FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONs
Question: I just opened my pool and the water seems low, do I have a leak?
This answer depends on the type of winter cover you have and its condition.
Safety Cover:
If you use a Safety Cover to cover the pool after winterizing and no water was physically pumped out by anyone over the Fall or Spring then the pool should be completely full come Spring. If the pool is under skimmer and or not completely full upon opening the pool this scenario suggests a leak somewhere in the body of water.
Fabrene Tarp or Vinyl Hanging Cover:
There are a couple scenarios that are a little more involved, we will explain.
1.
When a pool in Ontario is winterized the level of the pool is typically dropped to just below the pool jets, then the winter cover is put on. Heavy leaves, water, snow & ice begin to accumulate on top of the winter cover effectively making two bodies of water, one below the cover and one above the cover. The above cover water weight begins to push down on the pool water and that pool water starts to rise between the pool wall and pool cover. Most pool skimmers have a transfer point just above the skimmer faceplate, like a bath tub over flow. So in this scenario if there was a lot of leaves, snow, ice and water on the winter cover you might expect your pool water level to be lower then when you left it in the Fall as it had been transferring out due to the pool cover water displacing the pool water.
2.
Not all Fabrene tarps of Vinyl Hanging Covers are water tight.
This is especially true as Fabrene tarps age. The woven polyethylene fabric can degrade. You are supposed to have two seperate bodies of water, one below the winter cover and one on the winter cover. But if your winter cover has degraded it will slowly mix with the pool water through the fabric of the winter cover. When the winter cover is pumped off in the spring you are now effectively pumping pool water out of along with Fall & Spring melt water on the cover.
This is also true if you have cuts or punctures in these style covers. The transfer of the two bodies of water will begin immediately and escalate as more weight is added to the winter cover via debris, snow, ice and rain.
Water behind the liner or floating liners and new wrinkles that are not tight are things to look out for when removing a winter cover.
Experiment to visualize # 1.
Take two identical cups. One half full of water, the other cup is put empty floating on the water of the first cup. Now begin to fill the top empty cup with water and watch the bottom cups water rise between the sides and begin to transfer out.
This answer depends on the type of winter cover you have and its condition.
Safety Cover:
If you use a Safety Cover to cover the pool after winterizing and no water was physically pumped out by anyone over the Fall or Spring then the pool should be completely full come Spring. If the pool is under skimmer and or not completely full upon opening the pool this scenario suggests a leak somewhere in the body of water.
Fabrene Tarp or Vinyl Hanging Cover:
There are a couple scenarios that are a little more involved, we will explain.
1.
When a pool in Ontario is winterized the level of the pool is typically dropped to just below the pool jets, then the winter cover is put on. Heavy leaves, water, snow & ice begin to accumulate on top of the winter cover effectively making two bodies of water, one below the cover and one above the cover. The above cover water weight begins to push down on the pool water and that pool water starts to rise between the pool wall and pool cover. Most pool skimmers have a transfer point just above the skimmer faceplate, like a bath tub over flow. So in this scenario if there was a lot of leaves, snow, ice and water on the winter cover you might expect your pool water level to be lower then when you left it in the Fall as it had been transferring out due to the pool cover water displacing the pool water.
2.
Not all Fabrene tarps of Vinyl Hanging Covers are water tight.
This is especially true as Fabrene tarps age. The woven polyethylene fabric can degrade. You are supposed to have two seperate bodies of water, one below the winter cover and one on the winter cover. But if your winter cover has degraded it will slowly mix with the pool water through the fabric of the winter cover. When the winter cover is pumped off in the spring you are now effectively pumping pool water out of along with Fall & Spring melt water on the cover.
This is also true if you have cuts or punctures in these style covers. The transfer of the two bodies of water will begin immediately and escalate as more weight is added to the winter cover via debris, snow, ice and rain.
Water behind the liner or floating liners and new wrinkles that are not tight are things to look out for when removing a winter cover.
Experiment to visualize # 1.
Take two identical cups. One half full of water, the other cup is put empty floating on the water of the first cup. Now begin to fill the top empty cup with water and watch the bottom cups water rise between the sides and begin to transfer out.
Question: I swear my pool was leaking but I don't think it is anymore. How can that be?
This is observably possible just not an complete description of what could be happening.
Assuming you do in fact have a pool leak we will use a Vinyl Liner as the scenario.
Debris can and will physically plug a vinyl puncture or cut. The leak is drawing in water and will also draw in debris thats floating in the body of water. This can be a near complete plug or dramatically slow the leak down to the point it is not really observable to the home owner. Along comes the pool vaccum and sucks up the debris that was temporarily clogging your cut or puncture and you have a leaking pool again.
This is observably possible just not an complete description of what could be happening.
Assuming you do in fact have a pool leak we will use a Vinyl Liner as the scenario.
Debris can and will physically plug a vinyl puncture or cut. The leak is drawing in water and will also draw in debris thats floating in the body of water. This can be a near complete plug or dramatically slow the leak down to the point it is not really observable to the home owner. Along comes the pool vaccum and sucks up the debris that was temporarily clogging your cut or puncture and you have a leaking pool again.