Is Your Pool Losing Water? Understanding Pool Leak Detection and Repair
You top off your pool, head inside, and two days later the water line has dropped again. Sound familiar? If you find yourself constantly adding water to your pool and wondering whether it’s just evaporation or something more serious, you are not alone. At The Blue Lagoons Pools and Spas, we have helped hundreds of pool owners solve this exact mystery, and the answer matters more than most people realize. A leak is not just inconvenient, it can quietly cost you thousands of dollars in water bills, chemical treatments, and structural damage before you ever notice the real problem.
The tricky part is that pools naturally lose some water. On a hot, breezy day, evaporation alone can account for a quarter inch of water loss, which adds up quickly over a week. But if your pool is losing more than that consistently, something else is going on. The industry standard test most professionals use is called the bucket test: you fill a bucket with pool water, set it on a step so it matches the pool’s water level, and check both after 24 hours. If the pool has lost noticeably more water than the bucket, you are likely dealing with a leak rather than evaporation.
Where Pool Leaks Actually Hide
Pool leaks are sneaky because they do not always show up where you would expect them. Most people assume a crack in the shell is the culprit, but the majority of leaks actually originate in the plumbing system, the equipment pad, or around fittings and fixtures. The return lines that push water back into the pool, the suction lines that pull water toward the pump, and the joints connecting it all together are among the most common sources. Even a hairline crack in a pipe buried under your deck can lose thousands of gallons per month without leaving a single obvious sign above ground.
Skimmer leaks are another frequent offender. The skimmer is that rectangular opening on the side of your pool that pulls water and debris toward the filter. Where the skimmer meets the pool shell, a sealant called putty or a gasket creates a watertight bond, but over time that material breaks down. When it does, water escapes into the surrounding soil rather than back into your filtration system.
How Professional Leak Detection Actually Works
Modern pool leak detection has come a long way from just poking around and hoping for the best. Professionals today use pressure testing, which involves sealing off specific plumbing lines and pressurizing them to identify exactly where the break is. They also use listening devices and electronic equipment that can detect the sound of water escaping through a crack, even when the pipe is buried several feet underground. Dye testing is another valuable tool, where a small amount of colored dye is released near suspected areas and the movement of the dye reveals whether water is being pulled through a gap.
This matters because guessing wastes time and money. Digging up the wrong section of your deck or draining the pool unnecessarily adds cost and stress. A proper diagnosis means the repair is targeted, efficient, and done right the first time.
When to Stop Waiting and Make the Call
If your water bill has crept up without explanation, if you notice soft or sunken ground near the equipment pad, if you are adding more than two inches of water per week, or if your pool chemistry keeps falling out of balance despite regular treatments, those are all signals worth taking seriously. Left unaddressed, a slow leak can erode the soil beneath your pool shell and lead to settling or cracking that turns a minor repair into a major renovation.
The good news is that most leaks, once properly located, are very repairable. The sooner you catch them, the simpler and less expensive the fix tends to be. If you have been watching that water line drop and telling yourself it will sort itself out, it is time to get a professional set of eyes on it. Your pool should be a place of relaxation, not a source of stress, and the right team can get you back to enjoying it quickly.
Ready to Stop Guessing and Start Swimming?
If something feels off with your pool, trust that instinct. The Blue Lagoons Pools and Spas specializes in professional pool leak detection and repair, and we make the process straightforward from start to finish. Do not let a small leak turn into a costly problem. Contact The Blue Lagoons Pools and Spas today to schedule your leak inspection, and let us take the guesswork out of keeping your pool in perfect shape all season long.
