Chapter One: The Clues
It was just after midnight when the homeowner heard it. Not the usual soft hum of the pump, but a faint hiss, like a secret escaping.
In the moonlight, the water sparkled. The test strip from earlier showed “perfect” results. pH good. Chlorine balanced. Alkalinity fine.
Yet, there it was: a patch of lawn darker than the rest. Soggy. Almost swampy. The grass squished underfoot.
Something was wrong.
Chapter Two: The Interrogation
We questioned the usual suspects: pump, filter, return lines, skimmer. All claimed innocence.
The homeowner insisted, “I shock it weekly. Backwash when needed. Run the pump 10 hours every day. I even cleaned the baskets yesterday!”
We pressed harder.
“When did you last check the ground around the pool?”
“Uh… I don’t really. Why would I?”
Ah. The crack in the alibi.
Chapter Three: The Misleading Evidence
The test results had been perfect because the water still looked fine. But the lawn didn’t lie.
While they focused on chemicals and water clarity, the plumbing quietly betrayed them. Underground pipes can spring leaks. Small ones at first. But given time, they create marshes.
That soggy grass wasn’t just rain. It was chlorinated water slowly escaping, drop by drop.
Chapter Four: The Real Culprit
We dug deeper.
Literally.
A small section of pipe beneath the return line had cracked. Possibly from last winter’s freeze. Maybe from shifting soil. The pump worked harder trying to keep up with the loss. The filter struggled with air bubbles.
The hiss they heard that night? Air being sucked into the system.
Chapter Five: Case Closed
The pipe was patched, the trench filled, and the lawn allowed to dry.
We left the homeowner with a checklist:
- Check the ground around the pool weekly for wet spots
- Monitor the pump for air bubbles or strange noises
- Watch for rising water bills — a subtle leak can cost plenty
- Inspect plumbing at the start and end of each season
The lawn gave it away. A green tattletale.
So next time your test strip says everything’s perfect but your yard squishes like a sponge, trust the grass. It knows.
Case closed.
