DIY Pool Repair

How To Find Swimming Pool Leaks

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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

Constant Water Loss

This section looks further at the Leak condition 1 situation where water loss continues regardless of whether the pump is on or off.

As mentioned on the previous page your pool plumbing system may not allow you to actually isolate the plumbing system from the pool structure without diving down to the bottom of the deep end and plugging the main drain. This can complicate the test results for the hydrostatic leak test and this is why it is so important to conduct multiple tests to help determine the origin of the leak.

Water Level Drops Constantly

While the main drain can confuse the findings of this test, and this fact is important to not overlook which is why it is mentioned so many times here, the fact is that most pool leaks that lose water at the same rate whether the pump is on or off will likely be a structural leak.

A structural leak is pretty much anything that is not a plumbing system leak and will most commonly be a hole in the liner of a pool or a crack in the concrete structure of the pool (or fiberglass). There are other common locations as well which should be considered which are around lights, stairs and anywhere else where gaskets are used to seal around a liner.

Concrete and fiberglass pools will tend to crack around the skimmers and along the deep end slopes where the stress forces are the greatest. In any case a pool that is experiencing a constant water loss should be subjected to the water level test to see if the exact cause for the water loss can be found.

Rate Of Water Loss

To a professional the amount of water that the pool is losing is a big indicator for the cause of the leak. Also is the history of the leak and whether it started suddenly or established itself slowly over time leaking more and more with each passing season.

Leaks that have set in quickly are more likely to be damage leaks like cracks in the structure or liner leaks where slow onset leaks are more likely to be in the plumbing system. This is valuable information in determining how to proceed from here.

If a plumbing system leak is suspected then a pressure test is usually the next step. When a structural leak is suspected it is usually recommended to complete the water level test if possible or potentially a dye test if any part of the pool is specifically suspected.



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.