperature right on the unit which is very useful and adding a rotating feature helps to heat up the surrounding, so other people will not fight with you for heat. It is right as described in the description..!! Definitely recommend!!
Leaks are a good reason to consider not pouring concrete for the pool deck.My thought is to use pavers, slate, or any material which can be easily removed to allow access to the underground plumbing work. Also, it could be difficult to make repaired concrete deck match the finish (color & texture) of the rest of the pool deck.
Use the phenol red. Who cares about a carcinogen in a pool. It's not like we put things like chlorine or acid in it anyway. I just would rely on that same bottle for an accurate ph reading ever again...
So if your leak is under the concrete, it might be cheaper to just keep paying a little extra for lost water or collect rain water to use as a topping off water source.
I believe I have a leak because the pool is just being opened. We lower the water below all valves. All lines were blown out. Why would I fill the pool and then look for a leak if we know it is below skimmers and valves?
My pool company told me to turn off the pump and put polystyrene over the skimmer hole, poolside, to see if the water level goes down, because there’s a leak somewhere. I can’t see the sense in this nor how it would successfully block the water from the skimmer, it’s had a new vinyl liner put in. We now find there are leaks from the pipe going into the pump, joint going into the glass bead filter, and possibly the lid of the pump.
You’re right about it not being Carcinogen (not enough evidence gathered to support that claim from my research). Thanks for making me look into it further. It is however, something you don’t want a whole lot of in your pool water per the MSDS datasheets.scbt.com/sc-203752.pdf
Might want to use a large, low-profile bucket with a leak-proof reference rod inserted and protruding through the wall of the bucket. The low profile ensures that the sun, air/wind contact the water in the bucket most similar to the water in the pool (tall bucket walls protect water from sun & wind evaporation), and the sealed reference rod through the bucket wall minimizes errors when measuring 'inside water level' vs 'outside water level'. If you really want to increase measurement accuracy, the color of the bucket could match the color of the pool to minimize temperature differences too, especially if the suspected leak is small.
For the bucket test you actually want to put the bucket on a lower step so that the water level is within 2-3 inches of the top of the bucket. This will take out the evaporation variable because there will be more access to wind.
That’s a good point. If you want to get RREEEALLLY precise, cut the top of the bucket to the exact water level and go from there.....Just don’t make any waves in the pool.
i cant count how many times ive had leak detection sent out to do bucket tests and to say there are no leaks. one way to know you have a significant leak is loss of stabilizer over a short period of time when there has not been heavy storms or overfilling
Please help! We purchased a new pool liner and now use his service at the end of the last season. When the new pool company opened the pool it was almost empty. We never had this problem before. After it was filled the liner was all over the place, wrinkles and pulled away from the sides. He found a hole, repaired it and stretched it. Now, it is still leaking and I notice when you step on edges it doesn't fit against the edges at bottom. I feel like I am walking. on something that is going to tear and am afraid for people to be in the pool and might ruin the liner on top of it still losing water. Now, the pool guy wants us to call a leak detection company at $650 an hour. We will only be reimbursed if it is his fault. The pool guy said it is a leak behind the wall. Yet we didn't have this previously. Can you please tell us what to do? We are desperate
The bucket test has to be done while the pool is filled to the middle of the tile. The low water level may not change after a certain amount of water has leaked due to the weight of the water and gravity. When the skimmer is sucking air like that the system will not be fully pressurized.
Holy crow! Great video! Thank you! Way better to be prepared and knowledgeable before calling for help. I have always compared a line drawn at the skimmer with the solar cover on and again tested with the solar cover off to account for evaporation. Your tests make sense and fool proof. No guessing. I called for help many years ago and I thankfully didn’t have money to rip up the cement decking as they suggested because after I researched, and researched I found out it was a filter gasket. Easy inexpensive change. It took me such a long time though. Almost gave up on keeping my pool! Those people who did that to me should be put out of business!
FRED "Okay, he got it off - the main drain cover - look now!" BILL: "Hooo boy, lookit all that green algae!" FRED: "He put together a real organized, easy-to-follow video, surely he's gonna clean that algae off, and..." BILL: "He's reaching for the lid now, Fred...." FRED: "Oh my god! - he's puttin' the lid back on...he ain't doin no cleanup!" BILL: "Fred we need to do a intervention here - call his kinfolk and git them ready..." . .
