It's normal for swimming pools to lose water because of evaporation and splashing, but if you notice a significant water loss, it's possible that your pool may have a leak. Pool leaks can happen anywhere in your pool. Detecting and fixing leaks in your pool not only saves water but also prevents further damage. With the right equipment and guidance, it's relatively easy to identify the source of the leak and fix it.

How Can You Tell If Your Pool Is Leaking or Just Evaporation?

Before searching for a pool leak, you must rule out issues like evaporation or a plumbing crack in the filtration system. To check for leaks in your pool, start by inspecting your entire filtration system, including your pool pump, filter, heater, chlorinator, and any O-rings or connections causing water loss. Fortunately, these leaks are easy to locate and access. However, there is a possibility that a leak in a part of your plumbing is not visible. Therefore, it's important to test your pool for water loss to ensure that it's not due to evaporation, even if you are uncertain whether or not there's a plumbing leak. This can be done quickly and easily using the bucket method.

Initial Leak Detection: The Bucket Method

The bucket method is a simple yet effective way to confirm a pool leak. Here's how you can perform this test:

1. Place an empty 15-20 litre plastic bucket in the water on the second step of your pool.
2. Fill the bucket with water to match the pool's water level.
3. Use a permanent marker or duct tape to mark the level inside the bucket.
4. Turn off any pool equipment that could change the water level.
5. Wait 24 hours and compare the water level. If both water levels have gone down but remain even, your pool loses water due to evaporation. However, if the pool level is lower than the level in the bucket, you will likely have a leak.
6. To narrow down the possible leak source, repeat the process for another 24 hours but with the pool pump on.
7. If the water loss in the pool is more with water circulating under pressure, you are likely to have a leak somewhere in the pool filtration system or plumbing.

How to Find the Pool Leak

To locate where the exact pool leak is in your pool, you can use the ink method. All you need to get started is a pair of goggles and some dark food colouring. You may also want to have some waterproof tape on hand to mark any potential leaky spots. This method requires a bit more effort, but it's effective in finding the source of the leak.

1. Check the ground and walls around the pool - Keep narrowing it down as much as possible before using the dye.
2. Turn off the filtration system.
3. To confirm the location, go to the edge of the pool in the suspected area and squirt some dye in the water close to the surface and wall without touching the water. If the leak is nearby, the dye will move towards the precise location of the leak.
4. Use waterproof tape to mark the spot where you saw the dye move towards. This will help you remember the location of the leak and where you need to patch it.

If you suspect that there's a leak at the bottom of your pool, you will need to put on goggles and swim to the bottom to perform the ink test. To avoid the dye spreading everywhere, you must stay as still as possible while conducting the test.

Common Pool Leak Areas

Leaks commonly occur in skimmers, pool lights, and liner areas. Checking these areas can quickly lead you to the source of the leak.

Skimmer Leaks

This often occurs when the plastic skimmer separates from the concrete pool, but it can easily repaired using pool putty.

Light Leaks

This can happen when the conduit pipe comes apart, breaks or separates from the niche. Repairing a bad conduit connection can be challenging, but there are various methods to fix it. You can use a two-part epoxy that dries hard or try patching it with putty, silicone or caulk.

Liner Leaks

For liner leaks, a vinyl liner patch kit, especially a wet patch kit for underwater leaks, is your best bet. These kits provide a straightforward solution for minor tears or holes.

When to Call a Pro

Pool leaks need to be addressed promptly. If you notice that your pool is losing water massively and you cannot find the leak on your own, it may be necessary to hire a professional to locate the leaks. We recommend consulting a pool professional to inspect your pool if the leak is due to poor workmanship or engineering. Although this can be costly, ignoring the leak can lead to more expensive damage in the future. Not all leaks can be detected using DIY methods, and you may be dealing with more severe plumbing or equipment problems without realising it. Therefore, even after patching leaks yourself, we encourage you to hire a pool professional to thoroughly inspect your pool to ensure there are no major issues.