Yield to pressure
Unfortunately, even when using high-quality cameras, some holes or cracks in the pipe walls or broken fittings are not always readily visible—especially when the system is not under pressure.
That said, after performing the next step, which involved pressurizing the jet line and then listening above ground for the sound of escaping water and air, this author confirmed a leak in the tee joint connection to one jet located beneath the concrete pool deck.
At the same time, this procedure allowed a number of other suspected locations to be confirmed or ruled out. Pressurizing a suspect line involves plugging the jets/skimmer lines after disconnecting the plumbing near the pump to apply a varying combination of compressed air and water while monitoring a gauge for results and listening with the microphone.
Many service companies will readily perform this test, however, they may not have the specialized equipment or the experience required to determine where the plumbing lines run or locate where air is escaping from the line. Being able to say, “there’s a leak in line A” does not mean much if it cannot be pinpointed where the problem is occurring in what can often be a long length of pipe in varying configurations. Some companies rely on hydrogen or helium sensing techniques, which involve pressurizing the lines to attempt to find the escaping molecules with a gas detector as they reach the surface. There are limitations to this method, however.
As previously discussed, the visual inspection, tracing, and sound detection steps can take a considerable amount of time and expertise to accurately locate a leak. Essentially, the technician is assembling a puzzle applicable to all the unique circumstances at hand. Each and every uncovered fact has to fit together into a comprehensive, precise situational ‘picture’ that accurately confirms the entire set of circumstances and findings. Things are not always as they initially seem.
Discovery and plan of action
After successfully locating the first problem, which was a tee joint beneath the concrete pool deck with approximately 457 mm (18 in.) further along to the jet, this author identified another leak via sound picked up by the microphone along the second pool jet line. With confirmation of the three problematic areas, the customer was provided with the appropriate recommendations for repair.
This advice often varies depending on the location of the leak(s), cost and effort of repair, the customer’s preferences, and the technician’s expertise. That said, it can range from a spot repair to a replacement of the entire line, but even then there are variations in how to best approach the problem and their corresponding solutions.
For example, in some cases, it may be a simple matter of hand digging into the flower garden to cut out a section of the old pipe and install a new coupling. In other situations, rerouting the lines may be suggested—even above ground, over the deck, and back to the pool—especially when it is an interior pool or there are exterior landscaping features that can make the repair impractical. Thanks to technology, however, in these extreme situations, a new epoxy pipe (of varying lengths) can sometimes be built inside the existing plumbing without the need for excavation.
In this particular situation, as two leaks were located beneath the concrete pool deck and the 30-plus-year-old pool was plumbed using black polyvinyl chloride (PVC) piping, which would likely be prone to recurring problems, the repair was a little more involved.
