When we do a leak detection job, it is our goal to find all of the leaks, not just one. Our leak detection pros use state of the art equipment to pinpoint your water loss. While we are always searching for the newest gear and techniques in the trade, we haven’t forgotten the old ways and still love to use our old Pollardwater geophone when the situation calls for it. We’ve trained directly with Anderson Manufacturing, perhaps America’s leading authority when it comes to finding leaks.

So, what is our method?

Depending on your pool type and the results of the bucket test (described below), we may start our analysis in different areas, but generally it will be a mixture of:

• Sonic location (using a microphones to listen for leak sounds)

• Dye testing

• Using the Leaktrac 2400 to pinpoint leaks in vinyl liners

• Pressure testing

• Using pipe cameras to visually inspect suspected areas within a pipe. Our cameras have a built in 512 Hz sonde that allows us to remotely pinpoint leaks. The camera also comes with 30’ of tubing that we can use to dye test within the pipe.

• Using the Leakalyzer to confirm water loss at the beginning of a job. We also use it again at the end of our jobs to ensure we’ve found and fixed not just one leak, but all of them.

Realizing you may have a leak is never fun, but there are a few free pointers we can give to help you determine if you have a leak and where it might be. These tips and tricks will provide the leak detection tech with valuable knowledge, and possibly even save a homeowner a costly leak detection.

Here are a few things to consider if you think you might have a leak:

1.) Have you heard of the bucket test? It’s a test to determine how much water your pool is losing. To do it, you’ll:

• Fill up a bucket with water, weigh it down, set it on a pool step, then fill the water inside the bucket until it’s level with the pool water.

• Mark the inside/outside of the bucket with a Sharpie or a piece of tape.

• Run the pump for 24 hours.

• Check the difference in water loss inside/outside the bucket.

• If more water is lost inside the pool than in the bucket, you most likely have a leak.

  But you’re not done yet! You still need to:

• Repeat the test with the pump off for 24 hours.

• Check the difference in water loss inside/outside the bucket

  Now, if there is more water lost with the pump on, we can suspect pressure side plumbing. If more water is lost with the pump off, we suspect suction side plumbing. If water loss is equal with both pump on and off, we suspect a structural leak.

  Check out the video for a visual reference.

  2.) Is your backwash line leaking? Oftentimes, the backwash line can run so far away from the house that we don’t regularly see where they end. If you know where your backwash line terminates, go inspect the end of the pipe. Is it leaking? If you can’t get to it, check the sight glass (for sand filters) on the side of your filter with the pump running. Is there water moving through it? If you answered yes to either question, your multiport diverter gasket (spider gasket) is bad & is causing a leak.

  3.) Have you dye checked skimmers/wall fittings? Leaks in the skimmer throat are the most common leak in America, perhaps behind a bad spider gasket. Most pool stores sell dye which you can use to inspect for cracks in the pool structure, or even holes in a liner. If you use a syringe to inject dye near a suspected area, and it sucks it in hungrily, you’ve found your leak!

  Thanks for reading and I hope one of these things helps you solve your problem, but if not, we’re here to help.

  —Drew Mullins