Pool Leak Detection

Is your pool equipment might lose losing prime? Do you have air in the system? Do you see cracks in the pool structure? These can be obvious indicators of a leak. Around the pool you might see wet spots, mushy grass, or even puddles. This can be very damaging and cause the deck to lift or sink which can be very costly to repair.

Signs of a Leaking Pool:

• Sitting water on the ground around the pool
• Return lines have air bubbles
• Return lines blowing dirt into pool
• Leaking plumbing at equipment pad
• Visible cracks in the structure of the pool
• Pump loses prime
• The deck is sinking/lifting
• You are adding water more than once a week
• Pools is losing more water than regular evaporation

A good indication of a leak in the suction-side plumbing is the presence of air /or dirt in the pump, or air /or dirt blown into the pool from the return lines. This can lead to eventual pump damage and cleaning problems if these symptoms are not addressed.

A more common symptom of a leak is the result of water being lost from the system. Wet, mushy, or unusually healthy spots in the lawn may be evidence of underground plumbing leaks. There are other indications of underground leaks that could include structural damage, cracks, or settling of the deck or pool. If these symptoms are not taken care of, the problem could quickly become very serious and very costly.

If your pool has an automatic fill device, a high water bill may be the first indication of a leak. You may also notice excess algae or an increase in the amount of chemicals required to maintain a proper water balance.

The most common indication of a leak in your pool is that the water level is dropping faster than what is normal.

The Bucket Test:

The bucket test is a simple test you can do yourself that is an accurate way of determining if you have a leaking pool and not just water loss due to normal evaporation. Follow the steps below to perform a bucket test.

1. Turn pumps and equipment off at the equipment pad and put it in service mode.

2. Bring the pool water to normal level and fill a 5-gallon bucket with pool water to about two-thirds from the top.

3. Place the bucket on the first or second step of the pool. Ensure the bucket is immersed in the pool at least five inches.

4. Mark the water level inside the bucket.

5. Mark pool water level on the outside of the bucket.

6. After 24 hours, compare the two water levels. If the pool water (outside mark) goes down more than the bucket’s water level inside the bucket, there is probably a leak. If levels are the same, only normal evaporation has occurred.

7. After you have done the bucket test with the pool equipment off, do steps 2 -through 6 with the equipment on for 24 hours and compare the two water levels. If you notice more water loss with the equipment on, there is most likely a leak in the plumbing. If more water loss occurs with the equipment off, there is most likely a structural leak.

How many gallons of water you are losing with a leak?

Perform the equation below:

Loss in excess of evaporation (in inches)

Example: 3 inches in one day

X

0.62 Gallons per inch per square foot

X

Pool surface (in square feet)

Example: 32′ X 15′ = 480 square feet of surface area

=

Gallons of water lost

Example: 3 x .625 x 480 = 900 Gallons Lost!

While the bucket test requires a minimum of 24 hours between water level measurements, we use high tech equipment that enables us to collect this data in a matter of minutes.

This specific piece of equipment will graph the smallest amounts of water loss over small period of time and show it on a graph that represents the rate of loss in your pool.

Leak Detection Methods:

We only use the most high-tech, up to date equipment and methods to locate leaks in the most time efficient manner. Our sophisticated leak detection equipment can find the smallest leak in your system. We search the pool structure, plumbing, fittings, lights, skimmers and foundation to detect any leaks you may have.

• Hydrophone Test: A Hydrophone is an extremely sensitive microphone designed for picking up noises underwater. In most cases, when water escapes from the pool it produces a turbulence as it passes through a leaking hole. The hydrophone allows us to pinpoint leaks by listening for and location the source of this sound, as well as its location.
• Dye Testing: To identify cracks in a pool structure, we use a special dye. When the dye is added to the water, the leak will appear as the dye begins to circulate through a current caused by exiting water, indicating the area where the leak is located.
• Pressure Testing: Before starting the pressure test, we temporarily install plugs in all of the pool lines. Next, we verify pressure loss though a hydraulic pressure test. Then we inject air into your pool plumbing with an air compressor. The sounds of the gas escaping through a leak in the plumbing are easily detected using our highly sensitive microphones. Once we have identified the leak through any of these methods, the pool repair can get started.