Buying a home is an exciting experience for any new homeowner. You finally found the house of your dreams and if you live where it’s warm, it most likely comes with a swimming pool. Pools are great for entertainment when you host parties and relaxing when you need to wind down. However, if it isn’t properly inspected, it may cause more of a headache instead.
New Homeowner Pool Inspections
We advise that new homeowners have pool inspections done by knowledgeable pool professionals prior to finalizing the deal. Typically, home Inspectors check if the pool equipment turns on and that’s about it. The pool may seem to run smoothly and look clean during your home inspection but don’t be fooled. There are issues that are easily overlooked by home inspectors due to a lack of in-depth pool knowledge. We highly recommend a separate pool inspection in order to avoid costly, unexpected repairs later on.
What Can Happen Without Proper Pool Inspections?
Your new pool appears to be operating as it should and the water is clear. So you’re good to go then, right? Wrong!
More often than not, we get phone calls from people who just moved into their house and their pool all of a sudden has major issues. The most common complaints we hear are:
- “My pool is losing inches of water a day!”
- “My first water bill is abnormally high!”
- “My pool water won’t stay clear!”
These complaints all point to a leaking pool, which is the most common problem we see new homeowners facing once they move-in. Leaks cause all sorts of chaos to your pool, if it goes unnoticed for too long. Repairs due to a leak can end up costing hundreds, sometimes thousands, of dollars to repair. The longer you ignore leaks in a pool, the more damage that will ensue. This is why we stress the importance of new homeowner pool inspections so much.
Professional Pool Inspectors
Professional Pool Inspectors will take a closer look at the various areas of the pool such as the physical condition of the pool’s structure, water features, plumbing lines at the equipment, etc. By inspecting all of these different areas they will be able to identify concerns, such as a leaking pool, so you can discuss it with the seller before the deal is finalized.
Is Leak Detection Needed?
Leaks develop in a pool for a variety of reasons. The majority of leaks aren’t obvious to the naked eye so it’s important you know some of the common signs to look out for. If you decide not to hire a pool inspector, these signs will at least help you notice a leak sooner rather than later.
Signs of a Pool Leak
- Structural Cracks
- Damaged or Falling Tiles
- Wet Spots in Yard
- Air Bubbles Coming From Return Lines
- High Water Bills
- Water Under Equipment
- Pool Deck Sinking or Lifting
If you notice any of these signs, we suggest contacting a pool leak detection professional as soon as possible. In the instance that you are unsure if you need to call a professional, you can conduct a DIY bucket test that will help you see if your pool is losing water. Your pool should lose no more than 1/2 an inch a day so if you find that it loses more, you probably have a leak.
Helping New Homeowners Avoid This Issue
Pool leaks are one of the most common issues we see new homeowners facing after they move-in. Buying a new home is already a stressful process and adding a pool leak to that isn’t ideal. New homeowner pool inspections help bring up any concerns that would otherwise be missed during a standard home inspection. Besides leaks, pool inspections also help new homeowners avoid other unexpected issues such as poorly functioning heaters, broken filter gauges, uneven decking, etc.
Hesitant to Pay for a New Homeowner Pool Inspection?
Hiring a separate pool professional to inspect the pool can vary depending on the pool and its equipment. No matter what, it is well worth it in order to avoid thousands of dollars in repairs later on. Swimming pools are more complex than people realize and it takes a great deal of knowledge to thoroughly understand every aspect of them.
We don’t want you to become a victim of improper pool inspections. As a local leak detection company, we feel that it is our duty to inform our community of this fault in the system. Our team often sees new homeowners burdened with the cost of dealing with pool leaks that most likely existed long before they bought the house. We want to do our best to help people avoid this happening to them so that it can be discussed prior to the sale.
For more information on hiring a pool inspector or if you need leak detection, give us a call at 602-777-0771 or send us an email at admin@pinpointleaks.me.
Here at PinPoint Leak Detection & Repair, we not only finds leaks, but repair them as well. We know how stressful a pool leak can be and we do our best to make the process as smooth as possible. We work with our clients from start to finish. In addition to finding and fixing the leak(s), we prepare the pool prior to detection, restore the pool to look as good as new, and conduct a complimentary pool cleaning afterwards.