Would we clean the algae out of it we’re a customer’s pool? Always. Period. Best friend’s pool? That’s too much work, even if the whole world is going to see it.
@@SwimmingPoolAZ-SPS The humorous parts of the video, and then the circumspect, conscientious editing of the video to say 'we would clean the algae' hit my funny bone, I couldn't resist commenting. Cheers!
Stupid is' is stupid does! TRASH BAGS, yes the fast and simplest way is using plastic sheet material or trash bags. #1. Turn off all valves/ pumps. #2. Place a trash bag at each skimmer. #3. Using a pool pole, place a trash bag at each drain, keep the pole atop the trash bag so it will not float to the surface. wait 10 minutes and see which areas are sucking the trash bag into drain/ skimmer. That is where you start looking, usually it is a coupling that came apart from the ground shifting, a simple fix using rubber coupling with stainless steel hose clamps can fix the problem. I have come behind plumbers trying to charge thousand$ and have been able to lower the co$t to hundred$. Color Dyes don't work when the leak is not on the surface of the ground. Also if the leak has been ongoing for a long period of time, you might wish use a cable cam or a visual to check for a crevasse/ cavity beneath the pool. There may be a looming sink hole that can cause death and property damage. I once did a repair and we pumped in a truckload of sand/ 14 yards and it all disappeared. The owner of the Apartments sold the property immediately after the discovery.
Swimming Pool Science. Aaah Thanks. The guys that worked on my pool are coming sometime tomorrow. The huge enorme de grande communal pool two roads in front of me, that has been being fixed for months is due to be finished tomorrow. I may just go and throw myself in that.
Don't forget to look at the sight glass and if it's full while on filter it means the spider gasket is no good, change spider gasket. It is sending the water out the waste and backwash pipe
An interesting discovery I use to get bubbles in my returns but the other day I was away for a few days so i filled pool up to bottom of the bull nose but above the tile so pretty high up above the mouth of the skimmer. Noticed no bubbles in my returns or in the pumps basket unbelievable but how?
If you have bubbles in your returns you are sucking in air. If your water level is good and you still have them it is time to more further with the suction side plumbing. The seal on the top of pump, or the joints around before the pump can be a cause. The pipes have a negative pressure so they'll suck in air when pump is running, leak when it is off.
Your pool didn't have enough water. It was sucking in air (re: bubbles from the jets). You filled it to an appropriate level, hence no bubbles. This also happens from evaporation. If there's not enough water to allow proper circulation through the pump then you'll get bubbles from your jets as the pump cycles and sucks water like a waterfall into your skimmer...which means your pump isn't running fully immersed with water...which is necessary at all times. If you let that continue, be ready to pay up to $1,000 for a new pump, and probably the equivalent amount a pool guy will gut you for the install.
I have a leak in my pool somewhere and the company that installed the surface can’t find it. I’m losing water at a significant rate. The lady tells me that it’s somewhere in the pipes but the water won’t drain that low. It only drains to about 1/2 inch below the tile line. Simple science tells me if it stops draining then the leak is above the point that the water drains to?? She is telling me that isn’t the case.
If that’s as far as it goes, that’s where the leak is. Could be 1 of 2 things, the skimmer, or a suction line could have a hair line crack that only leaks when the system is shut off and the crack is at the same level under ground as “1/2 inch below the tile line”. Suction side leaks will draw air when the system is running (or pull shut) and seep water when the system is off. Maybe run your system for a couple days straight and see if the water continues to leak, if it does, then it’s something along the pool structure itself.
Swimming Pool Science she has tried looking in the light fixture, in the main drain, and the skimmer. Nothing. I’m suspecting it is somewhere where the tile meets the new surface. I ordered my own dye tester and it will be here tomorrow. I’ll find it with or without her. Thanks for the response.
@@petermontgomery7323 Ultimately you need you have the plumbing pressure tested. In the meantime you can plug the suction and return lines with system OFF for a few days and see if the water level drops at the same rate. Good luck.
The bucket test only needs 24 hrs for an accurate result. You need to fill the bucket to the top to compare evaporation between the two vessels, I put masking tape inside the skimmer and mark the water level with a pencil.
Why would you fill the bucket to the top it clearly says just make them the same. Save yourself the measurements and then you can just look at it and tell if they are not the same. Also if it rains they would still be the same unlike filling your bucket to the top.
