Leak Testing

How To Find A Pool Leak

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• Home
  Swimming Pool Leak Detection
• Pool Resources
  List of swimming pool resources - Must read for any pool owner
• Signs of damage
  Obvious deficiencies can be a significant possibility for water loss
• Water loss characteristics
  Has the leak developed slowly over time or suddenly over a short period of time
• Pool plumbing systems
  Understanding your plumbing system is critical in being able to diagnose a leak in your swimming pool
• Hydrostatic test
  Learn how to monitor water loss and conduct a hydrostatic test for your pool
• Test Analysis
  Analyze the data from this leak detection test to find out where your pool is leaking
• Condition 1
  Leaking the same with plumbing system on and off
• Condition 2
  Leaking more when plumbing system is on, but water loss in both conditions
• Condition 3
  Leaking more when plumbing system is off, but water loss in both conditions
• Condition 4
  Leaking when plumbing system is on, not leaking when it is off
• Condition 5
  Leaking when plumbing system is off, but not leaking when it is on
• Leak detection test 2
  Another easy method to determine where your pool is leaking
• Water Level Test conclusions
  Analyze the results of the water level leak detection test
• Faceplates & Gaskets
  water level holds anywhere where gaskets or faceplates are touching the waterline
• Skimmer & Mid Wall
  water level below skimmer mouth but above return outlets
• Return Outlets
  water level holds at the height of wall returns
• Indefinite Drop
  water level continues to drain down past wall returns or lower
• Leak Detection Dye Test
  Use colored dye to locate leaks in your swimming pool
• Common Pool Leak Points
  Breakdown of pool components prone to failure and associated water loss symptoms
• Hole In the Liner
  See symptoms associated with a hole in the liner of your swimming pool
• HRV Failure
  Hydrostatic relief valve failure symptoms
• Filter Head Gasket
  Filter head gasket alignment is a common location for unexplained water loss
• Leaking Skimmer
  See symptoms associated with a leaking or cracked skimmer
• Leaking Return Lines
  See symptoms associated with leaks in the swimming pool return lines

Hydrostatic Test Conclusions

If the water loss is the same whether the plumbing system is running or not, you will likely find the leak to be in the structure of the pool itself, and likely not in the plumbing system. This is not to say that you would simply discount the plumbing, as swimming pools can often be elusive in terms of diagnosing unexplained water loss. This is to say that you will begin your search by focusing more on the structure of the pool.



Should your test results indicate a difference in rate of water loss when the plumbing system is running and when it is shut off, this can be a strong indicator for a problem existing in your plumbing system. You can not discount the possibility of a structural pool leak, but provides you with an initial direction to begin your water loss troubleshooting.

If you have a pool leak problem that prevents you from conducting this experiment due to drastic water loss conditions, you can monitor water loss for longer or shorter periods of time to accommodate the leak rate of your pool. Also note that weather conditions can skew the validity of your test findings so be sure to repeat the process if the results are in question.

Having the first test completed, you now have some hard evidence which will help you to narrow in on the water loss problem. A pool professional will begin to formulate a diagnosis of your pool with this information, not a clinical diagnosis, so much as a general intuition based upon recurring problems which are documented time and again in the industry.

Choose your water condition from the menu on the right. Each condition is defined if you hover over the condition tab.



The menu on the right is a chronological step by step process to determine where a swimming pool is leaking. This website is written as a readthrough technical assistance guide for locating leaks. When you believe you have identified where the pool is leaking you need to go to our sister website to see pictures and learn more about the actual swimming pool leak repair process.