Pool Leak Repair in San Antonio: From Warning Signs to the Right Fix

You filled your pool up a few days ago, but now the water level is already dropping again. Nobody has been swimming in it, and you haven’t backwashed your pool. Now as you grab the hose to fill it up again, you start to wonder if it is normal evaporation or if you have a leak in your pool.

Pool leak repair in San Antonio begins with investigating the cause of the leak and determining the source. Then it is a matter of finding the appropriate solution. This article will help you with all of these things. From determining what you should investigate on your own and what signs should make you call in a professional, to evaluating whether your pool should be repaired or replaced, you’ll find the information you need here.

What Signs Suggest Your Pool Is Leaking?

Look for signs of change in water loss and equipment, but take them only as possibilities. According to EPA’s pool water-efficiency guidance, evaporation, cleaning, splash, and leaks are all distinct reasons why a pool might lose water.

Signs worth looking into could consist of:

• More frequent filling: Compare the loss of water during similar weather and usage patterns. Loss of water overnight may not necessarily suggest that there is a leak.
• Wet spots: If there are damp areas around the deck or even the ground, it might be possible that the water is coming out somewhere. Nevertheless, watering and runoffs may lead to similar results.
• Cracks: Take pictures of the cracks you could see in the pool or the deck. If there were a leak, it might have been evident that the crack became bigger or that the pool was repaired. A crack in the deck does not necessarily suggest that the pool is defective.
• Air in the circulation system: Bubbles can indicate air entering the plumbing toward the pump. However, Pentair’s troubleshooting guidance also lists low water levels and clogged skimmer baskets as possible causes.
• Increased water usage: If there is an automatic water topping system, it would add water to the pool constantly. It is essential to ensure that the water consumption is not increased because of the sprinklers or someone in the household using much water.

Record the time when changes started and if it coincided with maintenance or equipment servicing. This will assist in guiding the inspection.

How Can You Check Whether It’s Evaporation or a Leak?

A bucket test will show you how much water is evaporating versus how much is going down due to leaks. However, this test cannot tell where the leak is.

The EPA’s residential pool guide states that you should conduct a 24-hour comparison during which the pool’s system is off.

1. Choose the right conditions. Avoid rainy and high-wind days, and do not turn off the freeze protection feature on freezing nights.
2. Prepare the pool. At the same time, make sure that the pool is empty of swimmers and that you have turned off the automatic fillers, circulation pumps, cleaners, and water features (if it is safe to do so).
3. Set up the bucket. Fill a sound bucket with pool water and secure it on a submerged step or bench, with its rim above the pool water.
4. Mark both levels. Mark the water inside the bucket and the pool’s starting waterline separately.
5. Compare after 24 hours. If the pool loses more water, a leak may be present. Repeat if rain or refilling disrupts the test.

Keep children away from the bucket and maintain pool barriers. Share the measurements and test conditions with your technician; testing with circulation off doesn’t rule out a leak that appears mainly while equipment runs.

For more background, see Poolie’s guide to pool water loss.

Where Can Pool Leaks Develop?

Leaks can occur in fittings, plumbing, or the pool itself. The key to figuring out what needs repair is knowing where the water is actually escaping.

Skimmers and returns: Skimmers draw water from the surface of the pool into the circulation system, while returns put filtered water back in. Water can escape around skimmer or return fittings if there are cracks or faulty gaskets.

Underground plumbing: Breaks in the line itself can cause leaks. These are harder to see since the water loss may not be in the shape of an obvious “wet spot.” Diagnosis by test is needed to find the difference between a faulty fitting and a faulty section of pipe.

Pool surfaces and shells: If the shell is leaking due to a faulty liner or cracked structure, a different kind of repair will be needed. In the case of plaster, you can’t assume that merely chipped away at the surface, the shell itself is leaking. Poolie’s guide to the difference between structural and cosmetic cracking can help you know when to call a professional.

Pool-light fixtures: Water may be entering through the receptacle where the light bulb is mounted, the wiring connections, or the cable where it enters the pool. Don’t try working on or around your lights yourself if you suspect an electrical fault. Keep people out of the water and call a professional to check and balance electrical currents if you suspect anything related to the wiring is faulty.

What Does Professional Leak Detection Involve?

Professional testing should identify the affected area before repair work can begin. Based on the pool and the symptoms, a technician might conduct:

• Pressure testing: Isolating plumbing lines and checking if they hold the controlled pressure. Anderson Manufacturing speaks of how pressure testing aids in distinguishing between plumbing leaks and issues in the rest of the pool. The setup of the test should also be evaluated.
• Dye testing and underwater inspection: Examining the suspected openings and observing if the dye is drawn through them. A negative outcome at one point does not rule out other leaks.
• Acoustic equipment: Listening for a buried leak, once the affected plumbing is narrowed down.
• Electronic testing: Using equipment that is suitable for the construction of the pool. It is not a universal method for every shell or surface.

Ask what the results establish and if further investigation is necessary. Finding one leak does not necessarily mean that it is the only one.

Should You Repair or Replace the Affected Component?

Ask what has been found to be faulty, what material was surrounding the damage, what access would be required and what repair history there may be, rather than looking only at the age of the pool.

If there is a localized fault and the item is still in good condition, then it may be possible to repair it. If there are multiple faults or the item is generally deteriorating, it may be more cost-effective to replace it. Ask if a patch would simply mask a fault or if it would resolve the issue.

Before approving any work, request a written scope of work that includes the following:

• The confirmed leak location and recommended fix.
• Any excavation, draining, or removal of finishes.
• Restoration of disturbed decking, landscaping, or tile.
• Whether detection, repairs, and follow-up testing are priced separately.
• Applicable warranty terms and how the repair will be verified.

A small plumbing repair beneath a deck can involve substantial access work. Compare the complete scope, not just the quoted repair price. Poolie’s pool repair services include leak detection and repair; confirm what’s included for your pool.

What Should You Do While Waiting for Repairs?

Protect the equipment and take a dated water-level log. From a safe, dry position, check for visible drips without opening a pressurized machine or adjusting the controls of an unfamiliar valve.

If the water is too low to allow the skimmer to function properly or for the pump to maintain suction, turn the pump off at its source and call your service provider. Do not continue to run the pump if it is operating in a dry state.

Do not drain the pool to check it or to allow the water level to drop to a point that could expose a suspected leak. Pentair warns that draining can damage pools, including delamination due to high groundwater pressure. Ask your technician how to control water level and circulation in the meantime.

Move From Repeated Refilling to a Confirmed Fix

Next time that low spot in the water comes up, there will be more to report than how many times you had to refill the pool. Document the loss and what you can get away with and rely on the results to tell the professionals.

After getting the fixes you want, be sure to follow the curing and restarting instructions and ask to check on the water-loss again. For a good reading, it’s important to have a record of the weather, refills, swimmers, and any equipment to show alongside the loss of water. Ask when you should take these notes and who to call if they say something about it still losing water. If it keeps losing water, you’ll need to share the measurements in order to know it isn’t just continuing on its own.

Contact Poolie’s San Antonio team with your findings and test results. Having what things the water goes down are a must in order to choose the repairs needed.