Introduction

A leaking pool is one of those pool problems that is hard to notice until it causes major expenses in your water bills or equipment repairs. The good news is you can check for a potential leak yourself in just one afternoon, and all you need is a bucket. This guide walks you through what causes pool leaks, how to spot one, and what to do about it.

Key Takeaways

• Pool leaks usually start at fittings, seals and the liner on your pool

• Best way to identify if you have a leak is with a bucket test

• Losing more than a quarter inch a day is a red flag and a sign of a pool leak

• Some of the leaks you can patch yourself, most you should not

• If the water in your pool keeps dropping rapidly, call a professional

What Causes a Pool to Leak?

Most pool leaks don't come from a dramatic crack in your pool structure. They come from the small stuff that wears out slowly over years of use, such as:

• Worn seals around lights, jets and fittings

• Cracks in the plaster or tears in a vinyl liner

• Loose or split plumbing underground

• A failing seal on the pump or filter

It is important to know these usual suspects places, because this will make finding the leak a lot less challenging and you will know exactly what to look for.

Is It a Leak or Just Evaporation?

Every pool loses some water to evaporation, so a dropping level isn't proof of anything on its own. The trick is telling normal water loss from a pool leak.

A normal pool loses somewhere around a 1/4 inch a day to evaporation, and maybe even more in a heatwave. Anything faster than that, and it's worth doing the bucket test below to be sure whether it is a leak or not.

How Do I Do the Bucket Test?

The bucket test is the simplest way to know if you have a leak or not, and it costs you nothing but an afternoon. All you need to know about bucket test is that it compares your pool's water loss to a bucket sitting right next to it.

• Fill a bucket and set it on a pool step

• Mark the water level inside and outside the bucket

• Leave it 24 hours with the pump running as normal

• Compare the two drops the next day

If the pool dropped more than the bucket, the difference is your leak. Because both lost the same to evaporation, so anything extra is water escaping.

Where Are Pool Leaks Usually Hiding?

Once you know you have a leak, a few spots are worth checking before anything else. These are where the vast majority turn up.

• Around the skimmer and its throat

• At the light housing and return jets

• Along the waterline tile and any cracks

• At the equipment pad, pump and filter

Look for damp ground, sinking spots, or air bubbles coming back through the jets. Those are the tell-tale signs of where water is getting out.

What Should I Do if I Find A Pool Leak?

What you do next depends entirely on where the leak is. Some are a quick fix, and some you really shouldn't tackle yourself if you don't know what you're doing.

• Tighten or replace a worn fitting seal

• Use a vinyl patch kit on a small liner tear

• Leave plumbing and structural cracks to a pro

• Never drain the pool to "have a look"

Draining a pool to inspect it is how a small leak becomes a cracked shell or a pool that floats out of the ground.

When Should I Call a Professional?

Some leaks are just not worth chasing on your own, especially the ones you can't see. That's usually underground plumbing or anything structural.

• The water keeps dropping after simple fixes

• You suspect an underground plumbing leak

• There are cracks in the shell or deck

• You'd need to drain the pool to reach it

A leak detection specialist can pinpoint it without tearing anything up, which saves you guessing and digging in the wrong place.

The Bottom Line

If your pool is losing more than a quarter inch a day, run the bucket test before you do anything else. It tells you in 24 hours whether you've got a real leak or just a hot week.

If the water keeps dropping and you can't find why, that's the point to call someone. Paradise Pool Service handles leak detection across Fairfax, McLean, Arlington, Alexandria and Washington DC, with a free on site quote before any work starts.