As the owner of an in-ground swimming pool, you are probably pretty popular with your neighbors in the summertime. But when it comes time to clean or care for your pool, you are on your own. And that includes any times that you might have concerns about damage or an issue such as a swimming pool leak. But with little more than a trusty five-gallon bucket, you can determine if there is any cause for concern.

The Potential Nightmare Of A Swimming Pool Leak

When you first start to wonder about the possibility of a pool leak, you might be included to dismiss the idea. Why should you even be worried about a small amount of water? The pool is outside, and the soil will undoubtedly absorb a little added moisture.

But consider the massive amount of water in your pool and the significant amount that could be leaking. The average residential swimming pool contains about 10,800 gallons of water. The average household of four consumes about 12,000 gallons of water each month. So your pool’s capacity is almost equal to the total water consumption of your home over an entire month. 

It could be that your search for a leak was started by a massive jump in your water bill. Or you might have noticed that your pool’s auto fill valve is constantly running. Either way, the leak is wasting water and causing damage to your property. The second expense will hit you when it is time to repair the collapsed soil around the water leak. The leaking water will eventually wash away the soil at the side or even the bottom of the pool. Without the soil’s support, your pool will settle, and the shell can develop significant cracks and damage. Those repairs will be very costly could steal weeks of your swimming season. 

Satisfying Your Concern

Simply turning off the autofill to your pool is not going to provide you with any accurate information. Even when there are no leaks in a swimming pool, there is a certain amount of evaporation. There are some complex formulas that you can use to determine how much water should be evaporating each day. Or you can grab a trusty five-gallon bucket and test for a water leak. This process will eliminate the variable of evaporation and provide you with reasonably reliable results.

Step One

Turn off the auto-fill to your pool. Next, fill the bucket about two-thirds full and place it on the first step into your pool. If you do not have steps, then secure the bucket to the step on your ladder. But it is essential that the bucket remains in place and unable to move up and down in the water. And the bottom of the bucket must also remain level.

Step Two

With the bucket secured or resting on the step, mark the water level inside the bucket and outside the bucket for the pool level. Leave the bucket in place for a day, and don’t turn the autofill back on until after the test is completed.

Step Three

Check the water level inside and outside of the bucket. Both should have changed slightly due to evaporation. But if the water level on the outside of the bucket change significantly more than on the inside, you have a swimming pool leak.

To locate the leak as quickly and cost-effectively as possible, call (866) 619-7063. A leak detection professional from Leak1 Leak Detection will arrive promptly to locate the leak and provide you with affordable repair solutions.