How $6 Saved Me $350 – Is my Pool Leaking?

How $6 Saved Me $350 – Is my Pool Leaking?

Article by: Franchisee Mike Steltenpool Newcastle, NSW

Today as I write this post I hear on the news that it’s the last day of summer? What? Where did my summer go so quick? Don’t worry as there is another 6 – 8 weeks of hot swimming days left usually in Autumn and I am enjoying my pool and so are most of my Customers.

Lately, I have had a quite a few calls from clients who want me to come and check that they don’t have a pool leak. That’s right a water leak in their pool. Maybe you have noticed the same, you have been adding a lot of extra water to your pool over last 2 months. Have you?
But is this water loss from a Leak, or splashing out by the kids doing water bombs, or just evaporation, you may ask?

Most pool owners either think that they are adding a lot of water because they think they have a leak and have just started to notice, or they think that the pool is losing water to evaporation but really have a pool leak.

Which one are you?

Normally, water loss in a swimming pool is just evaporation.
When water gets hot & the air is hot, and you have windy conditions; you can lose 2 to 4 cm of water a week from your pool. Sometimes it looks like it happens in just one day. This water loss can cause some of my clients to think they have a pool leak.
Here is a quick way to check if you have a pool leak or if you have just high evaporation. Before you call in a specialized Pool Leak Detection company who can charge over $350 for their services, try these small checks at home. Its easy to do and you will know what to do next based on the discoveries you make by doing a ‘Bucket Test”.

You need a bucket. Cost $6.90 or less.

Place the bucket next to the pool and fill with pool water until it over flows. The top of the bucket is the starting point to measure.
Somewhere that suits you on the pool wall, or I normally write with a pencil inside the skimmer box, on the inside wall part. Mark the height of the water line with your pencil.
Now, after a couple of days, compare the water loss in the bucket to the water loss in the skimmer box. Look at the line you previously drew with a pencil.

Now the bucket can only lose water by evaporation. Let’s say the water level went down 1 cm. That’s evaporation as you bucket doesn’t leak. (I hope)
Now look at the skimmer box pencil mark you made. If your bucket went down 1cm and your pool when down 1 cm. That’s evaporation in the pool. If the pool went down more than 1 cm, this could mean you have a leak and you should called in or discuss with your pool guy about a leak.

Now, another way to save $350 is to go buy a Tap Timer for $6.90. When your pool evaporates during the day and you get home, connect the hose to the tap timer and fill up your pool. That way, when you pop back inside and enjoy a glass of wine or beer, or feed the kids, or maybe fall asleep- you won’t accidently leave the hose on all night and wash out all your pool chemicals by accident!

Don’t laugh, it happens more than you think!

Happy swimming for the rest of season!