Pool Leak Detection
Get In Touch
Need Help With Your Pool?
Suspect a pool leak or water loss issue? Contact The PoolCare Pros and we’ll help you determine the right next step.
Pool Leak Detection & Repair in Charleston, SC
If your pool is losing water and you can’t figure out why, you’re not alone. Unexplained water loss is one of the most common problems pool owners bring to us. Sometimes it’s evaporation. Often it’s not. The difference between the two can mean hundreds of dollars a month in wasted water, chemicals, and eventually structural damage.
The PoolCare Pros specializes in locating and repairing pool leaks across Charleston and the surrounding Lowcountry. We use Leaktronics certified leak detection equipment, including ultrasound listening devices, pressure testing systems, underwater cameras, and dye testing, to find leaks that other companies miss. And because we’re a full service pool company, we repair what we find, often during the same visit.
Suspect a leak? Call (843) 345-2415 to schedule a leak detection.
Signs Your Pool May Be Leaking
Not every drop in water level means you have a leak, but certain patterns should get your attention.
You may have a pool leak if you notice any of the following: your pool requires frequent refilling beyond what weather conditions explain, your water bill has increased without a clear reason, you see wet or soggy areas in the yard near the pool or equipment pad, the pool deck is settling or separating in spots, you notice cracks in the pool shell or around fittings, air bubbles are coming through the return lines when the pump is running, your chemical demand has increased (a leak dilutes your water chemistry faster), or algae keeps returning despite proper treatment.
Any one of these can point to a leak. Several of them together almost certainly do.
Is It a Leak or Evaporation?
Charleston’s heat and humidity mean pools lose water to evaporation, especially during the summer months. In peak conditions, a pool can lose a quarter inch or more per day to evaporation alone.
The simplest way to check is the bucket test. Fill a bucket with pool water and set it on the pool step so the water level inside the bucket matches the pool water level outside. Mark both levels. Wait 24 to 48 hours without using the pool. If the pool level drops more than the water inside the bucket, the pool is losing water beyond evaporation, and you likely have a leak.
If the levels drop equally, evaporation is your answer. If the pool is losing more, especially more than a quarter inch per day, call us. The sooner a leak is found, the less damage it causes.
How We Find Pool Leaks
Guessing where a leak is wastes time and money. Our process is systematic: we eliminate possibilities until we isolate the source.
The PoolCare Pros uses Leaktronics industry leading leak detection equipment. Our diagnostic process typically includes:
Pressure testing. We isolate and pressurize individual plumbing lines, both suction and return, to determine whether each line holds pressure. A line that loses pressure has a breach. This tells us which pipe is compromised even when it’s buried under concrete or soil.
Ultrasound listening. Once a pressurized line shows a loss, we use ultrasound listening devices to hear the precise location where water or air is escaping underground. This allows us to mark the spot on the surface so any excavation is targeted and minimal.
Dye testing. For shell cracks, fitting leaks, skimmer connections, return fittings, and light niches, we use concentrated dye near the suspected area. If dye is pulled into a crack or gap, we’ve confirmed the leak location without any guesswork.
Visual and underwater inspection. Our technicians dive the pool to visually inspect every fitting, surface seam, liner bead, and tile line. Many leaks are found at points that can only be examined below the waterline. The pool needs to be clean enough for us to dive, and filled to the middle of the skimmer or tile line before we arrive.
A typical leak detection takes one to three hours depending on pool size, complexity, and how many potential leak sources need to be tested.
Where Pool Leaks Happen
Leaks can develop in virtually any part of a pool system. Understanding where they occur helps explain why professional detection matters.
Shell and Surface Leaks
Cracks, delamination, and deteriorating plaster or grout are common sources of structural water loss. In gunite and plaster pools, hairline cracks can develop from settling, ground movement, or chemical imbalance over time. In vinyl liner pools, tears, punctures, and bead track failures allow water to escape behind the liner. In fiberglass pools, gelcoat damage, spider cracking, and fitting separations are the primary leak points.
Plumbing and Underground Leaks
Underground leaks are among the hardest to find and the most damaging if left unaddressed. Bad glue joints in PVC pipe, cracked lines from soil movement, tree root intrusion, and corroded fittings beneath the deck are all common culprits. These leaks often go unnoticed because the water seeps directly into the soil and the ground water table, gradually undermining the pool structure and surrounding hardscape.
Pressure testing is the most reliable way to identify which line is leaking, and ultrasound listening allows us to pinpoint the exact break location underground.
Equipment Side Leaks
Not every leak comes from the pool itself. Pump shaft seals, filter housings, multiport valve gaskets, heater connections, chlorinator fittings, and unions on the equipment pad are all common failure points. These are typically visible as dripping or pooling water around the equipment, but a slow weep from a corroded connection can go unnoticed for months.
