Why Do Swimming Pools Leak?
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Why so swimming pools leak? Why doesn't someone develop a swimming pool that simply does not leak or is highly resistant to developing leaks? Fixing leaks in pools is expensive and they can cause a lot of damage if they go unchecked for long periods of time...which swimming pool leaks often do. The reason why pool builders do not install leak free pools is simply because of the technical difficulty in retaining tens of thousand of gallons of stagnant water especially when you have many pipe penetrations which swimming pools do to account for suction lines, return lines, pool lights etc. Every one of these pipe penetrations are a serious risk for a leak.
There are many different materials used to make the different kinds of swimming pools. Concrete is definitely one of the most popular choices, however fiberglass pools as well as vinyl liner pools (using steel wall or resin wall kits plus a mortar based floor pad) are all tricky to make entirely waterproof for diferent reasons and in different ways. For example concrete used to make pools is a porous substance and unless you apply a waterproofing system to the concrete then you will be active leaking (more like leaching) water through your concrete pool shell and interior finish. The rate of water loss is slow enough to not notice but this does cause some concern for longevity with concrete pools. Anywhere water passes will cause erosion over time, and pool water reaching the structural steel in the concrete can lead to long term structutural failures. Unfortunately making concrete entirely waterproof is very challenging and a costly process...but one you should definitely consider to do when you are building a concrete pool. Many modern day concrete pool builders still do not use waterproofing systems.
Fiberglass and vinyl liner pools are both inherently more resistant to leaking simply because they have an interior surface which is entirely waterproof by design. Fiberglass (gelcoat) and vinyl liners will both stop 100% of water passing through, even under hydrostatic pressure, so this eliminates a lot of the technical challenge in creating a uniformly waterproof surface like with concrete pools. Still, the pipe penetrations themselves pose a significant opportunity for leaks to develop over time. Often leaks develop in these pools from erosion and settling in the ground around the pool where the pool plumbing pipes run. Since the pipes are connected to the pool walls and are unable to move at all, if the pipes in the ground settle or move this often causes a failure where the pipe meets the back side of the pool walls.
Pool plumbing system leaks - Swimming pools quite often used to be built with three pipes. Modern pool installations look nothing like this with more robust installations have 20, 30 or even 50+ pipes for all of the different features the pool has built in. Further these pipes are often larger diameter than what used to be used, further omplicating the technical nature of building a leak free pressure system in the ground of your backyard. Even with pressure testing being standard (should be standard) for all pool systems, leaks can develop for a host of reasons with pool systems despite best practices, though best practices should definitely minimize the potential for a leak to develop.
If you are interested to know more you can also check out this older article about damage to pools from leaking which looks at what kind of damage you can expect to find from a pool with a long term leaking problem.
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Swimming Pool Steve is an award winning, second generation swimming pool specialist from Ontario Canada and one of the most trusted voices in the swimming pool industry. With over 20,000,000 views on the Swimming Pool Steve YouTube Channel, winner of the Pleatco Pool & Spa Industry Leadership award and author of hundreds of pool and spa articles both online and in print. Steve is committed to helping pool and spa owners as well as pool and spa industry workers learn more about the technical side of building, renovating, repairing and maintaining all types of swimming pools and spas. Follow Swimming Pool Steve on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube.
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