Common causes for pool leaks

Pools are considered a closed environment. This means, that the water goes from the pool, to the pump, and then back into the pool. There may be an additional water source that helps keep the water level in the pool at the right balance, but, the pool itself is a closed system.

The three ways for a pool leak to happen are:

• Pool plumbing and pool equipment - the pool pipes / plumbing or pool equipment can have a leak. This is where we see most of the leaks form in the pools.

• Pool penetration points - if you look at the inside of your pool, anywhere you see an item that goes through the shell of the pool (main drain, eyeball jet, spa jet, bubbler, umbrella sleeve, light, etc.) is considered a penetration point and where that item meets the shell of the pool, can potentially be a location for a leak.

• Pool shell leaks - a pool shell leak is similar to the penetration leak, but this is more related to areas in the shell of the pool where the plaster in the pool is either cracked (which may mean the shell beneath the plaster is cracked), or is not properly sealed in an area which allows water to slowly seep or flow through the shell of the pool and out.

Now that we have talked about the three main ways a pool can leak, lets talk about the common causes:

• As pools get older, the plumbing can become brittle with age, UV expose or expose to chemicals inside the pipes and equipment. As water moves through the pipes it can cause vibration, which overtime, can break joints where pipes are connected, crack pipe elbows where the turn 90 degrees or 45 degrees, or loosen connection points. This is where we seen many of the leaks in pools that we find.

• Pressure on pipes in the shell or underground can also add stress over time to a fitting where pipes connect, and given enough pressure overtime, and movement of water through pipes, this can cause the fitting to come loose or break the glue joint.

• Movement of the pool shell, patio or soil around the pool can put stress on the pipes and fittings and cause breaks.

• Age is another major factor in pool leaks. As the pool, pool equipment or plumbing gets older, the plastic parts, rubber O-rings, grout joints and plaster starts to break down, causing the connection point of these parts to become potential leak points where water can find its path through the shell of the pool and cause a leak. Water is the most destructive force in the world, and even a small item like missing grout, can cause a big leak over time.

Check out our next blog post here about steps to identify if you have a leak, and how you can identify the possible source yourself if you want to se3lf-diagnose the issue.

Crack in a pool shell that is allowing water to penetrate the shell of the pool and is a bis issue for a pool leak.

Freeze damage can cause a rapid loss of water in your pool, especially if your pool equipment is below pool level, it can possibly drain the entire pool in a matter of hours.

This straight pipe was installed on a curved wall, and over time, the pipe being curved caused stress on the fitting and it eventually broke.