10 Scary Facts About Pool Leaks | Leak Science

If you’re a pool owner, you need to know about these 10 scary facts about pool leaks.

Pools come in many different shapes and sizes and contain thousands of gallons of water. This means that if a leak occurs, it can lead to a substantial amount of damage. Whether your Scottsdale pool itself is damaged or your Phoenix or Mesa home has a leaking pipe, or the plumbing lines to the pool are leaking, the repair must be addressed as soon as possible.

If left unchecked, pool leaks may be highly costly, regardless of their size or location. Leaks in the pool liner, shell, and piping are all possibilities. If you suspect your pool is leaking, pool leak detection is necessary, and you should call a pool repair service as soon as possible. They’ll conduct a pool leak detection test and repair your pool before it sustains more harm.
 
10 Scary Facts About Pool Leaks
 

Signs of a Pool Leak

Pool leaks aren’t always obvious and can build up slowly over time. Luckily, there are a few warning signs you can look out for that indicate you may have a leak.
 

Your Pool is Losing Water

You most likely have a leak if the water level in your pool has decreased more than it should. A high water bill is a reliable indicator of a leak in pools that automatically fill with water. Regardless of the style of pool you have, wasting and replacing lost water may be costly and hazardous to the environment.
 

Your Pool Requires More Chemicals

Treated water seeping out and untreated water being utilized to replace it is a common cause of an increase in chemical demand for maintaining balanced pool water. Algae development is another sign that treated water has been lost because of a leak.
 

Structural Issues

The expense of repairing structural damage caused by leaks can be quite high. The pool may develop cracks, and the pool or pool floor may settle into the earth, causing more damage. A plumbing leak might result in mechanical problems with your pool, such as damage to the pumps. Another indicator of an underground plumbing leak is unusually moist grass.

Pool leaks can be caused by a variety of factors, including improper pool winterization or typical pool wear and tear over time. Even a minuscule pool leak may seriously harm your pool’s construction, plumbing, mechanical systems, and water quality over time. Leak detection in your pool may save you money on repairs and maintenance.
 

10 Scary Facts About Pool Leaks

1) Pool Leaks Are Not Always Obvious

 
Here are 2 ways you can find them:
 

If you’ve taken care of your pool before, you might feel confident enough to try these leak detection procedures on your own. When it comes to locating and repairing leaks, however, we always recommend hiring an expert. This guarantees that your leak is repaired quickly and properly so that you don’t have to deal with it again.

If you want to know how to discover a leak in a pool, there are various places to look. First and first, look for apparent problems such as a clogged filter, heater, pump, or pipe valves. Check for cracks in the regions around your pool if there is any standing water. The water might be coming from the filter, heater, pump, or pipe valves if it’s near pool equipment.
 

The Bucket Test

You’ll need the following items: 
  • A bucket with a capacity of 5 gallons
     
  • A black marker or duct tape (to mark the bucket) 
 
Step 1: Using a permanent marker (or tape)

Fill the bucket with water to match the pool’s water level and place it on the second step of your pool. Mark the water line on the inside of the bucket with the marker or tape.
 
Step 2:

Turn off the pump and any other automatic-refilling devices you might have.

Step 3:

Return in 24 hours to check on the pool’s water level. You’re losing water to evaporation if the pool water and the water within the bucket have both dropped but are still level. If the pool water level is lower than the bucket level, there is a leak in your system.
 

The Dye Test

If you can’t do the bucket test, there’s another way to use dye to identify a leak in a pool. What you’ll need is the following:
 
  • Goggles
     
  • A Leak Detection Dye for Snorkeling (or red food coloring). 
 
Step 1:

Allow the pool to drain completely. If the pool stops emptying, there’s a leak someplace near the top. The leak is at the bottom of your pool if the water drains to the bottom. If your water drains to the bottom, you’ll need to add water to make this test function correctly. Be careful to not empty a vinyl liner pool completely. The vinyl liner shrivels and cracks as a result of the air!

