How to know if a fiberglass pool is leaking?

[nlindelldc]

Okay, I have what I feel like is somewhat of a stupid but very important question:

How do you test if a fiberglass shell is cracked and/or leaking?

3 times my pool builder has attempted to fill and backfill my fiberglass pool and all 3 times we have gotten rained out. Tons of water in pool and tons of water in pool hole. We drain the hole and the level in the pool lowers also. I'm convinced there is a leak or crack in the shell but the pool builder is not so sure. (This has been going on for 2 months, with record rains here in TX--very frustrating!)

Is there any way to test it? There are no visible cracks that I can see. Could we take the pool out and fill it with dyed water and see if it leaks?

I'm not sure what the next step is, but I feel like I should not let them proceed as-is

 

[Bama Rambler]

The easiest way to test the shell is to plug off the suctions and returns and to run a bucket test. Fill a bucket with pool water and sit it in the pool on a step so the level in the bucket is about the same as the level in the pool. Then mark the level in the bucket and in the pool as accurately as possible and let it sit 24 hours (without rain), and measure it again. If you're losing water in both about the same, it's evaporation. If the pool drops more than the bucket there's a leak somewhere. If there's no leak you may want to unplug the returns and suctions and run the test again.

 

[nlindelldc]

Thanks for the info Bama Rambler!

I will definately be performing the bucket test starting today. Makes total sense.

Just to be clear, however: The only water in the pool at this time is from rain water. There are no suctions or returns cut out yet at all, just a solid pool shell sitting in a hole (they havent' even run plumbing yet)

 

[Bama Rambler]

That won't matter for the test. At least you know it isn't the plumbing leaking! One less thing to chase down.