Bucket Test for Leaking Pools

Do you think your pool is losing water? If you have a pool leak, you want to identify it as soon as possible to ensure it does not damage your property. However, pool water does evaporate and dissipate with use. To determine whether you may have a leak or are losing water from your pool, you can try the “bucket test” to see if you are losing water.

Setting Up Your Bucket Test

The idea of the bucket test is to check if water is evaporating or if there is water leaking from the pool. To do this test, you need to fill a bucket with pool water, about an inch from the top. Also fill your pool to its “full” level. Mark the water level in the bucket and put the bucket on the first or second step into your pool. Also mark the level of the pool water on the side pool or outside of the bucket.

Once your bucket and pool are set, run your pool as normal for at least 24 hours. The bucket and pool water should be similar temperatures, evaporating at the same rate. If after a day the level of your pool has went down farther than the level of water in the bucket, this can indicate a leak. While it does not tell you where the leak is, it does show that water is escaping from the pool beyond just evaporation.

If you suspect you have a leak, call your local pool service that offers leak detection and repairs. The pool service pros can quickly find where your pool is losing water and fix the problem before it causes serious damage to your property or home from erosion and water intrusion.

Posted on behalf of:
Somar Pools, LLC
6538 Collins Ave, #42
Miami Beach, FL 33141
(305) 767-7755

How to Check for Plumbing Leaks in Your Pool

Pool leaks can occur without you even knowing they are there. It can take weeks, even months, to realize there is something wrong. Many times, the leaks are inside the pool or in plumbing that is under ground, making it difficult to find the source. You may not realize there is a leak until you get a large water bill or begin noticing your pool water is disappearing quicker than normal. Here are a few ways to proactively check for leaks to protect your pool and property.

The first test is to make sure you have a leak. Water does evaporate and you lose more water when the pool is used more often. The bucket test is a quick way to check for a leak. Fill a bucket with water and set it by the pool. Mark the level of the pool water and the level of water in the bucket. Leave them undisturbed for at least 24 hours. If the pool level drops more than in the bucket, you have a leak.

If you know you have a leak in your pool, you can start checking for any signs near your pool equipment. Look for drips or leaks around any visible plumbing when the pump is running. Check for wet spots or green spots on your lawn that may indicate a leak underground. If your pump keeps needing to be manually primed or air bubbles are emitted from the return jets, you could have a leak in your plumbing.

It can difficult to find the source of a pool leak on your own. Call in your local pool service to help find the source of your leak and get the repair you need.

Posted on behalf of:
Somar Pool Service & Repairs
4581 Weston Road
Weston, FL 33331
(954) 840-8544

3 Reasons Your Pool Level is Dropping

Have you noticed you need to add water to your pool more often? If you do your own pool maintenance, part of caring for your pool is keeping the water level full. When the water level drops, there are only a few reasons this can happen. Here are three reasons that your pool is losing water.

  1. Excess heat. If the temperatures are nearing the three-digit mark and beyond, you will notice more water loss in your pool. Simple evaporation is the reason and should be expected when the hottest days of summer arrive.
  2. Daily use. When your pool becomes the most popular place for friends and family to hang out, you can expect the water levels to lower. Heavy swim use will diminish the water as swimmers get in and out of the pool.
  3. Leaks. If the level of your pool is going down quicker than can be explained from heat or daily use, you may have a leak. It can be difficult to find a pool leak on your own. It can be in your plumbing, in the shell, around drains or in many other locations throughout your pool system. Hire a pool service that offers professional leak detection and repair to quickly find the source of the leak and get it fixed before it causes damage to your property.

You should always keep a close eye on the water level of your pool. If you notice it is dropping quickly, consider calling a pool service right away for an inspection. Your local pool professional can determine where the problem lies and offer you a solution to protect your pool and property.

Posted on behalf of:
Somar Pools, LLC
6538 Collins Ave, #42
Miami Beach, FL 33141
(305) 767-7755

Do I Have A Leak In My Pool?

One of the dangers of owning a pool is the possibility of springing a major leak. Not only will it cost you money in water and chemical replacement, it could also severely damage your property. A major leak can erode the surrounding earth, cause water damage in your home and even endanger your home’s foundation. There are a few simple warning signs to keep an eye out for which can indicate possible leaks, helping you to detect them as soon as possible, including:

  • Unusual water loss. A certain amount of water loss is expected and normal, especially during the hotter months and when the pool is used heavily. However, if you notice a more significant drop in the water level than usual, you may need to call in a leak detection expert.
  • Wet areas in your yard. Are there wet spots in your yard near or around your pool? Isolated wet spots may be a sign that you have an underground leak which is saturating the area.
  • Do the bucket test. The tried and true method to check to see if your losing pool water is the bucket test. Partially fill a bucket to place on a step or shallow portion of the pool, with the water level in the bucket matching the pool’s water level on the outside of the bucket. If after several days the water on the outside of the bucket is lower than the water in the bucket, you may have a leak.

If you think you have a leak, don’t hesitate to call in a pool service experienced in pool leak detection and repair. They can quickly find where the leak is originating, and give you options for getting it repaired quickly to avoid any further damage to your property.

Posted on behalf of Premier Pool Service

Does Your Pool Have A Leak?

A small leak in your pool can quickly become a big problem. Not only does it waste water, it can lead to expensive damage to your home and property. Identifying a pool leak as soon as possible is your best defense when it comes to avoiding bigger and more expensive problems than just repairing your pool.

