How to Find a Pool Leak Like a PRO! (pt. 3) | Suction Leaks 

I've done a lot of research on learning how to care for my pool. I really like the way mark explains everything! I feel like I'm his personal student and I even take notes. Thank you to whoever decided that he do these videos and it helps me out. I have let go, three different pool guys, based on them telling me something false, or that I needed something that didn't need to be done. So, I decided to learn my system and eventually hire someone after I learned all that I needed to know. I then went back to watch all his other videos and I just want to say thank you X's 1000. I thought I knew enough and coming across listening to the Mark explains it all, one makes me wish he was local, so I can pick his brain personally, but two he articulates everything so well, and know I feel like I understand my system better. Just like that! Thank you, Hallmark and Mark! I subscribed and I now, I won't need to look anywhere else for assistance.

Important point IMO that should be brought up is that with modern pool pumps people are putting on pools now are WAY more powerful and variable speed. Yet many older pools have smaller 1.5" PVC lines and restrictive flow paths. So if you go closing a main drain and are only feeding the pump with a single 1.5" pipe from a skimmer, you can starve your pump and end up with air because the pump is pumping at such a high GPM and that 1.5" line cant match the GPM. To make it worse most VS pumps start woth a prime stage where it runs by default at its highest RPM so its max GPM.

This is by far the best vide I have seen on showing exactly what is happening with the suction lines and hydrostatic valves. I thank you for your time and great delivery. it all makes sense.

Definitely helps tremendously. Thank your for your time doing all this videos. I replastered my pool I February this year and had a succion leak underground due to a bad job from people that move the equipment to o other place and the pump was sucking air when it was in spa mode. Did all the test when the pump was off and I was loosing almost 2” every 24 hours. I started digging and found the leak. I still loose water but not as much as I was before but all this information is very much appreciated.

I love the clarity of your videos. I learn so much.

Great video! Thank you sir.

Don’t overlook the possibility that the pump simply has more horsepower than the return lines (suction side lines) can match. Remember the pump can push water out at very high pressure and speed but return flow is generated by ambient air pressure which is only 14 psi. This could result in cavitation in the pump chamber so that those bubbles are water vapour created by the resultant vacuum in the chamber, not air bubbles from a leak. If you have a VS pump try gradually dialling down the RPM until inbound flow can keep up with outbound push. (By all means also check for leaks, clogged lines and closed valves.)

That's great information and your video is very well done, you're a natural educator. On to find my suction side leak.

Best easy to understand explanation

Thank you sir!

EXCELLENT THANK YOU!

Very easy explanation

You are amazing! Well spoken and very informative. I love your channel, thank you so much for doing these videos!

You are a GEM!!

Excellent

Thanks from Montréal

Hi Mark, Thank you so much for this informative video. I'm actually in the process of elimination, trying to pinpoint where I may have a leak. When the skimmer is turned on (only), the water level inside the pump drops creating air. I also get considerable bubbles in one of the suction lines. Other suction lines only turn on when the main drain line is on, but there are no bubbles. I will have a professional leak detection company come over on Thursday and hopefully they can figure out if I have a leak or an obstruction in the skimmer line. Fingers crossed! If you are ever looking for new ideas to make videos, please make a video about what would be the ideal pool equipment setup (I will be need to update my equipment soon since it is old) that would be easiest to maneuver (for a single lady), I currently have 2 pumps one for the pool and the other one for the infinity overflow, both pump lids are so hard to open, it's ridiculous! Also, I haven't had lock finding a leaf catcher for my barracuda that will be easy to open and clean; and not break easily. Thanks again for the videos, your knowledge is a blessing to all of us who are trying to learn about pools.

Learned a lot thank you! Didnt even know what each pipe was for. We have 3 (I'm assuming 2 drain and 1 skimmer) if I can see the water pooling up as the pump runs around one of the pipes, skimmer?

Hi Mark, Your videos are so informative, clear and easy to follow so thank you. When I put my pump on recirculate it removes all air bubbles form the strainer basket. If I then change to filter it gradually allows air bubbles back in. Not a great deal but obviously an issue. I appear to be loosing a very small amount of water overnight but only about 3 mm. Do you think this is a suction leak or a leak within the filter/pump? I am in Sydney Australia and love your You Tube videos !!

