I've had a pool leak for over a year now. Before the leak and when the house was empty my water bill was $35 (Florida). With the leak when the house is empty it varies $65 to $90. Paid $295 for a company to come out and check for leaks and that price includes patching. Guy found some cracking in the skimmer, two inch long cracks. He said they are too large to repair and wants $1800 to bust up the concrete and replace the whole skimmer. Is this a rip off? If the $295 inspection includes patching, how small does the crack have to be to patch? I was thinking of just using windshield urethane on the cracks. That stuff sticks to anything and is obviously waterproof seeing it seals windshields.
Any pool owners have experience with leaks?
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I just talked to my pool service guys about this very same issue. In fact he said "expect to pay about $300 to check for a leak". Uncanny eh?
Anyway, we have had an exceptionally cool and very dry winter here in central Florida, and I found myself having to add water about every 2 - 3 weeks! Much higher usage than normal.
Now, combine that with solar heating panels, which I should have turned off but didn't, and you have a HUGE evaporation issue.
It's unlikely that you have a leak, but if there is one other single place to look, it will be at the connection of the conduit to the submerged pool lighting.
Anyway, we have had an exceptionally cool and very dry winter here in central Florida, and I found myself having to add water about every 2 - 3 weeks! Much higher usage than normal.
Now, combine that with solar heating panels, which I should have turned off but didn't, and you have a HUGE evaporation issue.
It's unlikely that you have a leak, but if there is one other single place to look, it will be at the connection of the conduit to the submerged pool lighting.
Well, the water does drop an inch a day if the automatic filler is off so that's more than evaporation.
Do you have an auto fill on the pool? I’d guess you know there’s a leak if the water bill went up that much. One way to check is the overnight water loss using a bucket as the control. Then you can see how much the pool level drops vs how much the bucket loses and you take the sun out of the equation. I think I’d try some urethane or something on the skimmer first. If it doesn’t work, you’re back to replacing the skimmer anyways.
Edit-saw your post about the auto fill as I was typing. 1” a day in Florida is definitely a leak.
Edit 2-your address is visible in the bid if that concerns you at all.
Edit-saw your post about the auto fill as I was typing. 1” a day in Florida is definitely a leak.
Edit 2-your address is visible in the bid if that concerns you at all.
After a two year experience with owning a pool my advice is the same with boats. Become friends with someone who has one.
It's part of owning a house in Florida similar to having a heated driveway in New England. You don't really need it, but it's very nice to have when you do.
Thats about right for a good repair job and new replacement skimmer. I wouldnt do it for less myself, and was happy to pay that watching the guy do the work.
You can try to fix it yourself with this or that, but the whole area is likely moving around expanding and contracting and any temp repair likely won't last long.
Pools here in Dallas are money pits because of the soil. Its not if you'll have a cracked pipe but when (same with foundations) my BIL had a cracked skimmer and pipe I set him back almost 10K. Pool repair guys must be making major bank after this last freeze, most pool equipment froze and so did most pools. $1800 seems low to me.
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