Pool Types We Service
The PoolCare Pros detects and repairs leaks in all major pool construction types:
Plaster and gunite pools. We check for surface cracks, hollow spots, delamination, fitting separation, tile line failures, and main drain connections. Plaster pools in the Lowcountry are especially susceptible to calcium nodule formation and surface deterioration from imbalanced water chemistry, both of which can mask or mimic leak symptoms.
Vinyl liner pools. We inspect the liner for tears, wrinkles, bead track integrity, and fitting gasket failures at the skimmer, returns, and light. Liner leaks can be subtle, losing water slowly over weeks before the damage becomes obvious.
Fiberglass pools. We examine the gelcoat surface, spider cracks, bulkhead fittings, and the bond between the shell and plumbing penetrations. Fiberglass shells can shift slightly in Charleston’s high water table conditions, stressing plumbing connections.
What Happens After the Leak Is Found
Locating the leak is half the job. Repairing it properly is the other half. Because The PoolCare Pros is a full service pool company, not just a detection firm, we handle the repair directly. You won’t need to hire a second contractor and re explain the problem.
Depending on the leak type and location, our repair options include:
Underwater repairs. Most leak repairs can be made underwater without draining the pool. This saves time, water, and the risk of hydrostatic pressure damage that can occur when a pool is drained in high water table areas like Charleston, James Island, and West Ashley.
Epoxy injection. For structural cracks in plaster or gunite, we inject specialized epoxy to seal the crack and restore structural integrity.
Fitting replacement. Failed gaskets, loose fittings, corroded returns, and compromised skimmer connections are replaced with new components rated for long term pool use.
Pipe repair or replacement. When pressure testing confirms a plumbing line failure, we locate the break using ultrasound, excavate only the necessary area, and repair or replace the damaged section. Because we’ve already pinpointed the location, the excavation is surgical rather than exploratory.
Caulking and sealant application. For expansion joint failures, coping separations, and tile line gaps, we apply pool grade sealants to restore the waterproof barrier.
When Draining Is and Isn't Necessary
One of the most common questions we get is whether the pool needs to be drained for leak detection or repair. In most cases, the answer is no.
Our leak detection methods work with the pool full, and most repairs, including fitting replacements, liner patches, and shell crack sealing, are performed underwater. This is a significant advantage in the Charleston Lowcountry, where high ground water tables create real risk when a pool is emptied. A drained pool in a high water table area can “pop” or float out of the ground if hydrostatic pressure isn’t properly managed.
We only recommend draining when the repair requires access to areas that cannot be reached underwater, or when a full replaster or structural repair demands it. In those cases, we manage the process to minimize hydrostatic risk.
Why Early Leak Detection Matters in the Lowcountry
A small pool leak that goes unaddressed doesn’t stay small. In Charleston’s soil and climate conditions, the consequences of a slow leak compound faster than in many other regions.
Leaking water seeps into the soil and the underground water tables. Over time this undermines the pool structure, causes pipes to shift and break, accelerates deck settling, and can erode the soil supporting your pool and surrounding hardscape. In areas with clay soils, the expansion and contraction cycle worsens the damage.
Salt air corrosion on coastal and near coastal properties, combined with extended UV exposure on equipment and fittings, means that small failures at gaskets, O rings, and pipe connections happen more frequently here than in inland markets. Annual leak checks are a smart preventive measure, especially for pools over ten years old.
Why Choose Us
The PoolCare Pros was founded by Darryl Jones, a Navy veteran and former residential contractor with over 15 years in the pool industry. Our team is Leaktronics Certified for swimming pool leak detection, CPO Certified (Certified Pool Operator), and a member of the Pool & Hot Tub Alliance.
What separates us from detection only companies: we find the leak and we fix it. One team, one flat fee for detection, and a clear path to repair without starting over with a new contractor. Our technicians pressure test plumbing, dive the pool, use ultrasound and dye testing, and perform underwater repairs so the pool typically doesn’t need to be drained.
We treat every pool like it’s our own.
Call (843) 345-2415 or contact us to schedule your leak detection.
Areas We Serve
We provide pool leak detection and repair throughout the Charleston Lowcountry, including Charleston, North Charleston, Goose Creek, West Ashley, Mt. Pleasant, Daniel Island, James Island, Johns Island, Summerville, Isle of Palms, Sullivan’s Island, Folly Beach, Kiawah Island, Seabrook Island, Moncks Corner, Walterboro, and surrounding communities.
Don’t see your area listed? Give us a call. We’re often willing to travel to stop a leaking pool.
Suspect a Pool Leak?
Call The PoolCare Pros to schedule leak detection and repair in Charleston, SC.
Service Questions
Frequently Asked Questions
Get clear answers about pool leaks, detection, repairs, draining, and what to expect before your appointment.
