The bucket test
- Fill a bucket with pool water and set it on the first step so it stays at the same temperature.
- Mark the level inside the bucket and the pool level at the skimmer.
- After 24 hours with the pump off, compare.
If the pool dropped much more than the bucket, there is a leak. Repeat with the pump on: if the gap grows, the leak is probably in the pressure pipes.
Where it usually is
- Around the flanges of skimmers, inlets and lights.
- At the corners of steps, where the liner works hardest.
- Where something sharp was dropped.
- In the pipes and joints of the plant room.
A drop of dye near the suspect spot, in still water, shows whether it is drawn outwards.
How it is repaired
Small tears close with a patch of the same material, often under water. Flanges and gaskets are changed with the level lowered. When the liner has many worn spots or has hardened, a patch only buys time and the real fix is a liner replacement.
Do not drain it yourself
A liner pool is not drained 'to have a look'. Without water the liner can shift and, in wet ground, outside pressure loads the walls. Call us before you open the drain.
