A well-maintained pool can mean countless hours of fun and relaxation. But with time and regular use, wear and tear on your pool can begin to occur. Taking care of repairs early is key to preventing further damage and keeping your repair costs low. Here are a few tips for pool leak detection to help you notice a common, but often overlooked, pool issue.
Why Is Pool Leak Detection So Important?
Unlike other maintenance needs, pool leak detection can often be difficult, as evaporation naturally lowers the water level in your pool. A small leak will require you to add water to your pool more frequently, but it may not be significant enough for you to notice it right away.
However, a leak of any size results in wasted water, increasing the expense of running your pool. A leak that is left unnoticed for months or years can also start to cause erosion around your pool and damage to pool equipment exposed to the constant flow of water. Prevention is the best protection for your pool—prioritize pool leak detection, and schedule repairs quickly when they are needed.
How to Get Started With Pool Leak Detection
Since it’s difficult to see leaks when they are small, here are a few ways you can detect leaks in your pool.
- Complete the water bucket test. Since evaporation naturally lowers the water level in your pool, the water bucket test is a quick pool leak detection trick. Fill a bucket with water and place it in your pool, on a step or other raised element, so the water level in the bucket matches the level of the pool water. If after several hours, the level in the pool is lower than in the bucket, it’s likely you have a leak.
- Check the lining. Vinyl pool liners can be torn or damaged, so carefully running your hand over the pool lining to feel for any tears is another way to check for leaks.
- Inspect the pump and filter. A few drops aren’t a major concern, but if you notice a lot of water leaking from your pool pump and filter or find soggy patches in the grass, then you have clear signs of a pool leak.