Troubleshooting
When you first suspect a leak, try to do some troubleshooting first. This will provide you with valuable data to report to us in order to best assist you in finding and repairing the leak.
Bucket Test | On/Off Test | Poor Man's Pressure Test
Bucket Test
When you first suspect you may have a leak you can do a simple test to determine if the water loss in your swimming pool is due to a leak or is just evaporation. This test is called the bucket test. The bucket test exposes water in a bucket to the same conditions as those affecting your swimming pool. By comparing the water loss in each, it's possible to determine if the pool has a leak.
- Bring the pool water to its normal level
- Fill an empty bucket with pool water to about one inch from the top of bucket.
- Place the bucket on the first or second step of the pool. (or next to the pool edge)
- Mark the water level inside the bucket.
- Mark the water level of the pool on the outside of the bucket, on the pool wall, or skimmer face plate.
- Operate the pool for 24 hours as it had been operated when a leak was first suspected.
- After 24 hours, compare the two levels. If the pool water (outside mark) goes down more than the inside water level, there is probably a leak.
- Schedule your inspection.
On/Of Test
If you are pretty sure you have a leak, it is important to determine where best to proceed. The easiest way is to compare you water loss rate when the system is on versus when the system is off. This test is called the On/Off Test. The On/Off Test records the aount of water loss during each of the states of your system operationl. By comparing the water loss during each state, it's possible to determine if the pool leak is in the plumbing or elsewhere.
- Bring the pool water to its normal level.
- Mark the water level of the pool on the pool wall, or skimmer face plate.
- Turn on your pump and run the system for 24 hours.
- After 24 hours, mark the water level and note the amount lost in 24 hours.
- Bring the pool water back up to its normal level again.
- Remark the water level of the pool on the pool wall, or skimmer face plate.
- Turn off your pump for 24 hours.
- After 24 hours, mark the water level and note the amount lost in 24 hours.
- Compare the water loss rate under both conditions.
- If the water loss rate is the same under each condition, you most likely have a leak somewhere in your pool.
- If the water loss rate is different, then you most likely have a leak somewhere in your plumbing.
- NOTE: Sometimes, you may have leaks in both areas, so schedule your inspection today.
Poor Man's Pressure Test (PMPT)
Ok, so you feel pretty confident your leak is in your plumbing. You can verify this by doing the PMPT. The PMPT seperates the pool from the plumbing, essentially making a pool a bathtub in order to verify this pool is not leaking. By doing the Poor Man's Pressure Test, it's possible to verify if your leak is in the pool.
- Turn your system off at the circuit breaker.
- Plug all of your Return, Simmer (and Polaris) lines.
- Mark the water level of the pool on the pool wall, or skimmer face plate.
- After 24 hours, mark the water level and note the amount lost in 24 hours.
- If the pool loses more than what you would consider evaportation, then you have a leak.
- Schedule your inspection
Service Request
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