You shouldn’t ignore a pool leak, even if it seems minor. Without repair, even small leaks can escalate into large-scale damage that contaminates your pool water, ruins expensive equipment and leaves you saddled with a costly bill before you can enjoy the water again.

Pool Leaks Are Always a Priority

You may notice a small drip or the water level being slightly lower than normal. These might not seem like urgent reasons to call a pool repair company, but they’re actually clear signs that something is wrong with your equipment. Before diving into specific types of equipment that might fail, it’s worth exploring why pool leaks are such a hazard in the first place.

Water that leaks from your pool doesn’t dry and disappear; it runs off into the soil. Underground leaks become major structural hazards that can even reach your home and weaken its foundation.

The erosion from pool leaks happens slowly and subtly, so much so that you may not even notice it for months. Signs of a hidden pool leak include a deck shifting or tilting and cracks forming along the pool shell. Some areas may look worse than others, which can help a professional identify the source of the leak. The bottom line is that no leak is really minor, and avoiding the warning signs can not only jeopardize your pool but your entire property.

Pump Shaft Leak

The pool pump is the lifeforce of your entire pool system; leaks can cause water to enter critical spaces that will suffer catastrophic failure from water exposure. Namely, your electric motor. When water penetrates the seal between your pump system and the motor, the clock starts ticking. It’s only a matter of time before your motor gives out.

How can you tell if your pump shaft is leaking? Look for a puddle beneath the pump. This is the most obvious sign, as water typically drips from the space where the motor connects to the pump house.

There is good news; replacing a shaft seal is a relatively easy and inexpensive repair that can save your entire pool. Notifying a professional ASAP will help you avoid headaches and the bill from leaving a pump shaft leak to worsen.

Filter Valve Leaks

If your pool uses a sand or DE filter, there’s a part on top of it that directs water flow during different operations, such as filtering, backwashing and rinsing. This part is called the multiport valve, and inside of it, there’s a rubber gasket that keeps water moving in the right direction. If it becomes damaged or simply wears out, leaks happen.

The most telltale sign you have a filter valve leak is water trickling from your backwash line, even if the valve is set to filter. This means water is bypassing your filter instead of going through it, so you’ll likely notice debris in your pool and cloudy water.

You don’t have to leave your pool at risk. Contact Pools & Spas By Van Brill professionals for expert pool equipment repair in Harrison Township, NJ.