While it is pretty common for your swimming pool to lose some water because of evaporation, there are certain signs that you need to look for to make sure it is not losing water due to some leakage in the system. Losing about an inch of water per week is normal, but if you start losing 2 inches per week, well, that might be a problem.
Still, you may not have to call a professional pool guy right away, instead you can do some DIYs to figure out the issue yourself, locate the leak and see if you can fix it. If the issue turns out to be a bit serious and technical, you should call a professional and let them handle the situation. After all, they are professionals for a reason!
There are many reasons to watch out for leaks in your swimming pool, not only is the constant reduction of water level extremely annoying, but these leakages can further lead to some serious issues like sinkholes, foundation shifting and bigger problems which will require you to spend huge pool maintenance bills.
Signs to watch out for which indicate that your pool might be leaking:
- Check the area around the swimming pool. Does it seem bloated up, have patches of grass growing, or are the tiles cracking around the area?
- Is there evident movement in the ground around the pool?
- Is your water bill shooting up lately?
- Are you noticing that your pool is becoming a bit too green?
If you noticed more than one of these indications in your swimming pool, then chances are that you do have a leakage. Your next steps should be identifying the leak and working towards fixing it before it gets worse.
However, you can run a simple test to ensure that the water loss in the swimming pool is not occurring due to evaporation. By doing this, you can easily rule out one possibility and come one step closer to identifying the cause of the leak.
Bucket Test – This is a simple test that requires basics such as a plastic bucket, marker, or duct tape.
1. Keep a plastic bucket inside your swimming pool in a place where it is not completely submerged, like the stairs of your pool, and fill it with water until the bucket level matches the water level of the pool. Now mark the inside of the bucket with a marker or duct tape to show the water level.
2. The next step is to turn off the swimming pool pump for 24 hours.
3. After 24 hours, it’s time to compare the water level of the bucket and the pool. If both have gone down equally, then the water loss is just due to evaporation. But if the water in your swimming pool is lower than the one in the bucket, you have a leak in your swimming pool.
4. Now, turn on the swimming pool pump and compare water levels again after 24 hours.
5. If the water loss is greater now, it is possible that the leak is in the plumbing or filter system.
Types of leaks in a pool:
- Skimmer leaks – This minor leak occurs between the pool and the plastic skimmer, and it can be easily repaired by using a little pool putty.
- Light leaks – Light leaks happen when the pipeline of the pool gets loose or is worn out. This type of leak is repaired with the help of two-part epoxy resin.
- Liner leaks – Leaks in the liner of the pool can be fixed with the help of a vinyl liner patch kit.
- Structural damage – can occur in the fiberglass, gunite, or vinyl parts of the pool. When detected in time, these leaks can prevent a lot of damage.
- Mechanical problems – These mechanical leaks come up in the pool pump mechanism and the most probable position of the leak is where the pump and motor meet.
- Plumbing issues – Cracks in the pipes and lines of the plumbing system can lead to major leaks in the swimming pool.
Some handy tips to ensure your swimming pool is in great shape –
1. Keep the pool clean.
2. Do your research before you get your own pool.
3. Get your swimming pool serviced at regular intervals.
4. Check your pool for leaks regularly.
5. Make sure that you’re choosing the right person to build your pool and also a well-experienced pool technician.
Precautions while treating a leak in your swimming pool –
While we get that stopping your swimming pool leak is extremely important, nothing else is more important than your health and safety. Keep these precautions in mind when you are doing any sort of fixing and repairing around your swimming pool –
- Make sure that there are no children around.
- Make sure no pets are around the pool.
- Close the gate to the swimming pool to avoid any accidents.
- Keep your electronic devices away from your working area to avoid water from splashing on them and ruining them.
Additional Read: How to get rid of algae from your swimming pool?