Leak Test Your Swimming Pool Skimmer

If you have a leak in your swimming pool filter, you may lose water in your swimming pool causing further damage to the pool and your property. To find if your skimmer leaks, you will need to perform an easy diagnostic test.

Steps

  1. If the water level leaks out of your pool below the skimmer mouth anywhere down to 18" below the bottom of the skimmer mouth and then stops, you may still have a leak in your skimmer. Quite often you will have an equalizer line in your skimmer either independently in the wall, or underground connected to the main drain. This allows your skimmer to access water below the mouth of the skimmer, a prevention method to stop your pump from losing prime should the water level fall too low. To find where your skimmer is leaking you need to isolate the different parts which may be leaking.
  2. A crack in the skimmer itself, or in the pipe connected to the bottom of it would cause the water level to drop to this level and then stop. Skimmers are especially prone to migrating soil conditions, freeze and thaw conditions and contain underground piping that can often be older than the remainder of your pool plumbing. An equalizer from the bottom of the skimmer to the main drains would likely be overlooked during a renovation so it can be a common leak source. To test the equalizer line you would need to access the main drain which it connects to. Since this is not an option the only way to test the equalizer line is by process of elimination.
  3. Plug the ports in the bottom of the skimmer (with pump off) and fill skimmer with water. Mark the water level with a pencil and leave for 24 hours. If the skimmer holds the water you likely do not have a crack in the body of the skimmer itself.
  4. Conduct a dye test and inspection of the ports at the bottom of the skimmer and look for the dye to be pulled out through the leak.
  5. Inspect your pumps operation. Excessive air in the pump basket can be an indication of a leak in the skimmer suction line. If you suspect the leak is in the plumbing line of the pool then schedule a pressure test of your plumbing system
  6. If your pool is a vinyl liner then inspect the gasket, faceplate and screws for overall condition. Signs of rust indicate a leak and the screws must all be tight for a water seal. A loose or stripped screw will leak water
  7. If you have a concrete pool you can experience leaks in the skimmer where the skimmer mouth meets the concrete. When a leak exists in this location the bottom of the skimmer mouth will sound hollow if you tap on it as the water is slowly washing away the concrete. A dye test can also determine leaks in this location.

Warnings

  • Always exercise caution in or around swimming pools

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Sources and Citations

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