When we go out to pools in Maryland, whether it be Chevy Chase, Bethesda, Potomac, Baltimore, or Annapolis, many customers seem very frustrated and confused as to why their pool is leaking or why their pool pipes have broken. There are only a few reasons that your pool is leaking.

It’s good to know why your pool leaks so that you can prepare properly, and understand who is (and isn’t) to blame.

The Number One Reason You Have a Pool Leak In Maryland

Expanding and Contracting Soil

The absolute number one reason your pools leak and pipes break has to do with the power of Mother Earth.

Depending on where you live, the earth underneath your pool may shift or expand and contract significantly.

A pipe in the ground can only bend so much before it snaps. And when the earth shifts or soil expands and contracts over a certain amount of time, damage is bound to occur.

There is a reason there are many foundation repair companies in MD. A company like Ram Jack works to lift houses that have shifted in our soil. If those exist for houses, you can bet your pool is shifting as well.

As an aside, it may be good to keep a company like this on your mind as they may have solutions if your pool deck is sinking or your pool is shifting.

What Kind of Pool Leak in Maryland Can Happen From Shifting Ground?

When the earth moves, we see a couple of types of breaks.

  1. There are pipe breaks that happen when enough stress is put on your underground plumbing.
  2. Then there are structural breaks that result in things like cracks in the pool’s shell, separated skimmer throats, leaks in lights, or cracked structural elements.

It’s good to know about these things because it may be tempting to blame your pool contractor, or your pool maintenance company for a leak when it is actually just the strength of nature.

Winter Weather Will Easily Create a Pool Leak in Maryland

a picture showing a wintery Pool leak in Maryland

If you’re a pool owner in Maryland, DC, or Virginia, you likely already know the importance of Winterizing your pool.

But sometimes things happen and a properly winterized pipe may get water in it during a freeze, or a skimmer bucket may freeze, expand, and crack.

This will cause the pipe or skimmer to burst. Assuring that your pool is properly winterized is incredibly important, especially in the DMV.

If you’re a DIYer, follow our short article here on winterizing your pool!

Time, Wear, and Tear.

Time takes its toll on everything. This can be a leaky backwash valve or an old ripped vinyl surface. If your pool leak in Maryland is only happening when it is running, this is often a sign that you have a faulty backwash valve.

This is easy to diagnose and fix. Here is our easy guide to checking if your backwash is faulty:

How to check my pool backwash for a leak

The Eastern portion of the United States has a very large number of Vinyl and Fiberglass Pools. These pools can easily get holes or tears in the liner.

We go to many pools that have had new liners for less than a year and the vinyl is torn.

Even if you have a new liner, you shouldn’t rule out the possibility of a liner leak.

These can be fairly easy to spot if your pool is a solid color. However, dense patterns on vinyl liners can make this very difficult to find.

If you can hold your breath well, just put a pair of goggles on and go back and forth on the bottom of the pool as well as the sides with a dye needle and you may likely be able to find the leak yourself.

When in doubt, give us a call. We have a special device that can pinpoint holes in vinyl and Fiberglass pools very effectively!

Low-Quality Pool Build

Sometimes (not as often as the others) your pool leak in Maryland may be happening because of a poorly built pool, or overlooked craftsmanship.

Often we will fix a broken pipe underground just to find out the pipe wasn’t broken…

It was actually never glued in!!

And then once we fixed a pool’s broken pipe and when we found the break, the pipe had actually been duct-taped instead of capped with PVC and glue. Over time, the tape deteriorated and was just pouring out water.

Oh the stories we could tell… But that’s for another blog post!

Pool Leak in Maryland Conclusion

There are many reasons your pool can start leaking. And it probably will at some point in your home ownership journey.

The most common reasons it leaks are from the movement of the earth, weather changes, wear and tear, and bad building practices.

If you suspect a pool leak in Maryland, give us a call and we will help you troubleshoot your issues over the phone.