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Pool Leak Detection — Forster and the NSW North Coast
Is your pool actually leaking — or is it just evaporation?
Pools lose water naturally to evaporation, splash-out and backwashing. The first job of pool leak detection is often to confirm whether what you're seeing is actually a leak — and if it is, where the leak is. Shell? Plumbing? Skimmer or return fittings? Each location has a different fix.
AVP Plumbing handles pool leak detection across the Forster area and the wider North Coast for residential pool owners, holiday lets, and strata-managed complexes.
Signs of a pool leak (beyond normal evaporation)
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Water level dropping more than ~5–10 mm per day in still weather
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Water loss continuing even when the pool isn't being used
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Persistent wet patches around the pool shell or equipment area
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Air being drawn into the pump (often a suction-side plumbing leak)
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Cracks visible in the pool shell or coping
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Equipment pad always wet or noticeably eroded soil nearby
How we test
Bucket test
First, we confirm whether the water loss is real or just evaporation, using a calibrated bucket test that compares pool water loss with evaporation rate over the same period.
Plumbing pressure test
If a leak is confirmed, we pressure test the pool's plumbing lines (return, suction, cleaner) independently to find out which line is leaking.
Dye testing and visual inspection
For shell leaks, we use dye in the water to identify where the water is being drawn out of the pool — through a crack, a skimmer faceplate, a return fitting, or a light niche.
Acoustic and tracer gas
For leaks in pool plumbing under paving or concrete, acoustic detection or tracer gas pinpoints the exact location for repair.
Common pool leak detection questions
Q: Do you have to drain the pool to find the leak?
A: Usually no. Most of our pool leak detection methods work with the pool full, including dye tests, pressure tests, and acoustic detection. We only ever recommend draining where there's a clear reason to.
Q: How much water loss is normal?
A: In the Forster climate, normal evaporation in summer can be up to 5 mm per day, sometimes more in hot, dry weather. Sustained loss significantly above that — especially in cooler months — suggests a leak.