Leak Detection
Locate water escaping from walls, floors, the yard or irrigation pipe without tearing things open first.
Leaks and supply pipes
Pool and Spa Leak Detection and Repair in Laveen, AZ
Pools lose water in a desert summer, and most of it is evaporation. A pool that drops faster than the sun explains may have a leak in a line, a fitting or the shell.
Switch the pump off if the water level approaches the skimmer.
Signs it is more than evaporation
- A level that drops fastMore than the usual daily loss, even on cooler days.
- Wet ground by the equipmentSoggy soil or a puddle near the pump, heater or filter.
- A pump that sucks airBubbles at the return or a pump that loses prime.
The bucket test
Place a bucket on a pool step, fill it to match the pool level and mark the water line both inside and outside the bucket. After a day, compare how far each has dropped. A pool that fell clearly more than the bucket may have a leak.
Run the test once with the pump on and again with it off. If the two results differ, the problem likely sits on the pressure side or the suction side of the plumbing.
Where pool leaks hide
Pool plumbing runs through skimmers, returns, the equipment pad and the lines between them. Leaks show up at unions, valves, heater connections and underground pipe.
Spas add jets, fittings and air lines. A spa that was recently remodeled can leak at a new connection, and that is worth saying on the call.
Cost
What affects pool leak work
Pool leak work depends on where the loss is and how hard it is to reach.
Find out if the detection charge is credited toward the repair.
In Laveen
Heat, evaporation and automatic fillers
Summer heat and wind drive evaporation, and an automatic filler can hide a leak by topping up the pool quietly. If a filler is installed, switch it off for the test.
Some Laveen lots have pools, and pool plumbing sits alongside irrigation lines. Mention both if you suspect more than one source.
What the plumber can and cannot repair
A plumber commonly handles equipment-pad plumbing and buried lines. Structural cracks in the shell, tile or plaster belong to a pool builder or finisher, and a contractor should say so plainly if that is where the loss is.
Pressure testing the lines is a common way to confirm a leak in the plumbing. Ask which tests the contractor will run.
Pool leaks and the water bill
A leak adds to the bill twice, through the lost water and the refills. Keep the refill dates and the meter readings, since they help a contractor judge the rate of loss.
Pool clues
Signs a pool is leaking and not just evaporating
Desert heat pulls water out of any pool. A real leak loses more and loses it steadily.
Pump on, pump off
Stand a bucket on a pool step, fill it to the pool level and mark both. Compare the marks a day later. A pool that dropped further than the bucket probably has a leak.
Repeat the test twice, once with the pump running and once with it off. A gap between the two readings points to the plumbing rather than the shell.
Plumbing or shell?
A pressure test on the lines separates pipe leaks from shell cracks. Ask the contractor which they offer, since some handle plumbing only. For a pool plumbing leak, a leak detection visit uses related methods.
Switch the pump off first
If the level is falling fast, switch the pump off before the water falls below the skimmer, because a pump running dry can be ruined. Note the level, the time and any wet spots, then call.
Other water loss worth ruling out
High Water Bill & Leak Detection
Learn whether a bill spike comes from a leak, a toilet or the sprinklers, and how to confirm it at the meter.
Backflow Testing & Prevention
Annual testing and upkeep of the assembly that keeps irrigation water out of the drinking supply.
Quick answers
Pool leak questions
It swings with heat, wind and sun. A marked bucket beside the pool shows what normal looks like in your own yard.
That is generally a pool builder's job. A plumber handles the plumbing lines and fittings.
Air entering on the suction side, a low water level or a leak can all do it. A contractor can test the lines.
Spas have jets and air lines, so leaks can appear at more fittings. Tell the contractor what was recently changed.
Yes when the level drops fast or water pools by the equipment. Switch the pump off before the surface sinks below the skimmer, then ring the line.
Ask a pool professional. Heat, wind and use all matter. A steady drop that continues in cool weather is suspect.
Usually that is a pool specialist task. A plumber handles the pipes.
Often the plumbing is similar, but the shell and jets add other possibilities.
Is the pool losing more than it should?
Run the bucket test, then call and share what you found. The dispatcher can connect you with a contractor.