Dealing with a pool leak can be a pool owner’s worst nightmare. With so much water involved, you could be looking at extremely high water bills and potential damage to surrounding property. But you will also likely have a hard time narrowing down where the leak is. Is it in the pool’s structure somewhere, around a pool fixture, or somewhere in the pump system? Keep reading to learn more about detecting a pool leak and determining if the leak’s location is your pool skimmer.
Detecting a Leak
First things first: you need to be absolutely certain you have a leak. Pools will naturally lose some water to evaporation and from simply using it, so you need to ensure that dwindling water levels are, in fact, caused by a leak. The best way to do this is to get a large bucket and place it on a step in your pool, using a large stone to weigh it down. Then, fill the bucket so that the water inside the bucket is the same as the water around it. Do not use your pool for a couple of days, then check the water levels. Because evaporation should impact the pool and the bucket equally, if the water inside the bucket is considerably higher than the water in the pool, this indicates there’s a leak somewhere in your system.
Checking the Skimmer
If you have a pool leak, the skimmer is one of the first places you should check, as they’re among the most common causes of pool leaks. To check, you can shut off your pool pump and put a few drops of red food coloring near the skimmer. If the dye flows into the seams around the skimmer, you have found your leak source. You may even be able to note exactly where along the seam the dye is flowing in so you see which areas need repairs.
Another good sign that your skimmer is to blame for your pool leak is if the water level drops quickly until it’s below the skimmer level. If the declining water level seems to stop after dropping below the skimmer, then the skimmer is what’s leaking.
Repairing the Leak
Luckily, skimmers are not difficult to fix—but that doesn’t mean you should try them yourself. Skimmers typically leak because they’re pulling away from the concrete, so you’ll need a professional to properly install and seal your new skimmer replacement in Sacramento. You don’t end up with another leak on your hands.
