Whether you own an in-ground pool or an above-ground pool, it can be difficult to determine whether or not your swimming pool is leaking. Splashing can result in a considerable amount of water loss, and evaporation can also lower the pool water levels slightly over time. While it’s important to consider whether or not your pool’s diminished water supply is a result of one of these common issues, you shouldn’t completely rule out the possibility of a leak.
When left alone, pool leaks can cause severe damage to not only your pool, but your entire property as well. Since they are often impossible to detect with the naked eye, you’ll most likely have to call on professionals who specialize in swimming pool leak repair in Sacramento. They’ll have the equipment and experience needed to detect any leaks either within or underneath your pool, and provide immediate, effective repair services. If you’re worried about how much the pool leak detection services will cost, there are some simple ways you can estimate what the total bill will be.
Here are the top considerations to keep in mind when determining your pool leak detection cost.
Leak Type
Pool leaks can occur in a wide variety of ways in a wide variety of locations. Whether you’re dealing with a small tear in your vinyl pool liner or a crack in the pool’s concrete wall, you’ll have to determine what type of leak your pool has before knowing what services you require. Many smaller leaks don’t require the pool to be drained, and can be easily patched up in a timely manner. Other leaks, such as ones that occur beneath the ground, can be more costly to fix, as they require more advanced equipment and tools.
Location of Pool
If you have an above-ground pool, you’ll likely be able to spot the leak fairly quickly. However, leaks within in-ground pools can be almost impossible to detect without the proper resources. If your pool is situated in your backyard and is surrounded by tall trees or other flora, the repair team may have a harder time servicing your swimming pool. Ultimately, if your pool doesn’t have any nearby objects that would obstruct a professional’s ability to check for leaks, you’ll likely save money on the pool leak detection costs.
Services Required
The more information you can provide to the company specializing in swimming pool leak detection in Sacramento, the better chance you’ll have of paying less for their services. When pool leak professionals have to run the gauntlet of leak detection services, they’ll charge you more for the work they put in. If you have an idea of where the leak is located, you can save them the trouble of checking for leaks elsewhere. The less work your repair team has to provide, the more you’ll save on the total bill.
If you have any reason to believe that your pool is leaking, you always want to err on the side of caution and have professionals inspect your swimming pool. You might not be keen on paying for their services, but what they charge you will be far less than the costly pool repairs that could result from small leaks. For homeowners in need of reliable pool leak detection services at an affordable price, contact Bullseye Leak Detection, Inc. today!
Gunite Pool: How to Repair Your Pool?
Owning a swimming pool comes with a lot of benefits, but there’s a lot of responsibility involved as well. Proper pool maintenance and quality repairs help to keep your pool in good condition and can minimize your long-term costs for pool ownership. One problem pool owners need to be on the lookout for is cracks and leaks in the pool’s shell. If you notice cracks on your gunite swimming pool, how can you determine if that crack is causing a leak? And if you do have a leak, how can you repair it? Keep reading to learn more about how to find and repair a gunite swimming pool leak in Sacramento.
Testing for a Leak
First, it’s important to be aware that hairline cracks in your pool’s shell do not always constitute a leak. All pools will crack eventually, but these cracks are usually just on the surface of the gunite, only going through the paint or pool’s finish. To determine if any of these cracks are causing a leak, follow these steps:
- Place a bucket on the top step of your pool, with a rock inside of it to help weigh it down.
- Fill up the bucket so that the water inside it is at the same level as the water around it.
- Do not use your pool for at least 24 hours.
- Check the water level in and around the bucket; if the water around it is now lower than the water inside of it, your pool has a leak.
If you determine your pool has a leak, it’s often a good idea to let a professional handle it from here. If you want to try to pinpoint the source of the leak, keep reading.
Finding the Source
So, if most cracks in your pool are just surface cracking, how do you know which one is causing the leak? A few drops of food coloring can help you figure it out. Get in the water and release a couple of drops directly in front of each crack you can see in your pool. If the food coloring swirls and dissipates into the water, that crack is not leaking. If you can see the food coloring getting pulled into the crack, as if it’s being sucked into a drain, then you’ve found the culprit.
It is important to note that cracks in the pool shell are only one possible source of a pool leak. Leaks can also occur around light fixtures and other pool features, as well as in the pool’s pump and filtration system. So if none of the cracks you can see in the pool seem to be the cause of the leak, try adding food coloring in front of the pool’s lights and other such features built into the pool shell. If you still can’t find it, the source is probably the pool system, and you’ll need a professional to handle it.
Fixing the Leak
Once you’ve pinpointed the leak, how do you fix it? Again, you will probably want to have a professional handle this to ensure it’s done properly, but in most cases, the repair process is relatively simple. First, the crack is widened using a grinder or drill, and any debris inside of the crack is cleaned out. It’s then filled with a pool plaster and covered with a plastic cover so the pool can immediately be filled back up. Another possible repair method is to inject the crack with epoxy sealant; this fills up the crack all the way through, rather than just sealing the surface like pool plaster does.
The Most Common Excuses of Ignoring Pool Leaks
Pools, like any other part of your home that holds or moves water, can develop leaks over time. But, unlike plumbing leaks, pool leaks are much more likely to be ignored. Why do pool owners ignore these leaks instead of using pool leak detection in Sacramento? Here are some of the most common excuses that we hear when we’re finally called in to find and fix the problem.
“I Just Didn’t Know”
Leaks in your pool system can be a lot more difficult to detect than leaks in other parts of your home. This is especially true if you’re not very familiar with your pool system. While most homeowners can easily spot a plumbing leak, few pool owners are able to recognize the signs and symptoms of a pool leak. They may notice lower water levels but assume that it’s simply evaporation.
Pool leaks can occur in the pool’s pump system, or in the pool’s walls or base. This latter type of leak is especially difficult to detect, as the escaped water would simply be seeping into the surrounding earth and would not be visible to you. The former type of leak, while a bit more obvious, can still be easy to overlook if you’re not aware of what’s normal for your pool’s pump system. This is why it’s so important for all pool owners to educate themselves and become familiar with their pool’s system and how to maintain it.
“It’s Not a Big Deal”
Some pool owners think that a little leak in their pool isn’t a big deal. After all, it’s not seeping into their home and ruining their drywall or causing water damage; it’s just a little bit of water dripping onto the grass or into the soil every day, so what’s the harm? They would rather have to add more water to their pool than pay for the leaks to be repaired.
The truth is, a pool leak can often just be the beginning of much bigger problems. If your pool’s framework is cracking and leaking, it’s only a matter of time before larger issues appear in the walls or bottom of the pool. If the leak is in your pool’s pump system, there may be an underlying issue like corrosion or improper pressure that is causing the leak. These are all things that need to be fixed before they cause a larger, much more expensive, problem.
“It Cost Too Much to Fix”
Finally, many homeowners will tell us that the didn’t call for help earlier because they thought the leak would be way too expensive to fix. Owning a pool does come with a price tag to maintain it, and yes, there will be a cost to repair any leaks in your pool. However, you may be surprised by how little it can cost. Many pool leaks can be repaired with epoxy and a pool repair kit, making them a reasonably priced repair—one that is much more affordable than constantly refilling your pool, not to mention the cost of potential long-term damage if ignored.
