Can Pool Contractors Learn Pool Leak Detection?
Yes, and the best place to learn is on a real job. Here is what a pool resurfacing contractor learned when he joined us on a commercial leak detection.
Short answer: yes. A pool contractor does not need to become a full-time leak locator, but understanding how leak detection is done, where pools leak, and what the tools can and cannot do makes them better at their own work.
A Contractor on the Job
Carlos of Aquatic Finishes, a Florida certified pool and spa contractor who resurfaces pools, brought us in to test a condominium pool before he renovated it. He did not just wait for the report. As a contractor he wanted to know how leak detection should be done, so Jeff David taught him the process on site and had him take part in the testing.
It turned out to be a good job to learn on. The gutter line failed its pressure test, and the usual locating tools could not pinpoint the break because erosion had left an open gap under the deck. A pipe camera found it: a feeder line pulled about 2 inches apart. Read the full job story.
What a Contractor Learns
How the testing is done
Leak detection is a sequence, not a single test. Each plumbing system is pressure tested on its own to find out which line is leaking. The pool itself is inspected for structural leaks with dye. Then locating tools are used to narrow down exactly where a broken line is, so the repair crew opens the deck in the right spot.
Where pools leak
The usual leaking points are the skimmer and its connection to the pool wall, light niches and their conduits, returns and other fittings, main drains, cracks in the shell, and the buried plumbing. On commercial pools, gutter lines and their feeder pipes are a common source, especially where the soil under the deck has moved.
The limits of leak locating
This is the part most people never hear. Every tool has limits:
- Pressure testing shows which line leaks, not where along it.
- Acoustic listening needs the escaping water to make a sound it can follow through solid ground.
- Trace gas needs the gas to rise through the soil to one spot at the surface, which an open void under a deck prevents.
- A pipe camera can usually reach only one break per pipe system, because it cannot travel past a separation.
Knowing these limits is what lets a leak locator pick the right tool, and it is what lets a contractor understand why a report says what it says.
Why It Matters for Contractors
For a resurfacing or renovation contractor, a leak found after the new finish goes on means cutting into brand-new work. A contractor who understands leak detection knows when to have a pool tested first, what a leak report is telling them, and how to plan the plumbing repairs into the job.
Learn It From Jeff
Jeff David is a Florida certified pool contractor (CPC1457277) and the owner of Leak and Subsurface Locators. He teaches pool leak detection to technicians and contractors through his training program, built around his step-by-step H.U.N.T.E.R. Method, with hands-on time on real jobs like this one. See Jeff's training program. Or read Carlos's training story.
Need a Pool Tested Before a Renovation?
Leak and Subsurface Locators works with pool contractors, condominium associations and HOAs. Call Sandra to schedule. She handles all appointments Monday through Friday, 8am-5pm.
Frequently Asked Questions
Contractors who resurface, remodel or repair pools are often the first people asked why a pool is losing water. Knowing how leak detection works helps them recognize when a pool needs testing, read a leak report correctly, and plan repairs before a new finish goes on.
Common leak points include the skimmer and where it joins the pool wall, light niches and conduits, returns and other fittings, main drains, cracks in the shell, and the underground plumbing, including gutter lines on commercial pools.
Every tool has limits. A pressure test shows which line is leaking but not where. Acoustic listening and trace gas need the right ground conditions to pinpoint a break. A pipe camera can usually only reach one break per pipe system. Good leak detection means knowing which tool fits the situation and cross-checking the results.
Yes. Jeff David, owner of Leak and Subsurface Locators and a Florida certified pool contractor, teaches pool leak detection to technicians and contractors through his training program, including hands-on time on real jobs.
Related Questions
About Leak and Subsurface Locators
Leak and Subsurface Locators uses a full suite of professional leak detection equipment. Acoustic hydrophones are used to listen for leaks through pool walls and underground. A custom-built pressure manifold -- designed and built by LSL and considered among the best in the industry -- is used to isolate and test individual plumbing lines and water features where test plugs can be installed. Dye testing uses a proprietary syringe technique capable of finding the smallest and hardest leaks inside the pool. Trace gas equipment uses a 5% hydrogen / 95% nitrogen blend as well as helium for pinpointing underground pipe breaks -- LSL is one of the only pool leak companies in the area that uses trace gas, and other companies regularly call LSL to use their system. A pipe camera is used for internal pipe inspection and line tracing, primarily on pipes 3 inches or larger. An electronic pipe locator maps the path of buried plumbing before testing or excavation. Underwater cameras with high-resolution imaging document findings from the dive inspection, viewed on a large monitor to reveal defects not easily seen with the naked eye.