LEAK DETECTION & REPAIRS
Unexplained water loss is rarely just evaporation. A pool that leaks even slowly is losing water, chemicals, and heat, and eroding the ground around your shell. Our professional pool leak detection services find the source accurately and repair it properly no guesswork.
Our Services
A leaking pool causes more damage the longer it goes unaddressed. Water escaping through the shell or underground plumbing saturates and erodes the surrounding soil, which can undermine the structural integrity of the pool itself and cause settlement damage to nearby hardscape, decking, and foundations.
Pool Tech USA · Repair Services
ACCURATE LEAK DETECTION. LASTING REPAIRS.
Pool leaks are one of the most anxiety-inducing problems a pool owner can face not because finding a leak is impossible, but because so many homeowners waste money on guesswork repairs that don’t address the actual source. At Pool Tech USA, we approach leak detection systematically, using pressure testing, dye testing, and electronic listening equipment to pinpoint the exact location of a leak before any repair work begins.
The result is that the first repair we make is the right repair not an exploratory one. We identify whether the leak is in the shell, the fittings, the underground plumbing, or the equipment pad, and we communicate exactly what we found and what it takes to fix it before we proceed.
Is It Actually a Leak? The Bucket Test
Before calling a professional, confirm whether your water loss comes from a leak or simple evaporation, which can exceed most homeowners’ expectations especially in Southern California’s warm, dry climate. Perform a simple bucket test: fill a bucket with pool water, place it on the first step, and mark the water level inside and outside the bucket. After 24 hours with the pump off, compare the levels. If the pool loses noticeably more water than the bucket, a leak exists. If both levels drop equally, evaporation caused the loss. You are unsure or the water loss is significant, our pool inspection service can identify the cause on-site before performing a full detection.
Where Pool Leaks Come From
Shell & Surface Cracks
Hairline cracks in plaster, gunite, or fiberglass can develop from ground movement, thermal expansion, or age. Often visible but not always some cracks only leak under pressure.
Fittings & Penetrations
Every return jet, skimmer, drain, and light niche is a penetration through the shell. The gaskets and fittings that seal these openings degrade over time and are a very common source of slow leaks.
Underground Plumbing
PVC pipes buried beneath the deck can develop cracks from ground movement, root intrusion, or joint separation. These are the hardest leaks to find and require pressure testing to locate.
Equipment Pad
Unions, valves, pump seals, and filter tank o-rings at the equipment pad are common leak points often the easiest to spot and repair since they are visible and accessible above ground.
How We Find the Leak
Our pool inspection service begins with a visual check of the equipment pad, all accessible fittings, and the pool shell at the waterline and below. Obvious above-ground leaks at unions, valves, or pump seals are identified immediately. For leaks in the shell or at fittings, we use dye testing, introducing a small amount of dye near suspected areas and observing whether it is drawn into the leak—allowing us to confirm and pinpoint fitting and surface leaks with excellent accuracy without requiring any excavation.
For leaks in underground plumbing, we use pressure testing isolating individual lines and pressurising them to confirm whether a line holds pressure or is losing it. Lines that fail the pressure test are then located using electronic listening equipment that detects the sound of water escaping through the pipe wall, allowing us to identify the leak location underground without excavating the entire line. In most cases we can locate an underground plumbing leak to within a foot or two, meaning the excavation required to access and repair it is kept to an absolute minimum.
Pool Tech USA performs leak detection and repairs for residential and commercial pools throughout Brea, Yorba Linda, Fullerton, Placentia, Anaheim, and Corona. If you are losing water and not sure whether it is a leak or evaporation, call us we will help you figure it out and get it fixed.
