How Do You Find a Broken Gutter Pipe on a Commercial Pool?
When the deck is not even sitting on the ground, most leak locating tools have nothing to work with. Here is how we found a major gutter line break on a commercial pool with a pipe camera.
Short answer: pressure test each line to find out which one is broken, then send a pipe camera down that line to find the break. On a waterfront commercial pool we recently evaluated, the camera was the only tool that could do the job.
The Job
Carlos of Aquatic Finishes, a pool resurfacing contractor, brought us in to evaluate a condominium pool along the Intracoastal Waterway in Miami-Dade County before the pool was renovated. We pressure tested every plumbing system. The cleaner line, the main drain and the returns all passed high pressure testing. The gutter line failed.
That told us which system was broken. It did not tell us where, and the usual locating tools were not going to work on this pool.
Why the Usual Tools Could Not Find It
Soil erosion is a serious problem for pools near the Intracoastal. On this property so much soil had washed out that there was a gap of about 12 inches between the patio and the ground underneath. The patio was not resting on the soil at all. It was held up by supports.
- Pressure testing confirmed the gutter line was leaking, but a pressure test only tells you which line is bad, not where along it the break is.
- Electronic acoustic listening could not pinpoint it. A pipe that has pulled fully apart over an open void does not give the listening equipment a sound it can follow through solid ground to one spot.
- Trace gas could not pinpoint it either. Trace gas works by rising through the soil to the surface right above the break. Here the gas had a 12 inch open space to spread into, so it never came up in one place.
What the Pipe Camera Found
We ran a pipe inspection camera into the gutter line. The camera showed a major separation: the main trunk line for the gutter system had dropped and shifted, pulling a feeder pipe apart by about 2 inches. Dirt and rocks were visible inside the pipe at the break.
Because the camera found it, the repair crew knows exactly where to open the deck instead of guessing.
Why Leak Detection Comes Before a Renovation
Carlos had us test the pool before resurfacing it, and that order matters. A new finish goes on over the shell and the plumbing stays buried underneath it. If a broken line is only found after the renovation, the water loss keeps going and the repair can mean cutting into a brand-new deck or finish. Testing first lets the plumbing be repaired while the pool is already being worked on.
Aquatic Finishes is a Florida certified pool and spa contractor (CPC1461600) that resurfaces pools and spas with quartz and pebble finishes and installs tile and coping. They work on homes, HOAs, condos, hotels and managed properties across South Florida, the Keys, the Treasure Coast and Southwest Florida, including commercial pools that have to meet Florida Department of Health requirements. If your pool needs a new finish, they are a contractor we have worked with. Carlos also joined in on the testing to learn how leak detection is done: what a contractor learns on a leak detection job.
One Break Found, More Likely
A camera can usually only locate one break per pipe system, because it cannot travel past a separation. In this case the break came from the main trunk line itself shifting, so there is a strong chance other gutter feeder lines have been damaged as well. Our report recommended checking them once this break is repaired.
Why This Matters for Commercial Pools
Condominium and HOA pools lose water fast when a gutter line breaks, and the water keeps washing out more soil under the deck. No single tool finds every leak. Pressure testing, acoustic listening, trace gas and pipe cameras each solve a different problem, and knowing which one a pool needs is the difference between finding the break and digging up a deck on a guess. See the full list of equipment we carry.
Commercial Pool Losing Water?
Leak and Subsurface Locators works with condominium associations, HOAs and pool renovation companies. Call Sandra to schedule. She handles all appointments Monday through Friday, 8am-5pm.
Frequently Asked Questions
A pressure test tells you which line is leaking. On this job the gutter line failed while the cleaner line, main drain and returns all passed. It does not tell you where along the line the break is. That takes a locating tool.
Trace gas finds a break by following the gas as it rises up through the soil to the surface. Here the deck was not resting on soil. Erosion had left a gap of about 12 inches between the patio and the ground, and the deck was held up by supports. Gas escaping the pipe spread through that open space instead of coming up at one spot.
On pools near the Intracoastal Waterway, soil washes out from under the deck over time. When the support under the plumbing goes away, heavy lines like the main gutter trunk line can drop and shift, pulling the smaller feeder lines apart at their connections.
Yes. A camera can usually only reach one break per pipe system, because it cannot travel past a separation. When the main trunk line has shifted, other feeder lines may be damaged too, and they should be checked once the first break is repaired.
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.