Step 2:

Now that you know where the leak is coming from, look for moisture on the ground or in the walls. Jump in the pool and start step 3 once you’ve figured out where the leak is.

Step 3:

Take care not to disturb the water and proceed to the location where you suspect the leak is. Slowly travel through the water, using your goggles and snorkel, to either the pool’s wall or the bottom, and spray the dye. If you’ve located the source of the leak, the dye will begin to migrate toward the source of the leak.

Many pool owners mistakenly believe a leak would be obvious. However, most leaks are not obvious, until they are of major concern. We are speaking of thousands of dollars of damage.
 

2) Mushy Grass Doesn’t Necessarily Mean That You Watered for Too Long

One of the reasons pool leaks go undetected is because it is easy to make excuses for the signs of a leak. For example, one of the 10 Scary Facts About Pool Leaks is if there is a mushy spot all the way on the other side of your yard, it could be the sign of a major pool leak—and not overwatering.

Another example is using evaporation as an excuse for the excessive re-filling of your pool. If your pool is losing over 2-4 inches of water in your pool per week, you may have a leak.
 

3) Leaks Can Lead to Sinkholes 

It’s absolutely true. While sinkholes are often considered a natural disaster, a pool that is allowed to leak into the foundation underneath can lead to a dangerous and deadly sinkhole.

Leaking water eroding the soil could easily cause a sinkhole. Leaking water is actually the most common cause of sinkholes! If you suspect you may have a leak in your pool, give us a call now!
 

4) High Water Bill May Be a Sign of a Leak

If you have a major spike in your water bill, it may be a sign of a leaky pool. If it is not your pool that is leaking, then this is a tell-tale sign it’s elsewhere in your home.

Related Topic: How To Check For Leaks In 5 Steps 
 

5) The Leak Could Be Out of Sight

Don’t forget that your pool’s plumbing runs underground, meaning a leak could be occurring out of sight. Broken pipe leaks are tricky to locate which is why an expert is required to identify where the water leak is actually occurring.
 

6) You Can’t Maintain Your Pool’s pH Level

If you can’t maintain your pool’s pH, it may be a sign that you have a water leak. Leaks in the framework of your pool can allow soil and other debris into your pool, constantly unbalancing your pH levels and prohibiting your pool from staying clean. Additionally, this can lead to bacteria and algae growing in your pool!
 

7) A Leak Can Cost Hundreds of Dollars Per Day

When you combine your pool’s increased energy consumption with water loss, your pool leak could be costing hundreds of dollars each day. You should address leaks as soon as possible so you can avoid costly repairs and high water bills.
 

8) Your Automatic Filler Never Stops

You may not pay much attention to your automatic filler, but if it never stops running, it is a good indicator that you have a pool leak.
 

9) You Should Only Lose Around 1/8 Inch of Water Per Day

Humidity and weather are certainly a factor, but in standard weather, a pool should only lose about 1/8 inch of water each day to evaporation. A Bucket Test will help you to determine if you have a leak.

Related Topic: How To Find A Leak In A Pool 
 

10) Your Leak Could Cause Damage to Your Neighbor’s Yard

Leaks don’t stop at the property line, so the water leaking from your pool may find its way to your neighbor’s yard and lead to costly repairs for which you are responsible. 
The longer a leak is allowed to progress, the more time, cost, and damage. This is why a professional leak inspection is required.
 

Worried About A Potential Leak?

Leak Science is available to perform a leak inspection for residential pools, commercial pools, and spas. Aside from homeowners, pool professionals and real estate agents can also benefit from the expert care and attention of a true leak detector.

Call now to schedule an inspection at 480-794-0959 or use the form below, and our leak detection team will reach out to help!
 

Contact Leak Science For Pool Leak Detection & Repair Services

Get in touch with our leak experts! Use this form to provide details about your potential leak. Fields marked with an * are required.

() -
Typing the letters from the image into the contact form helps to prevent spam, because automated spam-sending systems have difficulty reading the letters from the image. If you are having trouble reading the letters in the image, refresh the page for a different image.
Captcha image

No Spam!!