Help I am loosing water!

Well that isn’t good! Don’t panic. You might be able to find it!

Lets see if we can quickly stop it while waiting for a repair.

  • Check all the connections including the skimmer and return and light if you have an aboveground pool.
  • Check the pump!
    • If it is leaking underneath the pump it is a shaft seal. Nothing you can do unless you are handy and have a shaft seal. Typically requires replacement. A good time to upgrade to something more efficient. Shut the pool down if it is a lot more than a drip and let us know what you found.
    • Check the drain plug
    • Check the connections, lube or Teflon leaks.
    • Check the lid and oring – might need to lube up the oring. If black comes off in your hands you require a new oring.
  • Check the filter!
  • Look for water coming out drain cap at the bottom of the filter or a hair line in the body
  • Check the connections, lube or Teflon leaks.
  • Check the backwash line. This is commonly a forgotten place. Make sure the filter handle seats properly and water isn’t sneaking out the waste line. If so you need a new filter head.
  • Check the heater!
    • Check the connections, lube or Teflon leaks.
    • Look down in the heatpump – is the cannister or pipe cracked? Turn the pool off. Your heater needs a lot of love.
    • Check the connections going into the front of the heater for leaks, also check if the canister inside has cracked from freezing over the winter. There is a connection in the top of the cannister inside that has a seal that is unlikely to leak but It can happen.
    • A lot of times clients are worried about their heat pump leaking, when in fact it is condensation dripping from the unit which is normal when the heater is in operation.  To determine if the water is a leak or only condensation, use a pool test strip.  If the water does not get a reaction for sanitizer then it is only condensation, if you do receive a sanitizer reading then the unit is in fact leaking.  A service technician will need to be called for a heat pump leak.  This will only work if you have a sanitizer level in the pool. Additionally, you can shut the heater off. If it stops leaking it condensation.
  • Check the pool liner!
    • Go for a swim with goggles. Look for a dirt spot or white spot that cannot be rubbed off. Us pool dye or food colouring to see if the drops get pulled in to the hole.
    • If the water level stopped at a certain level – use your hands and eyes and go around the water line to see if you can find the hole. If it stops leaking at another place like a light, return, skimmer etc, there is a good chance that is the culprit.
    • If you find it, look for more! If we are closed go get a patch kit from Canadian Tire. Probably not as good as our but hey! Check out: https://www.rrpools.ca/blog/how-to-patch-a-swimming-pool-liner/
  • Check the light!
    • For an inground pool you would check around the light with some pool dye or food colouring. Then you would need to pull the light out and check the back of the niche.
    • For an aboveground you should be able to see a puddle below the light or a little ways away or the actual water coming down the wall. You need new gaskets or it is cracked.
  • Where in the world is this water going to?
    • Cant figure it out? Do the bucket test.
  • The first thing we get clients to do is the bucket test. It is a requirement before our service call. Get ahead by providing us with the relevant info. Then email us back and let us know what’s happening.

Bucket Test for Water Loss

Determine if your water loss is caused by evaporation or a leak. Use the following steps to determine if your pool is leaking.

1. Bring the pool water to normal level.

2. Fill a 5-gallon bucket with pool water to about five inches from the top.

3. Place the bucket on the first or second step of the pool. Ensure the bucket is immersed in the pool at least 5 inches.

4. Mark the water level inside the bucket.

5. Shut off the pump and mark pool water level on the outside of the bucket.

6. Resume normal pool pump operation.

After 24 hours, compare the two water levels. If the pool water (outside the mark) goes down more than the bucket’s water level, there is probably a leak. If levels are the same, only evaporation has occurred.

In case of rain, repeat the bucket test. During a summer day, expect water loss from normal evaporation. Test is invalid after 24 hours.

Typical evaporation-A quarter inch of water loss per day is most likely evaporation. The evaporation rate in your area will depend on humidity, sunlight intensity, barometric pressure, wind and the level of activity in the pool or spa.

If there is no notable difference: Turn the pool on and repeat the test. If the pool goes down when off it is the skimmer line or the liner. If it goes down while on but the bucket test was negative when off, its in the return lines.

** Disclaimer: the above is for informational purposes only. Every problem and situation is unique. Our recommendation with any problem situation is to cease usage and contact your local pool company for a service call. We are not liable for any injury or damages while trying the above. **