Equipment pad
Why is my pool equipment pad dripping water?
Water at a pool equipment pad almost always comes from one of five places - a pump shaft seal, a filter lid or clamp band, a valve stem, a heater connection, or a pipe union - and the question that sorts them is whether it drips with the pump off. A pad wet only while the pump runs and a pad wet all night are two different problems.
What it usually is
Five joints and a concrete slab
A dripping pool equipment pad usually means a seal, lid, union or valve stem on the pad has begun to pass water, rather than a leak in the buried plumbing.
Everything on a pad is a joint, and joints on a pad live a hard life here. Surface temperatures, direct sun on plastic and chemically treated water all age rubber and plastic faster than they would in a cooler climate.
The mechanical seal behind a pump impeller is the most common single source. It is a wearing part by design, and when it goes the drip appears under the middle of the pump, only while the pump runs. A filter lid o-ring wets the top of the tank instead. Unions weep at the nut, and valve stems weep from under the handle.
Be honest about it
What it could be instead
Not every wet pad is a leaking pad:
- Condensation. Cold housings sweat in monsoon humidity, and a pad can look wet in the morning with nothing failing.
- Backwash or waste discharge. A waste line draining back across the slab wets it whenever the pump runs.
- Irrigation. Pads often sit in a planted corner, and an emitter or spray head aimed at the equipment is the simplest explanation of all.
Narrowing it down
Where the water is, and what it points at
| Where you find the water | Most likely source | Drips with the pump off? |
|---|---|---|
| Under the middle of the pump | The pump shaft seal, a wearing part | No |
| On top of or around the filter tank | Lid o-ring, clamp band or air relief | Sometimes, if the tank stays full |
| At a nut where two pipes join | A union o-ring, or a loose nut | Often |
| From the top of a valve handle | The valve stem seal | Often |
Ten minutes, on your own
What to look at before you call anyone
Dry the pad completely, then watch it with the pump off
Chalk around each wet spot as it reappears. That tells you whether this is a running leak or a standing one.
Start the pump and watch the same spots
A drip that begins within a minute of the pump starting is a pressure-related joint.
Look at the pump lid o-ring
One that is dry, flat or cracked draws air rather than losing water, and air in the basket is worth mentioning when you call.
Run the irrigation zone that covers that corner
See whether anything is spraying or dripping onto the equipment.
How urgent is it
Watch the water, not the clock
Most pad drips are not urgent. Two situations are.
- Water reaching the motor or the electrical connections. Kill the pump at the breaker rather than the timer, and leave it off.
- Water undermining the pad or running towards the house. A slab beginning to tilt, or a wet track heading for a footing, is doing structural work.
If you call us
How we read a pad
A pad gets read in order: dry it, watch with the pump off, watch with the pump on, then isolate. Because a pad has several possible sources at once, finding one wet joint is not the end of the job, and an old pad often has two.
Where the pad is wet but no joint on it is the source, attention moves under the slab, and pressure testing settles it. We do leak detection and leak repair, so a seal, a union or a length of pipe is our work; if what the pad needs is electrical or a heater's internals we will say plainly that it is not. See pool leak repair.
Straight answers
Equipment pad questions
Is a dripping pool pump seal an emergency?
Usually not. It is a wearing part and a slow drip can wait for an appointment. It becomes urgent if water reaches the motor or the electrical connections, in which case switch the pump off at the breaker and leave it off.
Can a dripping equipment pad explain my whole water loss?
Sometimes, especially a drip that runs for hours every day. It is worth quantifying before assuming the leak is buried, because a visible drip is the simplest possible explanation for a falling pool.
Why is my pad wet in the morning and dry by noon?
That pattern usually points at condensation rather than a leak, particularly in monsoon humidity when cold equipment housings sweat. Dry the pad and watch it with the pump off to confirm.
The pad is wet but I cannot find where it starts. What then?
That is the case for pressure testing. Water can arrive at a pad from the buried lines feeding it rather than from anything on the slab, and that shows as wetness at the edge of the pad rather than at a fitting.
Equipment pads we work on
Tell us what the water is doing
A photo of the pad with the wet spots chalked, and whether they appear with the pump on or off.
Chalk the wet spots and send a photo
Where the water appears, and whether the pump was running.
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What customers in the Phoenix valley have written. The words are theirs, on listings we cannot edit.
“Humberto has been amazing! Prompt, professional, and patient. He has gone above and beyond, taking the time to show me how to operate the water valves and educating me so I can continue to monitor for future leaks. He identified multiple leaks and made thoughtful recommendations.”
“Beto was very professional, thorough and patient in explaining everything he was doing and why. It was an excellent and well worth it experience, and this is saying something for an architect who had a hundred questions!”
“The owner and operator of this company is everything a contractor should be. On time, honest, competent, reachable, comprehensive. Hope to work with him again in the future.”