Vinyl Pool Leak Detection

Filter Leak

• Before assuming your pool liner has a leak, check the filter, which can be a contributing factor to water loss. With the filter turned on, examine the hoses for cracks and running water. See that the hose clamps are tightened as well; these are designed to tighten the hose fitting to prevent leaks. Look for damp spots around the area of the filter when no one is in the pool splashing water. Possibly the filter's PVC fittings are leaking. Once you rule out any filter leakage issues, you can move on to examine the pool liner.
  
  

Bucket Test

• The bucket test, or evaporation test, is one of the more common ways to determine if the pool liner is leaking. Your pool will naturally lose water to evaporation; how much depends on the environment around you. Fill up a bucket of water, and use a waterproof marker to note the water level in the bucket. Do the same inside the pool with the marker. Place the bucket near the pool, and wait 24 to 48 hours. If the pool level decreased more than the bucket from evaporation, there is a leak in the liner.
  
  

Find the Leak

• Finding a leak can be difficult if not impossible at times. Old pool liners are known to deteriorate to the point where several small pin-size holes are created that are impossible to detect by the naked eye. Look for sinkholes at the pool bottom where water may be getting through and washing away the sand beneath the liner, which can be an area that is torn or leaking. Perform a visual check as well of the sidewall and pool bottom. You may need to put on a pair of goggles to spot the hole in the lining. One last method of detecting leaks is to walk around the perimeter of the pool and look for dampened areas where the ground is becoming saturated from a leak. If this is the case, the leak should be found somewhere in that vicinity.
  
  

Patches

• If you do find the source of your vinyl pool liner leak, temporary solutions are available. Vinyl pool patches are sold at most pool supply retailers and can be applied underwater. These patches are temporary solutions that can be applied to hold off repairs or pool liner replacement for a few months. They should not be treated as permanent solutions. Rips on the sidewall are more likely to benefit from a patch because pool users aren't stepping on the patch, which can loosen it.