@@SwimmingPoolAZ-SPS My Pool just started leaking after I brushed it thoroughly and shocked it to kill some generic green algae. The ONLY times it's ever leaked (twice) in the past was due to the hydrostatic valve, BUT it was replaced ONLY a year ago. Is is possible that some stirred - up debris caused it to malfunction? And what's the best way to troubleshoot the hydrostatic valve issue? Again, since it's so new, I thought my hydrostatic valve issues were OVER!!😀 Thanks.
Charlie S. Dye testing the HSRV will tell you right away if that’s the culprit. If it is and it’s that new, I’d imagine it should be covered under warranty.
@@SwimmingPoolAZ-SPS Thanks for the info- I appreciate it. I'm still trying to figure out why the hydrostatic valve would be an issue, as WE haven't had much rain and the valve is so new?? Any ideas?! # Head scratcher😀
If it’s big enough, sure! We repaired a pool that had a void big enough for 3 or 4 people to fit into about 2 years back....that too a pretty healthy flow though. If the water is seeping it may not be strong enough to displace soil, just cost you an arm and a leg in water and chems!
Did you charge the customer for all that time to find the leak?and if you did ,how much? Two or three days to find a leak when you have full days of cleaning pools..how do you manage that?
He had on a weight belt. Personally, I used my husband’s 25lb dumbbell (rubberized) sitting next to the drain, so I could go down and grab onto that with one hand while I used the screwdriver with the other hand! lol
shouldn't the water level in the bucket start off much higher so that wind can actually affect its evaporation? not saying you don't have a leak in this pool, but the test should be better
For those of you who are here because you already know you have a leak, start this video at 5:37 to learn how to fix it.
Even though this video is five years old, today, I watched it and found the leak in our pool in about five minutes. My pool guy just told me it was evaporation, but it was a leak. Thank you!
Worked in the keys doing leak detection. Best job I ever had. Get to swim in rich people's pools all day? Yes.
Great video. Very helpful. I wanted to mention that what may look like a tiny leak (like around a pump fitting) adds up really quickly. Even that drip, drip, drip sucks gallons out of the pool fast.
It certainly does!
One thing, if u dont have dye u can look around the house for stuff. I settled on the left over coffee in the pot from that morning and it worked perfectly. Kool aid powder or fruit juice would probably also work
Mrs. Stewart's Liquid Bluing works great found in the laundry soap section at market, can also be used to tint pool water blue.
Decaf or regular? 😃
Most swimming pool algaecides have a dye in them and many times, I've done leak detecting using a syringe filled with the customers pool algaecide to act as the dye to be pulled into the leak.
Finally a Pool Guy that knows what He's Talking About.... at least I can understand something of what he's saying, Thanks and will check out your other Videos .
Thank you so much! We try to have a little fun with these videos but then most important thing is delivering accurate information in a way the average person can understand.
That was a very helpful video
My regards to this amazing man
I found the leak by myself after the leak detection company told me that there wasn't any leak found
Thanks for posting. Did this today and found a small tear in my liner. Local pool store had a repair kit for underwater repair. Water was cold but no more leak. Thanks for posting 👍
Anyone else not have a pool but wanted to watch this cause it looked interesting?
Me even though I lived it.
Swimming Pool Science ya lol
Anyone who is willing to jump in the pool and hold his breath that long is going to be hired for my pool.
*raises hand* Today I also learned several different ways to fell a tree.
I’m about to have a pool
Great video. My pool is very close to my house. A few years ago I started noticing water underneath my house. I thought it was rain water that was getting underneath because it always seemed to happen after heavy rain. Today I was filling the pool level with a hose and I forgot to turn it off. The level was very high so I decided to look underneath the house, we haven’t had rain in a few weeks and everything is dry, and sure enough there was water underneath the house… I know that non of the equipment outside is leaking enough for that to happen. Maybe now I can figure out what’s going on…
ok now how do you fix that leak in the return jet line? Any way to isolate other than digging the whole thing out?
I got short of breath watching him unscrew that cap.Dudes got a good pair of lungs on him. I can only hold my breath half as long before suffering a panic attack!
"I can only hold my breath half as long before suffering a panic attack!" That's because you're a cat and cats are terrified of water.
