Pool service companies are built for maintenance -- not leak diagnosis. Finding a leak, especially underground, requires a completely different set of specialized tools and training that most pool service companies do not carry.
It is frustrating to call your pool service company about a water loss problem, have them come out, and be told "I'm not sure where it's coming from." They are not incompetent -- they are simply not equipped or trained for this type of diagnostic work. Pool service and pool leak detection are two different specialties with different tools, different training, and different skill sets.
A pool service company's equipment list is designed around the work they do: chemical testing and balancing, filter and basket cleaning, pump and motor maintenance, equipment adjustments and repairs, and general observation of pool condition. They are excellent at keeping a pool clean, balanced, and running. That is their specialty.
Finding a leak -- particularly an underground pipe break or a very small structural crack -- is a diagnostic problem that requires different tools entirely. Most pool service companies do not carry those tools, and many have not been trained to use them.
Equipment alone is not enough. Interpreting an acoustic signal through a hydrophone takes experience on many pools. Knowing when a pressure drop is from a pipe break versus a hose pinhole requires systematic verification discipline. Reading trace gas signals and applying the shut-off confirmation method correctly takes trained hands-on practice. Pool service technicians are trained for their specialty -- and leak detection technicians are trained for theirs. They are different skills learned through different experiences.
A good pool service company will tell you honestly when a problem is outside their scope and refer you to a specialist. If yours has told you they cannot find the source of your water loss, that is the right time to call a leak detection company. The two are not in competition -- they serve different parts of your pool's care. In fact, many pool service companies in South Florida maintain referral relationships with Leak and Subsurface Locators specifically for situations where their customers have confirmed water loss that they cannot diagnose.
Use these tools to confirm your water loss is beyond normal evaporation before scheduling a specialist visit.
Leak and Subsurface Locators has the equipment and training to find what pool service companies cannot. Call Sandra to schedule.
You do not need to -- but it can be helpful to let them know what you found. A good pool service company appreciates the referral loop and will share any observations they have already made about the pool's condition. That information helps the leak detection technician know where to look first.
Ask what tools they use. If their answer is "I'll look at it" or "I'll check the equipment," ask specifically whether they have a pressure testing manifold, acoustic hydrophones, and a pipe locator. If they do not, they can identify obvious visible leaks but are unlikely to find underground pipe breaks or small structural leaks. You may end up paying for a visit that does not produce a complete diagnosis.
Yes. Leak and Subsurface Locators works alongside many pool service companies in South Florida. The pool service company maintains the pool -- LSL diagnoses the leak when a water loss problem appears. After the leak is found and repaired, the pool service company resumes their normal maintenance role. The two specialties complement each other.
If the pool is losing more water than evaporation accounts for, adding water is not a solution -- it is masking the problem. South Florida pools evaporate approximately a quarter inch per day in normal conditions. More than that, consistently, points to a leak. The cost of water, the potential for ground erosion from a leaking underground pipe, and the long-term structural damage from water migration into the soil are all reasons to diagnose rather than simply refill.