Pools lose water naturally due to evaporation. If the water level in your pool is going down faster than evaporation can account for, however, then you have a leak in your pool. Leaks generally occur in either the shell of the pool or in the pool's plumbing, and easy techniques can let you pinpoint the exact location of the leak so you can fix it. If your pool is leaking, read on to learn how to find out where the leak is.

Find Leaks in the Pool Shell Using Dye

If you have water leaking out of the pool shell, the easiest way to pinpoint the leak is through dye testing. You can purchase dye syringes to test your pool from a pool supply store. If you can't find dye syringes, you can use vials of food coloring.

For dye testing, the water in the pool needs to be absolutely still. Before you perform the dye test, wait until there's no breeze in the air and turn off your pool pump in order to stop water from recirculating through the pool.

Once the water is still, put a few drops of dye or food coloring into the center of your pool. If there's a leak, the dye will migrate in the direction of the leak as the dyed water flows toward it. You can use multiple drops of dye along the direction the water is flowing to pinpoint the exact spot of the leak. Once you've found the location of the leak, you can caulk it in order to patch it and stop your pool from leaking.

Find Leaks in the Plumbing Using a Stethoscope

If the dye doesn't move anywhere when it's in your pool, your pool leak is most likely within the pool's plumbing pipes. Your pool pump constantly recirculates water in the pool in order to stop it from going stagnant. If there's a leak in the return piping, your pool water will slowly leak out into the soil around your pool. You can find a plumbing leak using a stethoscope. You can find disposable stethoscopes online or at medical supply stores.

Your pool pump needs to be turned on for this test. Go around the perimeter of your pool, put the stethoscope on the ground, and listen through the stethoscope's earpieces. If you hear the sound of rushing water, your stethoscope is over one of your pool's plumbing pipes. If the sound of the water seems turbulent or if you hear gurgling, there may be a leak in the plumbing pipe. The sounds of turbulence or gurgling are caused by water exiting through the leak and the air entering into it as the water escapes.

If you find a leak in your pool's plumbing pipe, you'll need to have the damaged pipe replaced. Turn your pool pump off in the meantime in order to prevent losing any more water to the soil.

If you can't find the leak, call a swimming pool leak detection service in your area. Professional leak detection services have electronic equipment that is much more sensitive than listening to a stethoscope, allowing them to easily pinpoint the spot of the leak in your pool so that you can repair it.