Yes, you can use food coloring to find a pool leak. Alternatively, you can use pool detection dyes that are nontoxic and biodegradable. Depending on how much food dye you have on hand, it may be more cost-effective to use pool dyes.

The dye test is one of the best swimming pool leak detection tools because the dyes are heavier than water. By observing where the dye gets sucked in, you can find the location of your leak.

Spools can come as small as 10 x 6 feet, so they don’t take up a lot of room in your yard. You’ll want to plan for pool decking, fencing, and other features that may take additional space, but for the most part, a spool’s small footprint makes it a great choice when you don’t have much yard space to spare.

Yes, it’s possible to DIY a plunge pool and shave labor costs off of the project total. If you’re considering a DIY build, keep in mind that you will be responsible for pool installation and landscaping (which may require excavation). This type of DIY project is best left to particularly handy homeowners who have prior pool installation experience. 

Yes, you will need to shock your pool with high levels of chlorine or bromine when you first fill it to kill off bacteria and pathogens. You’ll need to wait for the chlorine concentration to come back down to a safe level before swimming. After that, you can test and maintain the chlorine and other levels as normal. The only exception to this is if you get pool water delivered by a professional. In that case, the water might come pretreated, so you might not need to shock it.