Can you tell me how to fix the jet when you showed the dye go into the jet?
I enjoyed the humor, along with the superior camera work, and covering how to do all the drains and returns.👍🏻
Great vid! I have been working on pools for about 20 years now, and I have never heard of this test. I live in PA though where we only get about 6-7 months of the year. Thank you for the great info.
The bucket test is very good. But I find it hard to believe you never used dye to detect leaks.
Im from Massachusetts and knew this 20 years ago. I feal bad for your customers
Great way to waste time. Just call the pros man. Its like trying to repair your own shoes and you know nothing about shoe repairs like a shoe repair man. Same as when working on your car not a mechanic dont fuck around just get it lokked at amd repaired by the pros. So what does a homeowner do after revealing a leak??? Fix it or just call the pro and tell him where it is and how to fix it? LoL
Six or seven months of pool weather?
@@hectormeza991 How may "pros" have you called and after you paid for their visit/identification service got quotes for thousands to fix, only to find out they are clueless and have made the wrong diagnosis, or just want to charge you for things that are not broken. Seen this happen so many times it got ridiculous. If a homeowner can do something themselves (properly & safely with research) there is no substitute, and it will be a huge money saver. That said everyone should know their limitations and not be afraid to get professional help, but only if the professionals are proven honest and the issue and best repair process is actually confirmed.
Excellent advice! I just bought a new home with a swimming pool and since I never owned a swimming pool before, I was curious as to why I have to add water every other day I am going to follow your advice to see if in fact I have a leak. Thanks 😊
It’s a great way to get to know the ins and outs of your pool as well. Glad you found this helpful!
I have to add water every 2 days do I have a leak?
Every other day? Water doesn't evaporate that quickly unless you're having very high temperatures
@@1975MGBhi our pool is down to half inch to 1 inch a day. Do you think its normal? Or theres a leak?
So we’re not going to talk about how long this guy held his breath while checking the main drain at the bottom of the pool??
You’re right, I didn’t even notice.
Or how he didn’t even take his shoes off lol
he was under for 1 minute ..
I totally noticed. :)
I can just over 2 mins underwater but I’m a lightweight compared to your average Free Diver that can do 5 minutes without even struggling..
I came here because UA-cam put it on my feed. Watched the whole thing.
Great video on the bucket test and testing the return lines, but talking under water that was a real trick, ha ha
here's a question, if you have a 45 year old concrete pool (northeast - solid ice winters), how long can you expect plastic fittings to last - do they shrink and become compromised over time? If you had to change a bottom drain fitting and bore out a 12 inch hole to address the rot around the fitting and reset a new drain fitting, how would you do that with ground water on the other side?
I have plenty of tile and grout missing from my pool and no leaks at those locations. Where I found my leak to be was where the plastic part of the skimmer meets the pool structure/concrete. Pool remained the same during winter so I knew it wasn’t bottom drain it also drained quicker when pool was filled more which meant the water pressure effected leak therefore no need for bucket test.
There ya go! That’s one of the first spots I check.
I think mine is in that area as well because we will fill it up a little higher than middle of skimmer and we keep having to fill it up more than we should. At first I thought it was evaporation (just purchased the house and in FL heat) so I waited awhile. Then I noticed some cracking around the skimmer mouth. I just put some of that pool putty on those cracks today and filled it back up so we shall see in the next few days if that’s where the leak was coming from and the ONLY area as I don’t want to deal with the main drain 😩 lol 🤞
And it worked! Love that putty stuff!
You can listen/hear common pool leaks at your jets or skimmer or Tiles with a $10 automotive stethoscope..
Pump is off, quiet surroundings. You can hear leaks.
I had a leak at my main drain in the bottom of my (fiberglass) pool. After draining the whole pool, I found that about half of the bolts holding the sump housing to the bottom of the pool had corroded and was allowing the sump housing to sag toward that end of the pool and allowing massive amounts of water to exit the underside of the pool and overflow into a neighboring yard. Replaced all of the bolts and the problem was solved.
Im afraid to drain a fiberglass pool. Ground water could raise the bottom. Is your groundwater level low?
Holy Smokes! While you did say earlier in the video to turn off the pump, it'd be a great safety tip at 8:20 to remind viewers to MAKE SURE THE PUMP IS OFF BEFORE REMOVING THE MAIN DRAIN COVER.
