How to identify a pool leak
If your pool seems to require more frequent fill-ups, especially when you haven’t been swimming for a few days, you might have a leak. But leaks aren’t always this obvious. You might have an otherwise unknown leak that can be identified by carefully looking a water test results and comparing to past results. In either case, this guide will help you locate and potentially resolve the issue on your own.
What can cause a leak:
Worn pump seal
Cracked or broken pipes
Loose unions
Broken pipe or fittings under ground
Faulty hydrostatic valve
Cracks or separation between the pool returns and the walls.
Puncture holes in the pool liner
Cracks in the pool wall
If you suspect that the pool might have a leak, you should inspect the pool equipment house for anything obvious. Any water on the ground or floor (in a typically dry area) is a sure sign of pool leak. If you can identify the problem visually, give us a call. We can either assist you over the phone or schedule a service appointment where we can come prepared for your specific needs.
If you can’t identify an obvious leak in the equipment house, you should then perform a bucket test to make sure you actually have a leak. We’ll walk you through this test shortly, but to do this successfully, you may need to perform a couple of tasks beforehand. By doing so, you will ensure the accuracy of your measurements.
If your pool has an infinity edge or waterfall, you will need to configure your plumbing so that you are circulating only the pool water. If you cannot figure out how to do this, a Mint Pool technician can guide you through it on the phone, or you can perform the bucket test through the trough instead.
If you have an attached hot tub where the hot tub flows into the pool, you should ideally isolate both bodies of water and perform the bucket test in each separately. Again, if this is not a task you’re comfortable with, Mint Pool can either guide you through or you can perform the bucket test on the pool – knowing that the leak (if any) might be from either body of water.
If you have an installed autofill solution, you will need to turn off the water supply to it. You must ensure that after you have performed the bucket test that you restore the water flow to the autofill, else you risk damaging the equipment from too little water.
THE BUCKET TEST
The bucket test will check to see if any perceived water loss is from evaporation or an actual water leak. What you are effectively doing is measuring two containers of water at the same temperature and looking for a difference between the two depths.
To begin the bucket test, first take a 20L pail or similar sized container without any holes or cracks and fill with pool water.
Place the bucket on one of the pool steps where the bucket is sufficiently out of the water that water cannot be splashed into it.
Remove enough water so that the water level is 1-2” above the pool water level. Using a measuring tape, measure the water depth and record the result.
Then, measure the pool depth by measuring and recording the depth of the step that the bucket is sitting on. If there are tiles, use that as a reference.
After waiting 24 hours, perform the same measurements of the bucket water and pool water depth. Subtract today’s results from yesterday’s to identify a leak
You can optionally mark the container with tape or a permanent marker, but an accurate measurement is enough.
If both the pool and bucket water are within 1/16” of each other, there is almost no chance that there is a leak. You can also perform this test longer, if desired, to make sure that the results remain the same however in most cases, 24hrs is enough. If the difference is equal to or greater than 1/8” after 24 hours, there is a good chance that there is a leak somewhere. If you’re at all unsure about your results, give Mint Pool a call. Our technicians will inspect the pool and equipment to identify the leak and start taking necessary action to repair it.