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It’s not uncommon for pool owners to notice that water seems to be leaking out of their pool after opening it for the year. But where is the leak coming from? Let’s take a look and see how to find and repair swimming pool leaks.

First of all, you have to make sure that it really is a leak in the first place. What do you think is a leak, may be something else. There are actually three main causes of water loss from swimming pools and they are:

1. Swimming pool plumbing leaks

2. Swimming pool shell leaks

3. Normal evaporation or excessive splash

So before you go any further let’s rule out number three in the list above. It’s important to do this, because actually the sun can evaporate quite a bit of water from a pool on a daily basis without your realizing it, and swimmers can splash a lot of water out of a pool too..

To find out for sure if the water loss is due to evaporation or not, take a fairly large container and fill it with water and place it on the first step of your pool. Then remove enough water from the container so that the water level in the pool and in the container is exactly the same. Now leave the container there for a couple of days to see what happens with no one using the pool in the meantime. If after a couple of days the water level in the pool has gone down, and the water level in the container has gone down the same amount, then you know that the water loss you are experiencing is most likely just evaporation due to the sun.On the other hand, if the water in the pool has gone down farther than the water in the container, then most likely there is indeed a leak in your pool somewhere.

To find a pool leak, the first place to inspect is around your filter and pump. Do you notice any water spots or damp areas there? If so, try to trace back where the water is coming from. Very often, it will be a connection on one of the pipes in this particular area.You may need to turn on the pump for a while and observe it to see if any leaks develop while everything is running. If the leak begins to show, and you feel comfortable with repairing the pool plumbing, then this is a job that you may wish to do yourself. However, for most people it will be a job that is best left to a pool professional.

If no obvious leaks can be found in the plumbing, then perhaps the leak is in the shell of the pool itself. And in this case, it’s almost always advisable to leave any of this type of work up to a well-qualified professional.

As you can see, finding and repairing swimming pool leaks is usually just a matter of eliminating possible causes until you find the real problem. Once the problem is found, your final decision is whether to fix it yourself or pay someone to do it instead.

Are you interested in heating your pool and you want to do it for a good price? Do you want to extend your swimming season and you want it to be done in a very environmentally safe and friendly way? There is a way to build your own pool solar heaters and they are actually very inexpensive and easy to put together. Here is a plan to put together your solar heater.

First, you are going to need about 150 feet of long black tubing that is about a half inch around to three fourths of an inch around. You will also need about 10 feet of PVC pipe that will fit snugly into the ends of the black tubing. you will need a shut off valve that will be attached to one end of the PVC piping. You will also need a pump that will be strong enough to move water through the tubing at a slow speed.

Second, you are going to need some 2 by 4 pieces of lumber and some metal brackets. You will want to attach the black tubing to the 2 by 4s going back and forth making a coiling pattern. This is the basic part of your heater that is going to get the water hot. You will want to mount this part of your heater on a rooftop that is in direct sunlight, a shed, a barn, a garage, or anywhere else that is in direct sunlight. The hotter this gets the better.

Last, you will run the PVC piping from each end of the black tubing into the pool. The pump with go on one end of your PVC piping and the shut off valve on the other end. When you turn the pump on it will suck water out of your pool at a slow speed and pump it up and through your black tubing, very slowly. You want this water to be sitting in the black tubing and getting hot. Then, when it comes back into the pool it will start to raise the temperature of your pool. This is now your solar pool heater.

Do you own an above ground swimming pool? Are you looking for a great way to heat your pool so that you can have a longer swimming season and warmer water during your season? There are many ways to heat your above ground pool and you can choose from three basic options. Here are your above ground swimming pool heaters to choose from.

First, there is a gas heater. This is an expensive type of pool heater that does not require a lot of maintenance, but when it does it will be expensive. Plus this will skyrocket your gas bills and will cost you a lot of money in fuel. However, this is the best type of heater for raising the temperature of your pool water in a hurry. It can get you into the mid 80s in a couple of hours.

Second, you have the electric above ground pool heater. This is not going to be quite as expensive as the gas heater and it will raise your electric bill, but not nearly as much as the gas heater will effect your gas bill. It will take a couple of days to get you into the mid 80s with this type of heater and it will have to be run most of the day and night to get you there.

Last, there is the solar pool heater. This is the cheapest of all the heaters and you can even build it yourself for around $200 if you decide to. Basically it is a set of black tubes that run back and forth with a pump to run the water through them slowly. The tubes are places on your roof or somewhere in direct sunlight so they will get very hot during the day. Then, at night you shut it off. This is the best choice of all the above ground pool heaters because it is inexpensive and will get you into the mid 80s as long as you have sunlight to work with.

If you don’t know it yet, you will eventually find out in time that a pool owner really never does stop shopping for pool supplies. Sure there are items such as skimmers and folding chairs that can last for years but at the same time, there are plenty of items on your pool supply list that will have to be replenished on a regular basis.

Lock Up Pool Chemicals

Storage is an issue that you will have to confront early on. One thing that works great for storing pool chemicals and anything else that you don’t want kids to get into, is a large metal trash can. String a light chain from one handle under the lid handle then to the other can handle and put a lock on it and that should do.

Games and Toys

Toys floats and pool games can be purchased online for the best deals. If you can afford it, it is always best to pay the extra money for the soft foam models. They last so much longer, never need to be blown up and also are much more comfortable to use. Never buy a car inner tube and bring it into your pool. They have a big metal air spigot that is going to eventually give someone a nasty gash during rough pool play.

Safe Light Balls for Play

Pick up a couple of cheap inflated balls at your local variety store. Make sure to get the cheapo, light plastic variety. This is because kids will be beaning each other on the head with what ever balls that you bring to your pool and a heavy ball can hurt and cause a bloody nose. Also, you will need some heavy towels for your pool, or else the kids will be bringing your nice towels from the bathroom out to the pool.