Check Gunite Pools for Leaks &Repair minor Leaks underwater.
Repair Light Leaks in Liners & Gunite Pools with Pool Putty
Check Vinyl Liner gaskets at stairs, skimmer & returns & inspect for Leaks
What you can do We suggest our customers help determine whether the leak is in the pipes or the interior of the pool, to minimize our charges. If you are not interested in doing the tests, we can go over the whole pool when performing a Leak Detection.
POOL PUMP ON OR OFF - LEAK TEST: Are you losing more water with the pool pump off or on? Run the pool pump for say 8, 12 or 24 hours and compare for the same period of time with the pump off. If you lose more water running the pool pump, that typically means the leak is in the return or Polaris lines. If you lose more water with the pool pump off that generally means the leak is in a suction line - the skimmer or main drain line. If you lose at the same rate it is generally in the interior of the pool - light leak, hole in liner or crack in gunite pool.
ANOTHER LEAK TEST YOU CAN DO: Plug the pool lines (be sure to unplug your pool pumps) or just run off the main (if you have one) by shutting off the skimmer valve(s) at the front of pump. Now lets see where your water level goes over the next several days.
OTHER QUESTIONS Does the water stop at a certain level? Did you lose water in the off season? Did you have the leak last year?
Pool Pro of Long Island 631-885-5621 or 516-698-2092
Once we determine if the water loss is more with the pump running or more with the pump off then generally, we know whether a diver is needed for an interior inspection/detection or a pressure test is needed for the piping underground.
Generally you need a diver if: THE SAME water is lost with pump on & off - this usually suggests the Leak is inside the pool.
As Divers We find Inside the Pool Leaks - in liners, behind lights & at drains Pool Leaks inside a Pool can almost always be repaired underwater. Whether it is in a Vinyl Liner Pool, Gunite Pool, we typically can diagnose & stop the Leak. Holes or tears in liners or minor cracks in Gunite Pools can typically repaired by a diver. Exceptions might be if you have been losing water for a long time, which could indicate more than 1 leak problem. For example, Vinyl Liner could have extensive termite damage or a Gunite Pools could have extensive structural damage, in which case we cannot offer any sort of leak free warranty – only that we would hope to slow down the leak for the remainder of the Pool Season. Also, light Leaks behind the fixture at the conduit/niche or cracks in the housing if it is a plastic can usually be repaired with underwater epoxy.
Pressure test is generally is needed if: you lose MORE with Pump OFF - the Leak is typically in the SUCTION side of the pipes. you Lose MORE with Pump ON - the Leak is typically in the PRESSURE side of the pipes.
Don't know if your Swimming Pool has a Leak Suspect a leak & are losing more than ¼” a day, then it's probably more than evaporation. 1) Sinkholes, settlement of the ground, cement patio slab cracking, brick pavers settling, pavement or deck settlement. 2) Cloudy water, constantly adding chemicals or salt imbalance (or dilution due to re-filling) when analyzing pool water 3) Air bubbles in the pump ( or priming problems) typically being brought in by the suction side (main or skimmers) piping & being discharged out the returns (or jets). 4) Wet or soggy areas around the Pool or even at the Equipment pad. (These leaks that are readily visible can be repaired by your general pool service contractor) 5) Your water is colder than it should be because you are always adding more water - possibly with an Auto-water fill. 6) Dimples / divits / damage in a liner getting larger due to the erosion of the ground below a hole or tear in the liner. 7) Increased water bills, Increase in algae buildup
Sometimes extensive water loss can be seen with extensive sunlight &/or wind exposure or even heating the pool (especially if the exterior temperature is much cooler at night for example).