Dealing With A Pool Leak

A big pool leak is easy to detect, but a big leak usually starts small, making it harder to notice. Most leaks are in the pools shell, usually around drains, skimmers or fittings. They can also occur in the plumbing pipes or in the pool floor, which can be more difficult to find and fix. Regardless of where the leak is, the first step to fixing the problem is realizing your pool has a leak. Common signs of a pool leak include:

  • Loss of water. Although some water loss is normal due to splash and evaporation, if you notice larger losses you may have a leak.
  • Wet ground. If you have a leak in your pool plumbing, you may find wet areas in the ground around your pool.

Finding the leak can be more difficult. Unless you can see a crack or hole in your pool shell, it can be hard to pinpoint the exact source of the leak on your own. The best way to find where the leak is and get it fixed is to hire an experienced leak detection pool service. With new technology, many pool services can detect the leak using computerized equipment in a matter of minutes. After the leak is detected, they can work quickly to locate the exact leak area and offer solutions to get it fixed fast.

Posted on behalf of Somar Pools, LLC

Swimming Pool Leak Detection

A leaking swimming pool can get expensive very quickly due to the cost of water.  In addition, the introduction of pool water into the soils around a building or home can cause other issues as well.    Although it can seem like a daunting task, finding the source of a swimming pool leak and making the necessary repairs is easily accomplished when using a qualified pool service and repair company.  Pool leaks are common and usually occur in either the pool plumbing or within the pool itself.  Leaks in the pool are usually not the result of a failure of the shell, but are located in areas such as pool lights and skimmers where metal and / or plastic touches concrete.

The first pool leak detection step that the swimming pool repair contractor will do is to determine the amount of water being lost using specialized equipment.  The amount of water being lost will help narrow down the possible source of the leak.  The plumbing in the pool will be isolated and then pressure tested.  If the pressure falls, then there is a leak in the plumbing.  Listening devises and other methods are then used to determine where the water is escaping. The location is then excavated and the repair is made.  Once the repair is completed, the area is then restored to its original condition.

If the pressure holds then the leak is occurring in the pool itself.  The next step is to identify the area where leaking and make the repair, which may be as simple as replacing a gasket.  Upon completion of the repair, the impacted area within the pool is restored.

 

How To Check If Your Pool Has A Leak

Nothing beats a refreshing dip in your own pool. However, owning a pool require maintenance and repairs, including dealing with leaks. If you own a pool, eventually you most likely will have a leak that needs repair. The important thing is to know how to check if your pool has leak so you can get it repaired quickly before it causes damage to your property and costs you even more money.

There is an easy ways to see if your pool is losing water. Try this simple technique. Take a bucket, preferable plastic so it won’t rust, and put in on the first step in your pool. Fill the bucket to the same level as the water surrounding it so that the bucket water is even with the water in the pool. Make sure your automatic pool filler is turned off if you have one. Also make sure no one gets in to the pool during the test period. Check the water around the bucket once a day. If the level in the pool goes below the level in the bucket, you have a leak. If they stay the same but both lose water, it is just evaporation.

A general rule of thumb is that you should not be putting in more than two or three inches of water a week unless the temperatures are very high causing excess evaporation. If it seems like you are losing water, you probably are. The next step is finding a reliable pool repair company with experience in pool leak detection to find the leak and get it fixed before any more water is lost!

 

Leaking Pools Can Cost You More Than Just Water

Most in-ground pools at one point or another are going to spring a leak somewhere, it is usually just of a matter of when and where. For homeowners, this can cause havoc on their water bills as they continuously are adding more water to their pool. But that is just the beginning of what a pool leak can cost if it is not detected and repaired quickly.

  • Chemicals. In addition to the water seeping out of the pool, so are the chemicals that are need to keep the correct PH balance. Additional chemicals will be needed as more water is added to keep the pool healthy.
  • Pool equipment damage. Water leaks can damage the pump equipment, piping and even cause damage to the pool structure. If allowed to continue, instead of a simple leak repair, the pool owner will be replacing other pool equipment as well.
  • Pool deck. Leaking water can undermine the ground supporting the pool deck and cause it to collapse. This can be costly and dangerous.
  • Foundation damage. The worst scenario is that a leak is left to drain into the ground long enough to cause damage to the foundation of the house or cause water damage in the house.

A pool will lose a certain amount of water to evaporation. However, if the water levels go down at an accelerated rate, the water bills go up or there is wet ground around a pool, it needs to be checked for leaks and repaired quickly. Hiring a professional pool repair service for pool leak detection will cost much less than the damage the leak will cost if allowed to continue.

Pool Leaks

Almost every pool or spa will develop a leak at some point.  Pool leaks can be difficult to find because a leak can be coming from many different sources.  Pools usually leak around fitting such as drains, skimmers, and light fixtures, but leaks can also develop in floors, walls, and plumbing.

If you notice that your pool is losing water faster than normal, take some comfort in knowing that you are not the first pool owner to have this problem.  There are many excellent pool service companies that have experience with pool leak detection and they will be able to find and repair any leaks in your pool.

With that said, don’t underestimate the seriousness of a pool leak.  Even a small crack or hole can leak hundreds of gallons of water each day.  Replacing this lost water can get expensive and also make it more difficult to keep the proper balance of chemicals in your pool.

More importantly, pool leaks cause underground soil erosion that can be a very serious problem. Most pools are located near the home and erosion around the foundation of your home can cause serious structural problems.  Underground erosion can cause the ground to settle and lead to cracked, broken or sunken pool decking, driveways, and walkways.

Leaking pool water can infiltrate septic systems and leak into basements, crawlspaces, and below ground level living space causing further structural damage, mold, and mildew.

In short, don’t just keep adding water to a leaking pool or spa.  Call a reputable local pool service company with experience in finding and fixing leaks.  They have the experience and specialized equipment to find that leak and get it fixed right.