Your pool losing water is natural, both via splash-out and plain-ol’ evaporation. But if you find you’re having to add more than 2 inches of water a week, something isn’t right. It’s highly likely that you’re dealing with a pool leak. But how you detect a pool leak isn’t always simple.

The first question you detect a pool leak is, “how did the leak happen?” This is a tricky question, though, as a leak can come from many sources. Sealant deterioration, regular wear and tear, and settling of your pool’s foundation are all common causes of leaks. The source of the leak is also hard to pin down. Your pool may leak via your pool accessories, the plumbing, and even through the pool’s lining.

However, no matter the source, it is crucial to have your leak repaired by a swimming pool services professional. Waiting—or even worse, doing a lousy job fixing the leak—could compromise the structural integrity of your pool.

The first step to leak repair is detection. With that said, our swimming pool repair professionals will start with a few questions before an inspection to detect a pool leak. We want to ensure that the issue you’re dealing with is, in fact, a leak as opposed to another swimming pool complication. Learning more about the leak will also help us pinpoint its location.

Does The Pool Leak When Your Equipment Is On?

If you’re experiencing a pool leak only when your pool equipment is switched on, this could be an indication of what we call a pressure-side or return leak. The pressure-side, or return, is the part of your pool plumbing that returns water from the pump to the pool under pressure created by the pump.

When the equipment is switched on, the entire length of plumbing from the pump to the pool is under high pressure. Any tiny crack or hole can become a significant leak. When the equipment shuts off, the pressure drops, and the leak mysteriously goes away. So if your pool only leaks when the pump is on, we have a pretty good idea that the leak is in the return section of your pool’s plumbing.

Does The Pool Leak When Your Equipment Is Off?

A leak that occurs only when the pool equipment is switched off indicates a suction-side leak. The suction side is the length of pipe that carries water from the pool to the pump under suction from the pump. When the pump is off, the pipes leak. But when the pump is turned on, the suction from the pump creates a vacuum. If there are holes or cracks, the vacuum pulls in air and effectively stops the leak, so the leak mysteriously disappears.

If you’re dealing with this type of leak, you’ll likely recognize air in your pump basket, air build-up in the filter tank, or air that has bubbled out of the return lines. When they are working correctly, your pump should only suck in water. If it is sucking in air, you may see that reflected in the pump’s pressure gauge as well.

Does The Pool Leak All the Time?

A pool that leaks at all times—no matter if the equipment is on OR off—doesn’t rule out plumbing issues. But it raises the suspicion that the problem is in the pool’s shell itself, which could be experiencing tears in the vinyl or cracks in the plaster.

Our swimming pool technicians typically inspect your tile line for cracks first because that is a common area for cracks to appear. Next, they will check the skimmer. It is very common for a leak to occur when the plastic skimmer and concrete of the pool itself become separated, just as a matter of regular wear and tear. If we can’t find the leak that way, we may add a little dye to the pool to see if the water is flowing towards a hole or leak.

Hiring A Professional In Atlanta To Repair Your Leak

If a leak is found in your swimming pool, it’s time to contact the Atlanta swimming pool repair professionals at The Pool Butler.

Our experts have been serving Atlanta and the surrounding communities for years with exceptional and affordable pool repair services. We take pride in providing the best in leak detection and repair and can have your pool back up and running in no time!