An efficient leak detection job starts well before you open the gate to your customer’s back yard. You can save a great deal of time by gathering and processing information about the suspected leak before the job is even scheduled. Make a practice of purposefully communicating with the pool owner to accomplish the following 3 objectives as the first part of your leak detection process.
1. Make sure there really is a leak
Sometimes customers are concerned about water loss that may be the result of something besides a leak. Evaporation, splash-out, or even miscommunications about when a backwash was performed can result in panicked calls to a leak professional. It’s hard to charge for a leak job if there isn’t really a problem (even after you’ve spent a lot of time looking for the non-existent leak), so it’s important to ask enough questions upfront to eliminate the possibility that the symptom they describe is anything but a leak. It’s also a good idea to schedule jobs far enough out to give the customer time to do a Bucket Test for themselves to confirm the water loss they are observing is not just due to evaporation.
Example Questions to Ask:
- Why do you think you have a leak?
- When did the problem start?
- How much loss are you experiencing per day?
- When is the last time you backwashed the pool?
2. Collect key facts that allow you to start processing the problem before you get to the pool
Leak detection is as much mental as it is physical . Your observations and tests at the pool are just one source of clues that can lead you to solving the elusive problem. By asking strategic questions of the pool owner before you get to the job, you can start thinking about and solving the problem even while you are driving. Knowing when the pool was built, who built it, how it is used, and when it started leaking can provide clues to where the leak will be, especially as you start building a mental database of previous leaks you’ve found. Other information about the nature of the problem, like whether it leaks more with the pump on or off, will also help to establish what part of the pool may be the most suspect.
Example Questions to Ask:
- How far down have you let the water level go?
- Does the pool have any unique features such as an attached spa, waterfall, or in-floor cleaning system?
- When was the pool built and who built it?
- Who typically uses the pool and how do they use it?
- Have there been any unusual events associated with the pool recently?
- Have you recently had repairs or construction work done in or around the pool?
3. Clearly establish what the expectations are for the condition of, and access to the pool
Generally the tests you do on site will require that the pool be filled to its normal operating level. Make sure the customer knows this. You may also have to get in the pool for inspection and repair, so it’s a good idea to request the pool be clean and warm if possible. Of course, you can’t work on a pool that you can’t get to, so make sure the customer provides information on how to access the pool in case they aren’t there. It’s easy to assume that these simple and common sense issues will be obvious, but a few wasted trips to a pool reinforce the fact that it’s better to err on the side of over-communication.
Example Questions to Ask:
- Is the pool filled to its normal level?
- Do I need any keys or codes to access the pool and equipment?
- Is the pool clean?
- Will you be home when I’m working on the pool? If not, how can I reach you during that time?
For more in depth discussion of the information gathering step and how it fits into the rest of the leak detection process check out the slide shows available in our resource center.
