5 Leading Causes of Your Pool Losing Water
Swimming pools are complicated systems where the pool’s water level is one of the things that needs maintaining. However, because of the forces that your pool is subjected to each season, such as extreme weather, wear through use, and extreme temperatures, the possibility of pool leaks is just a matter of time. One way to find out if you have a leak is if you have a water loss of 2 inches a week. Learning these five leading causes of a pool leak is an excellent way of protecting your swimming pool from further damage.
How Do I Know If There Are Pool Leaks?
Apart from the pool pump not working, a pool leaking water is one of the leading repair needs of customers. A bucket test is an excellent way to determine if your pool is losing water. There are other ways for pool owners to determine this by checking the following for signs:
- Wet Areas in Your Yard
- Water Bill Increase
- Water Level Changes
- Cracked, Loose, or Shifting Pool Tiles
- Cracked Pool Deck, Pool Cover, or Pool Surface
- Algae Growth in the Pool
- Corroded Pipes
- Water Puddles Under Your Pool Equipment Pad or Pumps
5 Most Probable Areas Where You Have a Pool Leak
These five areas in swimming pools are where we usually detect the most instances of leaks. These are the most sensitive areas in a pool that could probably spring a leak, especially if there is a shift in the ground or water’s powerful forces.
Pool Skimmer and Other Mechanical Issues
A leaking pool skimmer is one of the most common causes of your pool losing water if you own one with a vinyl liner. You can detect pool leaks easily if the water level drops right at or just below the mouth of the skimmer after you turn the water pump off, close the skimmer valves, and run the pump on “drain only.” You may perform a dye test after removing the skimmer basket to determine where the leak is. How to fix a pool leak when it occurs in a skimming pipe is challenging. If the skimmer pipe leaks, that will be expensive to repair because of the need to rip off the pool deck. Fortunately, a leaking skimmer pipe is rare.
Pool Structure Damage
The damage to your pool’s structure can happen anywhere. Cracks may happen on fiberglass swimming pools or if you have shifted tiles. If you see a crack on a concrete surface or a fiberglass pool after detecting pool water loss, those areas can be a good starting point for leak detection. Other areas where your pool loses water are pool lights and pool returns. If you have poor pool putty material, especially for a concrete pool, you may also lose water quickly in those areas. A dye test can detect these easily. Professional pool leak detection companies have specialized equipment such as sonars to check these.
Plumbing System
Leak detection for your underground plumbing system is very challenging if you lose water this way. Most causes of an underground leak are corroded pipes or ground movement. One of the ways a professional pool service company determines the exact location of the pool leak is by sonar.
Broken or Loose Pipe Fittings
The usual cause of a pool leak in your pool’s plumbing system is where the pipes connect, such as joints. Fortunately, these are comparatively easy to detect in most instances because they are usually close to the pump, in the pool’s return piping, the filtration system, or on the backwash line.
Broken Pipes
Though less common, pipes can break because of corrosion or the tremendous pressure water exerts on small pools. These are the most common areas where broken pipes occur:
- Main Drain Leak: The main drain leak is one of the most challenging leaks to find. They could be anywhere between the hydrostatic relief valve and the fixture itself. Accurately finding the leak requires specialized equipment and experienced ears.
- Skimmer Pipe: A concrete pool skimmer housing is a concrete case covering, making it difficult to access. Fortunately, broken pipes here are pretty rare.
- Return Lines: If the pool water level settles in the ground at a different rate than the pool, the leak is usually where the return line meets the pool structure. A leak in the return line is one of the most common pool leak locations and is easy to detect.
- Equalizer Line: Older pools lose water through the equalizer line, especially if these were left out during renovations.
Takeaways: Call a Pool Professional If You Suspect Pool Leaks
Losing water will cost pool owners a lot of money if they ignore the signs that indicate a pool losing water at a higher rate than usual. No swimming pool is leak-free. Even inground pools generally have the same makeup as any other pools. Therefore, they are prone to the same root causes of a major leak. If you are a pool owner who wants to save on money in the long run, you need a pool professional to make regular checks and regular swimming pool repair routines for your pool. You can’t afford to miss the fun when the swimming season begins. For regular pool cleaning & maintenance needs, call us at (480) 999-9226. We serve communities in Queen Creek, Chandler Heights, Sun Tan Valley, Apache Junction, Gilbert, and nearby cities.
