How to Detect a Pool Leak in Riyadh: Causes and the Lasting Fix

Most pool owners discover a leak by chance. The water drops below the skimmer, the pump sounds different or the water bill rises. Then come worry and guesswork: is it a leak or just evaporation in the heat, and should the pool be drained? This article gives you an ordered plan over roughly a week, done at home with simple tools, that ends with a clear answer: is there a leak, where is it likely to be, and what should you tell the technician to shorten the search.

Day one: record your starting point

• Set the water at its normal level and mark it with waterproof tape on a tile near the skimmer.
• Turn off any automatic top-up and any tap feeding the pool.
• Photograph the pool from several angles, plus the plant room floor and the area around the pool.
• Note when you first saw the drop and whether anything changed recently, such as a new pump or an earlier repair.

This history narrows the possibilities a great deal and is among the most useful things a technician can have.

Days two to four: evaporation or leak?

In Riyadh and similar climates, evaporation is noticeable in summer and increases with dry wind, water features and warm water. Seeing the level fall is not enough to diagnose a leak. Use the bucket test:

1. Place a bucket on a pool step, filled with pool water to the same level as the pool.
2. Mark the level inside the bucket and the pool level on its outside.
3. Leave the pump on its normal schedule for a full day, then compare.
4. Repeat for a day with the pump off.

For more on evaporation factors, see leak vs natural evaporation.

Days five and six: check the usual suspects

1. Plant room: pump, filter, valves and joints. Wetness, drips or white deposits are clear signs.
2. Skimmer: the junction between skimmer body and concrete is a frequent leak point, especially in older pools.
3. Light niches: sealant around the light and the cable entry.
4. Returns in the walls.
5. Steps and corners: step-to-wall and wall-to-floor junctions.
6. Main drain: look only, pump off, never open the cover.
7. Visible cracks in tiles or coping.

Use leak-detection dye at each suspect point in still water. If the dye is drawn in, that point leaks.

Day seven: when to move to specialist detection

• Line pressure tests isolate each pipe to see which loses pressure.
• Listening devices locate a leak along a buried pipe before digging.
• Cameras underwater and inside pipes show what the eye cannot.

Everything you recorded saves the technician time. For more on these tools, read the bucket test and other leak detection methods.

Causes commonly found after detection

• Aged sealant around fittings from heat and chlorine.
• Pipe joints shifted by soil or hardened with age.
• Eroded grout letting water reach the membrane.
• Floor or wall cracks from settlement or thermal movement.
• Old waterproofing that has lost its flexibility.

Mistakes that spoil a home detection plan

• Topping up during the test: even a little water cancels the comparison.
• Judging too fast: one windy or unusually hot day can mislead, so repeat the test.
• Pouring in sealers: they can mask the signs and make the source harder to find later.
• Diving near the drain with the pump running: a safety risk. Always switch the system off first.
• Ignoring the plant room: a small drip at a visible joint is easy to miss while searching the pool.

What happens once the source is found

1. The source is explained to you with photos or test results.
2. A repair method is proposed: resealing a fitting or joint, replacing a pipe section, or repairing a crack and re-waterproofing an area.
3. A written quotation sets out work, materials, time and warranty.
4. Repair, then retest with a pressure, fill or bucket test to confirm the leak has stopped.

YAM Pools builds on your notes, completes detection with the right tools and repairs the source confirmed by testing, with a written quotation and a written warranty on workmanship. We serve Riyadh and all cities of Saudi Arabia.

Frequently asked questions

Should I drain the pool to find the leak?

No. Draining removes the main detection tool, the water itself, and can harm the pool. Detection is done with the pool full, and draining happens only if the repair requires it.

Is a higher water bill proof of a pool leak?

It may be, but it can also come from household plumbing. A bucket test shows whether the pool is the cause.

Can the leak be only in the pump?

Yes, and it is one of the easiest to fix. That is why we check the plant room before the shell or buried pipes.

How long does specialist detection take?

It depends on pool size, number of lines and initial results. The information you gather beforehand shortens it considerably.