Why the ground here matters
Much of Southwest Florida, and most of Cape Coral, was built on dredged and filled sand. That fill settles for decades. As it settles, the deck moves, pavers sink, and the plumbing and fittings that connect to the pool shell get pulled and stressed.
The water table is also high, especially in the rainy season. Groundwater pushes up on the pool from below. Concrete pools have a hydrostatic relief valve in the floor to let that pressure in, but if a pool is drained at the wrong time, the shell can lift or crack. In Florida, a company that drains a pool must be a licensed pool contractor, and this is one of the reasons why.
Where concrete pools leak most
- Skimmer throat. Where the plastic skimmer meets the concrete wall. As the deck settles, this joint cracks and opens. It is the most common leak we find.
- Light niches and conduits. The seal around the niche fails, or water travels through the conduit behind it.
- Return and main drain fittings. Fittings set into the shell loosen or crack, and old patches over them stop holding.
- Underground plumbing. Settling sand pulls glued PVC fittings apart or cracks lines under the deck.
- Cracks in the shell. Ground movement, age or storms can crack the concrete itself.
Surface cracks vs. structural cracks
Not every crack leaks. Fine surface cracks in the plaster (often called checking or crazing) are usually cosmetic. A structural crack runs through the concrete shell, often in a straight line across the floor or up a wall, and it can let water out.
A dye test tells the difference. Our leak tech puts dye right at the crack underwater. If the dye pulls into it, the crack is leaking.
How structural cracks get repaired
For a structural crack, our repair crew lowers the water, cuts the crack open to solid concrete, and installs steel staples across it to hold both sides together. The crack is then sealed and patched to match the finish as closely as possible. Stapling keeps the crack from moving apart again, so the repair holds.
A crack is a symptom. If the ground under the pool is still moving, or a plumbing leak is washing out the soil, that cause has to be fixed too. That is why we find every leak before we repair one.
Warning signs to watch for
- Losing more than 1/4 inch of water a day (try a bucket test)
- Your pool service adding salt or chemicals more often than usual
- A crack or gap where the skimmer meets the tile
- Cracks in the pool floor or walls, or tile and coping pulling away
- Sunken pavers or wet spots in the yard near the pool
What to do next
Start with a leak detection. We plumbing test every line and dye test the skimmers, lights, fittings, drains and any cracks, then give you a written report and a flat-rate repair quote. See how we handle pool crack repair and skimmer repair.
Need a straight answer?
Call or text (239) 533-5935 or request service. Leak detection starts at $295.