Main drain in residential pools are a non issue, they are equalized at the skimmer. VGB was implemented based on a accident that happened in a hot tub.
But worse case scenario, natural selection is how we got this far... I love darwin...
Is there a way to arch the leak in a plaster pool without having to remove the water? TIA
Same problem 😢
When our pool was put in the water level went down 3 inches overnight. The installer was freaking out, thinking he'd have to tear up the concrete after finding no leaks in any of the common places. Turned out the the electrician had put too sharp of a bend in the electrical line for the light and it popped off the back of the niche. Easy fix fortunately.
Incredible video! Thank you very much, I know the next steps I need to take. DO WE USE THE SAME DYE APPROACH AROUND TILE/GROUT CRACKS ETC ??
If the pool pump has to pump water up every time it's turned on (Hayward Super Pump, pumping water as if unprimed takes about 15 seconds) after being shut off for several hours. Is this indicative of a leak?
The unit heats up fast and is super quiet. It looks fancy ua-cam.com/users/postUgkxl8Od2BvnGbn1ffwqsuFXW0QnmcZgMiVY and can be kept in the living room. It gets hot within a split second of turning on the unit. The build quality is exceptionally good and is safe to be around kids and pets. This one is super quiet and can be kept on while in office meetings, my wife loved it. It shows the temperature right on the unit which is very useful and adding a rotating feature helps to heat up the surrounding, so other people will not fight with you for heat. It is right as described in the description..!! Definitely recommend!!
WOW.... YOU ARE GREAT ON THIS.......I LOVE YOUR VIDEOS!!!!!............MANY BLESSINGS FOR YOU AND YOUR FAMILY
Leaks are a good reason to consider not pouring concrete for the pool deck.My thought is to use pavers, slate, or any material which can be easily removed to allow access to the underground plumbing work. Also, it could be difficult to make repaired concrete deck match the finish (color & texture) of the rest of the pool deck.
Lol... loved the “do not use the phenol red” reagent as a dye test. That is an old school pool guy trick.
Use the phenol red. Who cares about a carcinogen in a pool. It's not like we put things like chlorine or acid in it anyway. I just would rely on that same bottle for an accurate ph reading ever again...
And he does put it in his mouth while underwater!
Before doing any of this you should check the skimmer baskets for cracks
So if your leak is under the concrete, it might be cheaper to just keep paying a little extra for lost water or collect rain water to use as a topping off water source.
Do you have other videos that shows how to find the leak within the return line?
I believe I have a leak because the pool is just being opened. We lower the water below all valves. All lines were blown out. Why would I fill the pool and then look for a leak if we know it is below skimmers and valves?
I have a pool so I watched this for useful information
Nice job, even fun to watch. Laughed at the pool toy leak test and gasped at the sideways fall!
As many comments I do not own a pool, yet I feel I learned something, which got you a subscriber. :)
Great video. Where can I get a syringe set up like you have so that I can perform that dye test? Thanks.
My pool company told me to turn off the pump and put polystyrene over the skimmer hole, poolside, to see if the water level goes down, because there’s a leak somewhere. I can’t see the sense in this nor how it would successfully block the water from the skimmer, it’s had a new vinyl liner put in. We now find there are leaks from the pipe going into the pump, joint going into the glass bead filter, and possibly the lid of the pump.
Phenol red IS NOT A CARCINOGEN. It is, in fact, designated a non-hazardous product by OSHA. Read the SDS sheet on it.
You’re right about it not being Carcinogen (not enough evidence gathered to support that claim from my research). Thanks for making me look into it further. It is however, something you don’t want a whole lot of in your pool water per the MSDS datasheets.scbt.com/sc-203752.pdf
Might want to use a large, low-profile bucket with a leak-proof reference rod inserted and protruding through the wall of the bucket. The low profile ensures that the sun, air/wind contact the water in the bucket most similar to the water in the pool (tall bucket walls protect water from sun & wind evaporation), and the sealed reference rod through the bucket wall minimizes errors when measuring 'inside water level' vs 'outside water level'.
If you really want to increase measurement accuracy, the color of the bucket could match the color of the pool to minimize temperature differences too, especially if the suspected leak is small.
I use JB waterweld on a lot of my pool things. Mostly the aboveground liner.
