A small leak in a pool can mean the loss of hundreds of liters of water a day, unbalance chemicals and, worst of all, undermine the ground under the structure causing larger cracks. At Servinmosol, we don't guess where the leak is: we use advanced technology to locate it with surgical precision, avoiding opening unnecessary trenches in your garden.
Is it Evaporation or a Leak? The Bucket Test
Before getting alarmed, in summer it is normal to lose up to 0.5 cm of water a day due to evaporation. To rule this out, we recommend the Bucket Test, a vital first step before mobilizing technical teams:
- Fill a bucket with pool water and place it on the first step (partially submerged). Tip: Put a rock inside so it doesn't float or tip over.
- Mark the water level both inside the bucket and outside (pool level). Turn off the filtration pump during the test to avoid fluctuations.
- Wait 24 hours. If the pool level has dropped more than the bucket's, you have a leak. If both levels drop exactly the same, it is simple natural evaporation.
Trenchless Detection Technology: Precise Diagnosis
Our differential value is the diagnosis. Forget about tearing up the whole floor looking for a broken pipe blindly. We have specific equipment to find the fault without breaking anything:
Hydrostatic Pressure Tests
We isolate the pipes (skimmers, return inlets, main drain) by plugging the outlets in the pool and apply pressure with water or air from the pump room. If the pressure gauge needle drops, we know exactly which pipe has the problem. This allows us to rule out healthy circuits in minutes.
Acoustic Geophones and Tracer Gas
Once we know which pipe is leaking, we "listen" to the sound of pressurized water escaping underground using highly sensitive ultrasonic microphones (Geophones). If the sound is faint, we inject a harmless gas (a mixture of nitrogen and hydrogen) into the pipe that surfaces exactly at the break point, detecting it with an electronic scanner.
Underwater Immersion and Dye Test
If the pipe pressure is correct, the problem is in the structure. Our technicians perform a dive with scuba gear to inspect every centimeter of the shell, lights, and joints. We use syringes with special fluorescent dyes that are visually sucked into the crack, marking the exact point of the leak.
Common Solutions and Repairs
Once located with pinpoint accuracy, we apply the most durable and least invasive solution possible:
Repair of Fittings (Skimmers, Lights, Return Inlets)
80% of leaks occur here. The joint between the plastic skimmer and the concrete usually breaks due to temperature changes and the natural settling of the ground, causing the concrete to yield and lose its watertightness around these fittings. We repair these joints with high-temperature resistant underwater epoxy putties, or replace the fitting entirely if the plastic is cracked.
Specialists in Skimmer Repair
This is our number one specialty. We have specific solutions to permanently fix leaks in skimmers, reinforcing the structure so it doesn't give way again.
View Skimmer SpecialtyStructural Leaks (The Pool Shell)
If the crack is in the concrete, a simple patch won't work (it will reopen with ground movement). We use high-tension stainless steel staples to structurally "stitch" the crack and prevent it from opening further, subsequently sealing it with state-of-the-art elastic and waterproof mortars.
Broken Underground Pipes
If the leak is underground, our technology allows us to open just one tile at the exact point indicated by the geophones, drastically minimizing the aesthetic damage to your terrace. We replace the damaged PVC section (usually crushed by roots or soil settlement) and repave, leaving the area flawless.
A leak doesn't fix itself; it always gets worse. The constantly escaping water can wash away the soil under the pool, causing the concrete shell to hang in the air, settle, and split in half—a catastrophic failure that could cost tens of thousands of euros.