I have an in ground pool which has been losing water too fast recently (about an inch a day). The water level will drop until it is below the skimmer basket, and then it's a more reasonable loss rate (closer to an inch a week).
After poking around online for ideas we found the suggestion to tighten the screws that hold the basket to see if that would help (cheaper than calling the pool company and easy to do). I found the to be quite loose, and hand tightened them a half-turn to a full turn, but not as far as I am able to turn them. It has helped, but the pool it still loses water at about 1/4 inch a day.
How tight should those screws be? Is there a risk that I'll over tighten them and damage the liner or require some other more expensive repair.
Best Answer
I ended up speaking with a pool leak detection company, and they answered this question for me.
Basically, yes you can over tighten the screws, but not if you're careful. Their suggestion was to always hand-tighten the screws until they are "wrist tight" (as noted in the comments above, formal measurements are not available). The screws should be good and snug, but don't push too hard. The screws and threads are designed to hold up to a bit of pressure so they are not likely to strip easily. Do not use power tools (not that most people have waterproof power screw drivers but still), a torque bar, or other things in an attempt to gain lots of pressure.
It's also worth noting that local pool companies (in South Carolina, US) rarely remember to check to screws on the basket, and it's one of the most common sources of leaks around here. An easy way to save water, and a couple hundred bucks in a leak detection fee, is to check the screws on the skimmer at the start of each season.