Pool leak detection and repair
In the desert, a pool loses a lot of water to evaporation. Here's how to tell whether you have a leak too, and what fixing it involves.
Lake Havasu pools lose water fast to evaporation, especially on hot, dry, windy days. That makes leaks easy to miss. A leak can waste a lot of water, raise your water bill, wash out soil under the deck and damage the pool shell. If your pool needs topping off more than seems normal, it's worth checking.
How do I tell evaporation from a leak?
Use the bucket test:
- Fill a bucket with pool water to about the same level as the pool and set it on a pool step so it stays at pool temperature.
- Mark the water level inside the bucket and the pool level on the outside of the bucket (or on the tile).
- Turn off auto-fill. Run the pump on its normal schedule.
- After 24 hours, compare. If the pool dropped noticeably more than the bucket, you likely have a leak.
- Repeat with the pump off. If the loss is bigger with the pump running, the leak may be in the pressure-side plumbing; if it's bigger with the pump off, look at the suction side or shell.
Where do pool leaks usually happen?
- Light niches and fittings. Where conduits and returns pass through the shell.
- Skimmer. The joint between the skimmer and the pool can crack.
- Cracks in the shell or delaminated finish.
- Tile line and coping joint.
- Underground plumbing. Pipes between the pool and equipment.
- Equipment. Pump seals, filter and valves (these usually leave visible water at the pad).
How do professionals find leaks?
Leak detection specialists use dye testing around fittings and cracks, pressure testing on each plumbing line, and listening equipment to locate underground leaks. Finding the exact spot keeps repair costs down because it avoids unnecessary digging.
How are leaks repaired?
Small leaks at fittings and cracks are often sealed with underwater putty or epoxy. Larger structural cracks may need more involved repair before resurfacing. Underground plumbing leaks are dug up and repaired or rerouted. If the pool needs resurfacing anyway, it makes sense to find and fix leaks first, while it's drained.
What affects the cost?
- Detection. Pressure testing several lines takes time.
- Leak location. Under a deck costs more than at a fitting.
- Repair type.
Prices come from the pool contractor after they've looked at the pool and talked through finish options. We don't quote prices ourselves, and a phone estimate is only a starting point.
Where we connect you with help
Common questions
How much water does a pool lose to evaporation in Havasu?
It varies a lot with heat, wind, humidity and whether the pool is covered. The bucket test is the reliable way to tell evaporation from a leak at your pool.
Can a leak be fixed without draining the pool?
Often, yes. Many fitting and crack leaks can be sealed underwater. Some structural repairs require draining.
Related services
- Pool resurfacing and replastering
- Pebble and quartz finishes
- Pool tile and calcium removal
- Pool deck resurfacing
More background: Lake Havasu pool owner's guide.
Rough, stained or chalky pool finish?
Call now and a local pool contractor will come look and quote a new surface.