flatlander

What about a RV supplier? Sounds to me like its a similar system to what is used in pop up campers/trailers for tables.

It's really not that difficult for your husband to do - a bit time consuming and a pain in the neck though. He can try recaulking it but I'm guessing in the end the connection is failing and that is why it is leaking. In the long run it will be better to fix it right. And that advice is coming from a guy who prefers to take the short cuts

You should be able to fix it yourself. Is the drip near an elbow or other connection? If so there is probably a loose fitting/connection and all you may need to do is go around and tighten the clamps that hold the fittings together. If there are no clamps or it is in a middle section of pipe you can try to use a two part epoxy. Most hardware stores will sell the stuff. If you think the pipe is broken or the elbow is completely cracked you should replace the section. Chance are if one fitting is shot most of the others will need replacing soon. It is not a huge job but can be a bit labor intensive. You will need to figure out how much pipe you'll need and how many fittings/elbows are required. Shut your pump off and isolate the length of leaky pipe. If the run of pipe is 6 feet or less between cracks/connections you may as well change the whole length and the fittings at each end otherwise use a hand saw to cut about 6" to a foot on either side of the leak. Slip a connector fitting into one of the sawn ends and another into the next section slip your O clamps onto the connections - it may be overkill but I like to use two clamps above and below any connection which means you will need 8 clamps for a fix like this. Measure and cut the length of pipe you need and slip it onto each end of the connectors and slide into place. A little dish soap helps to slide the pipe onto the fitting. Tighten the clamps down and turn the pump back on. You may notice some drips at the new connections. Simply tighten the clamps until they disappear. You should be able to buy all the materials you need at a hardware store like Home Depot - they may even offer installation advice or have a handyman who can help you out cheaper than the pool store. Good Luck

Thanks for the advice but there is no pool lights and I've already ruled out the lines with pressure testing. I was still not convinced so last year I plugged all in-ground lines and ran alternate lines overland and still lost the same amount. The leaking seems to have slowed since if filled the pool yesterday but I did lose about 1/2" overnight. I am narrowing it down to one of three problems - grout/tile related, a leak around the skimmer opening (between the tiles and the actual skimmer) simply because this is the area that I have open and can see the water leaching through the dirt or a fatal crack around the ring of the basin at about the bottom of the tile. Any thoughts??? Thanks

I have an older (mid 60's built) in-ground pool it has a cement finish (possibly gunite I don't really know the difference) in the basin with 12 inches of 1"x1" tiles around the top of the basin. This is about even with where the skimmer is. For the last few years I have been losing more water than I should through normal splashing and evaporation. It started out as 1-2 inches a week and is now about 6-8 inches every 36 hours - We can't go away for a weekend or else the level drops to the point that we lose prime. I have done a number of tests including evaporation, pressure and even running intake and out let lines overland. Last fall when I was shutting the pool down for the season I flipped the pump breaker and let the pool sit for few days. The level dropped to just below the skimmer and held at that point for a couple weeks. I had to use a pump to finish draining the water to the level where we leave it for the winter. This spring I was advised to dig below the skimmer to see if there was a fitting loose or pipe cracked. I have cut the cement decking and dug about 24 inches (to a point just below where the skimmer return line elbows to the pumphouse.) I filled the pump, return line and skimmer. My water level in the basin was still a good 18 inches lower below the outlets. The water level in the pump/line/skimmer remained the same for several days. There was not even a sweat on the fittings/line that was exposed. The clay in the hole I dug dried out fairly well. I was then told to fill the pool to the normal level to see what happens - and here is where things get interesting... I could see the water weeping through the dirt into the hole (not coming from the skimmer/pipe) almost as soon as the water started hitting the tiles. In about an hour the hole was filled and by the next morning the water level dropped to below the skimmer again. There is about 2-3 inches of tiles below the skimmer and as soon as the level hit the last tile the draining stopped. Overall the tiles seem to be in pretty good shape and the grout seems to be solid. One problem area is the tiles ontop (coping) of the deck between the pool edge and cement decking. There are a couple areas around the pool where the tiles have lifted. Last year I took the loose ones out and fixed the area with a "stonehard" type product. My patches seem to have wintered well but I am noticing another area of deck tiles lifting across from the original problem spot. I checked around with the pool shops and tile companies and it was suggested perhaps the grout around the tiles needed to be resealed - since it is a fairly cheap easy fix I tried it. I also used some premixed over the counter grout from the hardware store to fill in a couple areas where I thought there was less grout than there should have been. One of these areas is at the mouth of the skimmer - I regrouted the entire opening of the skimmer. I refilled the pool to the normal level and while the hole behind the skimmer has filled up it does seem like it is at a slower rate. The water level also seems to be dropping but perhaps at a slower pace. I am close to making the decision and start knocking the whole thing out. Does anyone have any suggestions of what the problem may be or what other options I have to keep this pool running? Thanks