Pool Patchers is Getting a Hydrophone

We were out in Claremont this week for a plumbing pressure test on a pool with a vinyl liner that's less than six months old. Since the liner is still practically brand new, we were asked to skip the usual electronic liner inspection on this visit — no sense charging someone our hourly rate to look at something that's already in great shape. Instead, we put our time straight into pressure-testing the lines, and it's a good thing we did.

What We Found

The return line feeding the two main return fittings inside the pool had a slight leak — nothing dramatic, but worth noting. The bigger issue was with the return lines running to the steps: they couldn't hold any pressure at all. To cut down on the main source of water loss right away, we dove in and set two plugs in the step return fittings, all without draining a drop of water from the pool.

Why We're Adding a Hydrophone to the Van

Here's the honest version of what's going on behind the scenes. When we started doing pressure tests, we figured most pool builders and suppliers in the area already had hydrophone equipment on hand for tracking down leaks in pressurized lines. Turns out that's not the case — it's a lot less common than we assumed. A hydrophone lets us listen for the exact point where a line is losing pressure, so instead of guessing or tearing up a deck to go looking for a leak, we can pinpoint it and open up only the spot on the deck or ideally, in the ground, that actually needs attention.

We've got one on order, and once it arrives we'll be able to offer that same precision for plumbing repairs without ripping up decking or landscaping to chase a leak. It also opens the door for us to start taking on patch work for gunite, concrete, and fiberglass pools, not just vinyl — all with that same underwater, no-draining approach that's been working so well for liner repairs.

What's Next

For this Claremont pool, the plugs we set in the step returns are holding things steady for now. Once the hydrophone is in hand, we'll be back to pinpoint the exact source of the slow leak on the main return line and finish the job properly, without any guesswork or unnecessary digging.

If you're noticing water loss and suspect its the plumbing, or you just want someone to take a look before it turns into a bigger problem, you can book a visit anytime at pool-patchers.com/book. The work we completed on this visit is backed by our standard 12-month warranty, and the follow-up repair will carry that same coverage once it's done.