Thank you for your informative videos. You are the best Ive watched! I have an inground pool/jacuzzi. When all the equipment is turned off, the jacuzzi drains until the first jet. note- its draining out the main drain to the street (trickle). Once past the first jet, leak stops. Once the pool is running, the water then gushes (solid flow) out to the main drain to the street. Could this be a suction leak from the main drain?

Thanks Mark! This is very helpful. I am trying to find an answer online but not able to - there is lot of grit i find in the strainer basket( the moment pump starts) and one of the return line ( we have 2 return lines) is not giving enough water into the pool. Also there are lot of bubbles in both the return line. I suspect there is leak in skimmer line ( coz it is bringing in grit with water?) . We have no suction line. Appreciate your response.

Hello Mark, thank you for all of you videos. The amount of water that I loss in my pool fluctuates from day to day. It could be one inch in 24 hours, then 6 inches in 24 hours without the pool running. Any suggestions?

I have a jandy valve on the suction side which splits the skimmer and main drains to the pump. When both skimmer and main drains are open at the same time there is no air and pump runs good. When eitherthe skimmer or main drains are on separately, air gets in the pump lid basket and pump becomes noisy.

Hi Mark, I've plugged the drain line with the expandable plug. Just wondering if I am able to use the vacuum without the drain line? If I turn the drain valve back on with the drain plugged, will the suction for the vacuum still work? Or does the drain valve need to stay off now that the plug is in? Thanks for your help!

When my pump is running, I can clearly see water seeping out of my lawn near my skimmer. The leakage stop whenever the pump stops. The pool will hold water for days as long as the pump is not running. What would be your guess? Thanks!

Mark we are having an issue where when we try to vacuum our pool the pressure gauge goes to zero and there’s no suction to clean. We have bubbles in the pool and air in the black box that you screw in each side and has a square basket in it. We do not have a bottom drain and only one skimmer. Our pool is fiberglass. Any suggestions?

Mark, thank you so much for organized, systemeatic, and thorough explainations about all poosible pool leaks. However, I have a few questions which I hope you can help. 1: I have only one suction line to the pump, instead two in your example, with two skimmers . My skimers have two outlets but one of them has no suction or plugged. My understanding is that one outlet goes to the suction line and the other joins with the drain line at the bottom of the pool. Since only one of them has suction, what is possible configuration: joining with the bottom drain pipe or join in the middel of the suction line and then combined into one? 2: In my case, the drain line is critical for the suction and I should not plug the drain inlet. Is this correct? 3. I'm trying to locate a small leak from the return line to the pool based on the wet ground area when the pump is running. Can I use a sewer inspection camera coming in from a return to the pool to inspect the possible leak backward to the pump? 4. Do you recommend a quick fix such as Fix-A-Leak to seal the small crack or should I cut the concrete to fix the crack permanently?

Is there no way to patch a broken drain line from the bottom of the pool without having to dig up the pool?

I’ve been watching your videos for about a year now. I’ve tried every option (I believe) and still at a loss. I’ve been losing water like crazy. I’ve tried all of the closing off skimmers, returns, the drain with the things you twist in and mark the water line etc. no matter what I do I’m losing inches of water a day and it’s getting very expensive. I have an in ground pool with a line and have patched a couple of small holes years ago that never seemed to be a problem. Today I went around again with the pool leak detected dye and the returns and everything seems fine. I’ve turned off the pump now and the heater and the water is about two feet below the skimmers. Ugh. I’m at a loss. Any ideas????

Hi Mark, I always have an air bubble at the top of my pump lid about 1"x2.5". Does this mean I have an air leak? Also, I have a Jandy DE filter and I have replaced the manifold, all of the grids and the upspout O-ring but I appear to be getting either DE or sand/dirt back into the pool still. We replastered the pool last September. What can it possibly be? Thanks in advance! Ron

Suction side leak. I have air bubbles although small like champagne bubbles coming out of the return in the pool, the sight glass on the pump shows a lot of turbulence and air. I've tried foaming soap around all the fittings, and put a new lid seal/o-ring on the pump, isolated the skimmer and main drain lines and there's no difference. The area around the suction lines coming out of the ground is always damp. I'm fearing I may have a leak under ground.

What if you plug skimmer and don't have a drain but still losing water?

Where to get thease plugs

Why do you say you cannot run a pool without a skimmer? I have seen it done.