WE SUCCESSFULLY REPAIR A LOT OF LEAKS IN LONG ISLAND AREA ESPECIALLY POOLS THAT WHERE NOT WINTERIZE PROPERLY
Thank you for the warning about phenol
I don't own a Pool. But since I'm living in my parents "Basement" and they own a pool, I thought I would make myself useful.
For the bucket test you actually want to put the bucket on a lower step so that the water level is within 2-3 inches of the top of the bucket. This will take out the evaporation variable because there will be more access to wind.
That’s a good point. If you want to get RREEEALLLY precise, cut the top of the bucket to the exact water level and go from there.....Just don’t make any waves in the pool.
Where do i get the dye from ? What type of dye is it?
There’s a link in the video description you can click on.
Good info. I have a lined pool so some of it doesn't apply. But since I suspect a plumbing leak that's the part I interested in.
I'm loving the back yard. Its like the perfect size..
So you updated your picture to reflect your face mask for the FEAR for the Flu..?? How tacky was that ...
@@ACommenterOnUA-cam No... it just gangster ...
@Barry Monroy:
Which part is gangster ..?? The profile picture or the fact that you are in fear of the flu ..??
@@ACommenterOnUA-cam What flu...
@@barrymonroy7138 wow ... thay deserves a giant WTF to that
i cant count how many times ive had leak detection sent out to do bucket tests and to say there are no leaks. one way to know you have a significant leak is loss of stabilizer over a short period of time when there has not been heavy storms or overfilling
I almost didn't click this because of the clickbait thumbnail. Glad I did thanks for the helpful tips
Yeah but the thumbnail is the real deal. Thanks for watching and supporting us!
How great would that be to find a transparent bucket.
Well done. Clearly explained so it's easy to do!
Great video I've been needing to chase down a leak and now I know how, thx!
When you doing the bucket test do you have to shut off your pool?
For these modern pools where my water fill is located like some water fills is on the ground with like a little floater . Where I turned off that ?
I have little sand near one of the returns only and not at the other returns but the one also blows bubbles too only one that does that too.
Please help! We purchased a new pool liner and now use his service at the end of the last season. When the new pool company opened the pool it was almost empty. We never had this problem before. After it was filled the liner was all over the place, wrinkles and pulled away from the sides. He found a hole, repaired it and stretched it. Now, it is still leaking and I notice when you step on edges it doesn't fit against the edges at bottom. I feel like I am walking. on something that is going to tear and am afraid for people to be in the pool and might ruin the liner on top of it still losing water. Now, the pool guy wants us to call a leak detection company at $650 an hour. We will only be reimbursed if it is his fault. The pool guy said it is a leak behind the wall. Yet we didn't have this previously. Can you please tell us what to do? We are desperate
The bucket test has to be done while the pool is filled to the middle of the tile. The low water level may not change after a certain amount of water has leaked due to the weight of the water and gravity. When the skimmer is sucking air like that the system will not be fully pressurized.
All 70 people that dislike probably want a pool but don’t have one ☝️
Holy crow! Great video! Thank you! Way better to be prepared and knowledgeable before calling for help. I have always compared a line drawn at the skimmer with the solar cover on and again tested with the solar cover off to account for evaporation. Your tests make sense and fool proof. No guessing. I called for help many years ago and I thankfully didn’t have money to rip up the cement decking as they suggested because after I researched, and researched I found out it was a filter gasket. Easy inexpensive change. It took me such a long time though. Almost gave up on keeping my pool! Those people who did that to me should be put out of business!
Great video! Good information delivered in an entertaining way.
FRED "Okay, he got it off - the main drain cover - look now!"
BILL: "Hooo boy, lookit all that green algae!"
FRED: "He put together a real organized, easy-to-follow video, surely he's gonna clean that algae off, and..."
BILL: "He's reaching for the lid now, Fred...."
FRED: "Oh my god! - he's puttin' the lid back on...he ain't doin no cleanup!"
BILL: "Fred we need to do a intervention here - call his kinfolk and git them ready..."
.
.
Would we clean the algae out of it we’re a customer’s pool? Always. Period.
Best friend’s pool? That’s too much work, even if the whole world is going to see it.
@@SwimmingPoolAZ-SPS The humorous parts of the video, and then the circumspect, conscientious editing of the video to say 'we would clean the algae' hit my funny bone, I couldn't resist commenting. Cheers!
