Swimming Pool Leak Problem!

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telboy
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Swimming Pool Leak Problem!

Postby telboy » Wed Mar 15, 2017 3:54 pm

I look after a pool (cleaning/small maintenance) for our neighbours who live in the UK. I recently discovered on my last visit that the pool was half empty, literally, their pool is approx 8x4m with a depth of 1.5m throughout, I believe it has lost around 25,000sq ltrs of water. I can see a thin crack about 2mm wide running down the middle half way along and half way down to the pool light, After a simple coloured ink test I discovered the water loss is at the crack.

I've researched a few answers to the problem on google/youtube. Has anyone on the forum encountered any similar problem :?:

cheers

terry

TorreDelAguila
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Re: Swimming Pool Leak Problem!

Postby TorreDelAguila » Wed Mar 15, 2017 8:39 pm

A soundly constructed pool will consist of concrete sides and base, with a substantial 'cage' of reinforcing steel embedded in the concrete, cast in one pouring. It should not crack or open up, but might undergo slight change in dimensions during the early years of life. This shouldn't result in anything worse than a hairline/narrow gaps opening up between the mosaic tiles. I would class your 2mm crack as one of these. 4mm or more is something much more serious, structurally.

Pools often leak through low-quality or ageing grout applied badly between the tiles, and pool water disappearing slowly through these joints, and soaking away into the underlying concrete. The use of acid aggravates grout deterioration.

The cure for your 2mm crack is to either grout it with epoxy grout (eg Technokolla Epostuk), or to more speedily plug it with (white) polurethane adhesive/filler (eg Henkel PU...) which is also elastic. Both adhere really well to clean and dry surfaces, which standard grout does not - it just sits in the groove.
Chris

probe
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Re: Swimming Pool Leak Problem!

Postby probe » Thu Mar 16, 2017 1:32 pm

We had a similar problem 18 months ago. We drained the pool and removed the tiles around the leak and as we removed the tiles discovered many more cracks. With the tiles off this could then be properly repaired retiled and filled again. We haven't had a problem since.

Its worth giving the cracks a go but I would recommend getting to the root of it and sorting properly.

Probe

TorreDelAguila
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Re: Swimming Pool Leak Problem!

Postby TorreDelAguila » Thu Mar 16, 2017 9:10 pm

If you jetwash the pool, any loose tiles will fall off, making it easy to identify weak spots.

It's only the tiles and the grout between them which stop water leaking away. The concrete 'case' of the pool is essentially porous, and any cracks in it don't help. Chlorinated water seeping into the concrete will also corrode its reinforcing steel.

Water will not pass through the mosaic tiles, because they are normally glass, but it will seep through poor or weak grouting. The trouble with standard grouting is that it doesn't adhere well to glass mosaics - it just sits in the gaps. Only permanent solution, as said, is epoxy grout, which adheres to the tiles like no tomorrow.
Chris

Rummii
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Re: Swimming Pool Leak Problem!

Postby Rummii » Tue Apr 18, 2017 5:58 pm

CT 1 apparently can be put on while pool is full of water !!!!
Do not know how good it is but saw a trade show with it while in uk and have used it on waste water pipes extra , obviously this is not addressing root cause but may be a quick fix for now

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el.once
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Re: Swimming Pool Leak Problem!

Postby el.once » Fri Apr 21, 2017 4:39 pm

Although it will possibly not solve the cause, but maybe the leak (at the moment) you get a product called FIXALEAK (google it). It is poured into the running system (a full pool), if possible close to the crack (in case you have spotted the possible location) and will seal it (there will take place a chemical process when the product gets in contact with air). They had it (at least previously) in SANAXA (Vélez-Málaga). Not cheap, but if it solves the problem, the cost is ridiculous.
If there is a more serious problem, that requires localization of the problem and/or building work, you might contact
Leak-Tec
29713 Los Romanes (Malaga)
+34 666 65 98 76
[email protected]
http://www.leak-tec.com/


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