How Do I Know if My Pool is Leaking?

Figuring out if your pool is leaking or not and determining how to fix the leak if there is one, can be a difficult and expensive ordeal. The expenses associated with leak detection and repair can run in the hundreds, and sometimes thousands of dollars. An important concern for many pool owners is conserving water whenever possible. We will describe in detail a foolproof test to determine if your pool has a leak or there is another issue like evaporation that is causing your pool to lose water.

Pool Leaks

One route you can take when trying to determine if your pool has a leak is to recruit the services of a professional, as some professional pool operators have special equipment that can detect a leak in your pool using specialized tools and equipment. The method to fix your pool system after a leak is detected is dependent on the size of the leak, but in some cases, expensive excavation or replacement of pipes may be necessary. This may sound intimidating, but luckily there is a simple test that anyone can perform at home to determine if your pool has a leak. 

The Bucket Test

As the name suggests, you need a bucket to perform this test (a tall 5-gallon bucket works best). For the first step, put some kind of weight, such as a brick, into the bucket and fill it partially with water. Next, place the bucket on your pool steps so the top is above water level, and then fill the bucket so that the water level in the bucket is the same as the pool water outside of the bucket. After this, wait 24 hours and check the levels. The idea behind this test is that both the pool and the bucket are exposed to the same conditions of temperature, wind, humidity, rain, etc. In light of this, if the water loss is due to evaporation the water in both the bucket and the pool should evaporate at the same rate. However, if the pool is leaking, the pool water level will be lower than the bucket level. We hope this explanation helps and using this method will undoubtedly save you time and money.

If you would like professional assistance to help ensure your pool is running smoothly, give us a call at Rideau Pools and our team of experienced pool professionals would be happy to help.