Good vibes my dude. I'm digging the leak detection/murder-suicide podcast format. Who has the screenplay rights?
Thanks dude. Great info. Just what I needed
‘If there is more water in your pool than the bucket, then someone is messing around with you and goofing your test’. I died 😂😂😂👏👏👏
Someone is peeing in the pool.
@@stargazer7644 😂
Ok, so how do you fix it ?
Stupid is' is stupid does! TRASH BAGS, yes the fast and simplest way is using plastic sheet material or trash bags. #1. Turn off all valves/ pumps. #2. Place a trash bag at each skimmer. #3. Using a pool pole, place a trash bag at each drain, keep the pole atop the trash bag so it will not float to the surface. wait 10 minutes and see which areas are sucking the trash bag into drain/ skimmer. That is where you start looking, usually it is a coupling that came apart from the ground shifting, a simple fix using rubber coupling with stainless steel hose clamps can fix the problem. I have come behind plumbers trying to charge thousand$ and have been able to lower the co$t to hundred$. Color Dyes don't work when the leak is not on the surface of the ground. Also if the leak has been ongoing for a long period of time, you might wish use a cable cam or a visual to check for a crevasse/ cavity beneath the pool. There may be a looming sink hole that can cause death and property damage. I once did a repair and we pumped in a truckload of sand/ 14 yards and it all disappeared. The owner of the Apartments sold the property immediately after the discovery.
7:13
I can only imagine how many questions that statement generated!
Swimming Pool Science. Aaah Thanks. The guys that worked on my pool are coming sometime tomorrow. The huge enorme de grande communal pool two roads in front of me, that has been being fixed for months is due to be finished tomorrow. I may just go and throw myself in that.
Marilyn, We’d love to see a picture of your pool. Would you email us a picture? Swimmingpoolscience@hotmail.com
Don't forget to look at the sight glass and if it's full while on filter it means the spider gasket is no good, change spider gasket. It is sending the water out the waste and backwash pipe
Getting ready to put Ruby glass in one of my filters. Less material and works better.
So THAT'S what that's for
An interesting discovery I use to get bubbles in my returns but the other day I was away for a few days so i filled pool up to bottom of the bull nose but above the tile so pretty high up above the mouth of the skimmer. Noticed no bubbles in my returns or in the pumps basket unbelievable but how?
If you have bubbles in your returns you are sucking in air. If your water level is good and you still have them it is time to more further with the suction side plumbing. The seal on the top of pump, or the joints around before the pump can be a cause. The pipes have a negative pressure so they'll suck in air when pump is running, leak when it is off.
Your pool didn't have enough water. It was sucking in air (re: bubbles from the jets). You filled it to an appropriate level, hence no bubbles. This also happens from evaporation. If there's not enough water to allow proper circulation through the pump then you'll get bubbles from your jets as the pump cycles and sucks water like a waterfall into your skimmer...which means your pump isn't running fully immersed with water...which is necessary at all times. If you let that continue, be ready to pay up to $1,000 for a new pump, and probably the equivalent amount a pool guy will gut you for the install.
I have a leak in my pool somewhere and the company that installed the surface can’t find it. I’m losing water at a significant rate. The lady tells me that it’s somewhere in the pipes but the water won’t drain that low. It only drains to about 1/2 inch below the tile line.
Simple science tells me if it stops draining then the leak is above the point that the water drains to?? She is telling me that isn’t the case.
If that’s as far as it goes, that’s where the leak is. Could be 1 of 2 things, the skimmer, or a suction line could have a hair line crack that only leaks when the system is shut off and the crack is at the same level under ground as “1/2 inch below the tile line”. Suction side leaks will draw air when the system is running (or pull shut) and seep water when the system is off. Maybe run your system for a couple days straight and see if the water continues to leak, if it does, then it’s something along the pool structure itself.
Swimming Pool Science she has tried looking in the light fixture, in the main drain, and the skimmer. Nothing. I’m suspecting it is somewhere where the tile meets the new surface. I ordered my own dye tester and it will be here tomorrow. I’ll find it with or without her. Thanks for the response.
@@petermontgomery7323 Ultimately you need you have the plumbing pressure tested. In the meantime you can plug the suction and return lines with system OFF for a few days and see if the water level drops at the same rate. Good luck.