Why use us for Detecting your Pool Leak? 1) We are one of a few Long Island companies that only do Pool Leaks. That is why we have become quite skilled at leak locating. Sometimes Leak locating requires lots of practice. We don’t re-pipe, we don’t put in new vinyl liners, nor do we re-finish or refurbish gunite pools. Our interest is in diving your pool & making those underwater repairs or we will pinpoint your underground broken pipes that are causing the leaks. 2) We only charge flat fees not hourly charges. Because we are Pool Leak experts we can afford to charge flat rates – it is not to our interest to run down the clock & build up your bill hourly. If we don’t find the leak we charge you $0, no matter how long we spend looking for the leak. 3) We do on occasion get a few pools every year we don’t get paid, because we didn't identify or pinpoint the Leak source & it gets quite frustrating for us, but it is part of our guarantee.
Vinyl Liner Leaks - can be caused by brushing, your robot or even termites. These Leaks can be repaired under the water. Gaskets at the stairs, jets, skimmers & main that are suspected of Leaks, Light Leaks can be repaired with epoxy, sealer or underwater glue. While liner seams are usually guaranteed by a manufacturer but rarely do Liner seams fail & it would be rare for your liner to be replaced by a warranty.
Gunite Pool Leaks - Most typically these leaks are at the area where the skimmer connects to the pool or in some cases where the return pipes (or Jets) come into the Pool. We sometimes see Leaks at the light niche or conduit. We can repair these Leaks as well as small structural cracks underwater with Pool Putty/Epoxy.
Pressure Testing of pipesis done to determine what line (skimmer, returns, Polaris or Main drain) is bad/has a Leak. It involves a simple measurement of whether the pipe actually holds pressure as measured by a gauge (almost like a tire). Once a line is determined to have a Leak, (loses pressure) it will be located underground. We find hidden underground Leaks with some of the most sophisticated electronics made. Usually we locate the Leak within a ft. or two and put a mark on the ground. The area is typically dug up by your pool company who would perform the needed pipe repair.
Generally it makes sense to find Pipe Leaks & have them fixed. There are exceptions: 1) Pipes 20+ years old especially if these pipes are not far from the equipment to the Pool and might be good candidates for a re-piping. 2) Flexible PVC piping which you know was already had termite damage and we might expect more. 3) If most of the piping in a re-pipe can be accomplished by going around the patio/pavers (with the new piping) that sometimes is a more preferable alternative. 4) If you are replacing the patio soon. (even if there is no noticeable leak) you might want to consider pressure testing the pool pipes to verify they test good, if not a re-pipe then might be the next step. 5) If your Pool pipes have been leaking for years, in some cases it could indicate that there are multiple leaks & its appropriate to re-pipe.
Causes of a Pool Leak 1) Not properly blowing out the Plumbing Lines. 2) Freeze leading to ground settlement & pipe damage. 3) Termites eating thru flexible PVC piping or Pool Liners 4) Brushing or a robot causing Liner damage, improper chemical usage accelerating a Liner's deterioration. 5) Gunite/Concrete Pools having cracks that can Leak. Pool Plumbing Leaks can also be caused by tree roots, failure at Joints, fittings or couplings, old age, improper chemical usage (chlorine dropped in skimmer baskets etc.), manufacturing defects, waste/backwash line Leaking or damage due to an extensive freeze &/or improper winterization.
How we at Pool Pro Find Pool Leaks As one of the better Leak Finders on Long Island, we can accurately find almost every underground Pipe Leak within 2 ft. With specialized electronic Leak Detection Equipment (sensitive microphones & helium leak detectors) which helps find those Leaks. With interior Pool Leaks we dive the pool, checking every area in the liner, light etc. & patch Liner Holes in Pools & repair minor gunite cracks.
Indications of Pool Leaks 1) Ground or Patio/deck/pavers sinking, Concrete patio cracking 2) Diluted chemicals, salt balance when analyzing the pool water 3) Bubbles in the pump (priming issues) being brought in by the main or skimmer line 4) Wet areas around the Pool or at the Equipment - You don't need a specialist for an obvious leak repair - your Pool Company should be fine. 5) Indents in the Swimming Pool's Vinyl Liner getting larger. 6) Increasing costs for water, chemicals, salt or even the water bill