A swimming pool naturally loses some water through evaporation, splashing and filtration procedures such as back washing. If more than two inches of water is lost per week on a routine basis, however, swimming pool leaks are occurring somewhere. Effective pool leak detection begins with the obvious causes.

First, eliminate the usual suspects for swimming pool leaks: Check for leaky plumbing outside the pool at the filter, pump, heater and valves. After ruling out external causes, verify potential swimming pool leaks by turning off the filter and marking the water level at a skimmer. Close the pool to swimmers for 24 hours and check the water level again. If you’ve lost more than 1/4-inch during that time, you’ll need to perform a pool leak detection procedure and apply pool leak repair methods to address any leaks in skimmers, return lines, lights and drains and/or cracks in the pool masonry.

Fortunately, improved methods for detecting leaks in pools are provided by the LeakTronics technology invented by Caltech. Detection of pool water leaks has taken a quantum leap ahead of traditional, time-consuming methods such as water dyes, divers and air pressure tests. All pool water leaks produce an underwater sound signature. These leak sounds can be picked up by the sensitive submersible microphone included in Caltech’s LeakTronics kit for detecting leaks in pools. Suspended at the end of a long cable, the waterproof microphone is lowered in proximity to return lines, skimmers, drains and light fixtures while the amplified underwater sounds at these locations are monitored through headphones. A whooshing, jet-like sound indicates a swimming pool leak in the immediate area of the microphone.

The pool leak detection is further confirmed by adding dye to the water immediately opposite the microphone position and visually observing the suction action of the swimming pool leak. When the audio signature of a pool water leak is detected in a return line or skimmer line, LeakTronics’ Videoscope is used to visually verify the location of the leak. Consisting of a micro-video camera mounted on the end of a flexible cable probe, the Videoscope is threaded into the suspect line and the live video image monitored on a hand-held screen. As dye is injected into the water, the exact location of a swimming pool leak inside a line is easily identifiable as the video camera reveals the dye being sucked into the leak. Pool leak repair involving cracks in the pool structure has long been attempted by injecting repair cement or epoxy into the crack.

This method of sealing pool water leaks has often been short-lived and unsatisfactory. Cracks in pool concrete are dynamic and continue to widen with the passage of time. Eventually, the widening crack fractures the epoxy or cement repair and the swimming pool leak resumes. The Torque-Lock Staple technology invented by Caltech has solved this longstanding problem of pool leak repair. For pool companies in the United States and abroad, it has become the pool leak repair of choice to remedy pool water leaks associated with masonry cracks. The Torque-Lock system consists of a series of metal staple brackets with two pins, installed into recessed slots which bridge the crack causing the swimming pool leak. After coating with epoxy, the pins are driven into holes drilled into the masonry to secure the staple in the recessed slot. The pins are then rotated less than 180 degrees to apply torque to the staple and permanently stabilize the crack.

After the crack has been stabilized, the pool leak repair can be finalized by filling the crack with any non-shrinking fast-setting cement. With the invention of its LeakTronics system and Torque-Lock Staple, Caltech technology has become the gold standard for both accurately detecting leaks in pools and effective, efficient pool leak repair.