@Peter, what Moving Water Swimming Pool Tile Cleaning said.
Swimming Pool Science I ended up finding the leak myself and it has been fixed. There was a crack under the lip in the skimmer where the basket sits.
The dye kit is not (quickly) available in Canada. Is there any other kind of dye that could be found locally?
Food coloring
Great video Josh, opened my eyes wider...
Thanks man!
I busted out laughing when you slowly fell into the pool 😂
Please come to NJ and find and fix my leak!!!
Hello. I wish to ask which color or what did you use in checking.
Dark blue/purple. White shoe polish slightly diluted with water works food in dark areas.
What if the water stops right above the tile all the time, doesn’t go lower then that
Yep, just confirmed I'll be paying a leak detection professional if this happens, lol.
The bucket test only needs 24 hrs for an accurate result. You need to fill the bucket to the top to compare evaporation between the two vessels, I put masking tape inside the skimmer and mark the water level with a pencil.
Why would you fill the bucket to the top it clearly says just make them the same. Save yourself the measurements and then you can just look at it and tell if they are not the same. Also if it rains they would still be the same unlike filling your bucket to the top.
@@jessereagan2340 in my case i dont have a step in my pool so this is helpful on how to do it without putting the bucket in the pool.
How do you hold your breath under water for so long?
Fixing the leak. That's the info needed. Could be costly I imagine.
No you just get some sealant and some spare liner and just paste it over the hole
@@CountryKyle007 This would not work on the return line if the leak is in the line itself and not the liner.
When did you mention that the homeowner should turn off their autofill prior to the bucket test? ;)
Twice around three minutes
Urination into the pool will not reflect the same amount of urination into the leak detector bucket. Just a little FYI
If you can’t find the leak… it’s in the skimmer. Really hard to find and fix
where did u get the long hypo to dye check for leaks???
lmk thanx
There’s a link in the description to purchase one
don't forget to check the hydrostatic relief valve - mine was leaking
If you have them, absolutely!
@@SwimmingPoolAZ-SPS
My Pool just started leaking after I brushed it thoroughly and shocked it to kill some generic green algae. The ONLY times it's ever leaked (twice) in the past was due to the hydrostatic valve, BUT it was replaced ONLY a year ago. Is is possible that some stirred - up debris caused it to malfunction? And what's the best way to troubleshoot the hydrostatic valve issue? Again, since it's so new, I thought my hydrostatic valve issues were OVER!!😀 Thanks.
Charlie S. Dye testing the HSRV will tell you right away if that’s the culprit. If it is and it’s that new, I’d imagine it should be covered under warranty.
@@SwimmingPoolAZ-SPS
Thanks for the info- I appreciate it. I'm still trying to figure out why the hydrostatic valve would be an issue, as WE haven't had much rain and the valve is so new?? Any ideas?!
# Head scratcher😀
Guy can hold his breath!
Thank you!!!!... that was amazingly helpful
If you have a below deck leak, where is the water going? Wouldn’t it eventually cause a sink hole, deck cracking, soil erosion, that sort of thing??
If it’s big enough, sure! We repaired a pool that had a void big enough for 3 or 4 people to fit into about 2 years back....that too a pretty healthy flow though. If the water is seeping it may not be strong enough to displace soil, just cost you an arm and a leg in water and chems!
Did you charge the customer for all that time to find the leak?and if you did ,how much? Two or three days to find a leak when you have full days of cleaning pools..how do you manage that?
Dallas Tx ... I doubt he stands there waiting for the water to go down. More likely a service trip then go back in a few days to see what's happening.
thank you for this informative video it helped me a lot ..
How bout how to fix the leak
Very helpful Josh, thank you. But how the heck did you stay under the water? I kept floating back upward. LOL
He had on a weight belt.
Personally, I used my husband’s 25lb dumbbell (rubberized) sitting next to the drain, so I could go down and grab onto that with one hand while I used the screwdriver with the other hand! lol
I really want to see a pool repair now
shouldn't the water level in the bucket start off much higher so that wind can actually affect its evaporation? not saying you don't have a leak in this pool, but the test should be better
Family, murder suicide isn't good for business.
What?
@@zc5275 Did you even watch the beginning of the video?
Don’t use food coloring for the dye. I turned my whole pool pink
Oof, well at least it’s organic food dye right?
Screenshot starts at 8:10