professionalpoolcare
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 posted on 26-11-10 at 10:34 AM |
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Leakalyzer easily pays for itself in the first month.
Listen to me when I tell you that this is the tool of all tools. Although I have been in the pool industry for 18 years I have only recently started
leak detection this year. It's my new found hobby so to speak. I have successfully detected leaks up to this point using dyes, a pressure tester, and
the XLT-17 with hydrophone. It wasn't until recently when I was stumped on a couple of pools that I thought I needed something else to give me a bit
of help.
I had gone over the pools with a fine toothed comb and couldn't figure it out. The call backs every other day or so was killing me. So I bought the
leakalyzer with high hopes.
The first day of using the leakalyzer I put it on 3 pools. Each pool was showing that they were gaining water. WTH? I am a fairly technical guy so I
thought we might have gotten a bad sensor right out of the box. I tried it on my home pool the next day because I know it has no leaks. I wanted to
see what kind of readings I would get. Solid reading practically straight across showing no leaks. So now I know the dang thing works. I take it back
to the other pools and try again. Would you believe that I got normal readnigs showing the pools leaking this day. I use the tool as intended and
BLAMO find all the leaks and make the customers and myself happy.
The only thing I could think of was that the day before there was a massive fast moving low pressure system coming into the area. This low pressure
system would show that the pool was actually rising. Yes, it's THAT sensitive.
So I'm bragging all around town to my pool buddies about the thing and referrals start pouring in like MAD  . One referral was for a major sports complex in the area that has 3 commercial pools. I go there and hook the
leakalyzer up to the main pool and run a 2 hour test. The next day I send the pool manager a .pdf file from the leakalyzer program off of my computer.
I know that having the ability to show him the numbers on gallons lost landed this deal. I also created a little "money down the drain" excel
spreadsheet to take the gallons lost and translate that to dollars from your water bill and chemicals. I'm telling you this sold the deal. When you
can concretely show how much money they will save each month by acting now you don't have to convince anyone anything.
The main effect this tool has for me is DIRECTION. You start this thing testing right away and put the pool in certain situations and it will almost
point to the leak with a neon sign saying LOOK HERE! It gives you confidence that the leak is in fact where you think it is.
One month and it truley paid for itself. Need I say more?
BEST THING I HAVE BOUGHT FOR POOLS IN A LONG TIME!
And I buy a lot of crap.
P.S. If you live in Orlando this thing sucks. Booo...Hiss. I want my money back.
Attachment: Martinez Initial Test.pdf (137.88kb)
This file has been downloaded 256 times
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brrscuba
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![[*]](./images/corporate/default_icon.gif) posted on 26-11-10 at 04:33 PM |
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Pete
I really enjoyed your post. Thanks for sharing your Leakalizer experiences with us all. Please continue to update us as you get to use it on more
pools and in more problem solving ways.
Questions:
You described a two hour test on a commercial pool, why two hours? Even with pump on, pump off, and pipes plugged tests, I'm puzzled what took two
hours.
The fast moving low pressure system.... explanation of the pools with a gain in level? I'm sorry, there must be some other answer, water is not
compressible, even at thousands of psi.
Bruce
poolrepairdiver.com
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professionalpoolcare
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| posted on 27-11-10 at 09:19 AM |
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When I got the call I went out there to meet the property manager and investigate about the leak. I opened the Leakalyzer case up in a fanfare of
glory and wonder, TADAAAH! lol. After setting the thing up I left to hit a repair job close by and returned later. The longer you run the test the
more accurate the results are anyways.
A bit off topic:
You want to make the customers mouth drop? Show them the graph and take a cup of water out with the test running. Then pour it back in. It shows
everything! This thing is sensitive. You almost can never run it on it's lowest filter. You need no wind and no water movement to do that. You can go
down to 5 and up to 20, I am usually testing at 10-20 for 5-15 mins. It's better to run a longer test on a higher filter than to run a shorter test
with a low filter.
Since this was an indoor pool I can tell you that when the air conditioner turned on and off you could tell by the graph on the leakalyzer. That would
also create a low pressure/high pressure effect. I don't know what to say about the explanation but I'll try to keep posting stuff about it until
someone figures it out.
Another point:
You shouldn't even use this thing without the Leakalyzer program. That is where the hidden POWER of this tool is. I mean the LED graph on the
handheld device is great and all for out in the field but when you can turn points on in certain "marks" with color and show the customer what the
results are right in an e-mail to them I mean WOW. You are light years above anyone that is doing this stuff.
As a matter of fact after my 2 hour test on the 4000 sq ft pool the LED graph looked like I had garbage for data. I was dissapointed when I saw that
and thought it was a wasted 2 hours. When I downloaded the data file to my computer later that night I found out that the test went way off the
handhelds scale. The computer program however shows the whole thing.
My only gripe about it though is you need to remember the days evaporation index and sq. ft. of the pool somehow. I'm saving them in the filename
like customernameevap025sqft650.txt
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trackerm
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| posted on 27-11-10 at 11:17 AM |
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This is pretty much a closed "controlled" test of an indoor pool. Yet I agree that in this circumstance very small leaks can be detected due to
evaporation being at a minumum, I have reservations that the AC unit would affect the unit that much but hey,what do i know.
Let me run this past you. Would the unit be affected by tidal cycles? Tides chance every six hours so how would this affect the reliability of any
water loss sensor. Tide coming in would show a water gain while tide going out a water loss? couple with atmospheric conditions of a low or high
pressure given any four of these tidal changes and well. thats a lot of information to pick up when leak detecting.
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trackerm
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| posted on 27-11-10 at 11:22 AM |
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Tides in my area are three feet. 36 inches in six hours is six inches per hour.divide that by 60 is a .10 loss or gain per minute. Now try that in
alaska where the tide is 36 feet every six hours.
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Lance
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| posted on 29-11-10 at 09:35 AM |
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Atmospheric pressure changes effect the water level of the pool not because the water is expanding, but because any air trapped in the system would
be. For instance, if there was air trapped in the filter, as the atmospheric pressure dropped this air would expand forcing more water out of the
filter and plumbing and into the pool. When we are measuring changes that can result from adding or subracting a cup of water from the pool this
change can be significant.
If any of you have ever seen "Weather Glasses" or "Sailors Barometers" you may better be able to appreciate this phenomena.
http://www.theweatherworkshop.com/barometers.html
I don't think that the forces that effect tidal changes in the ocean would impact the water level in the pool.
Lance
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trackerm
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| posted on 29-11-10 at 10:56 AM |
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I have seen filter and pump systems installed above grade of the pool. when the system is turned off i am sure water is running back into the pool
from up top. that would show a gain in pool water vs a loss i am sure.
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trackerm
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| posted on 29-11-10 at 10:59 AM |
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Tidal changes have never affected the level of water in a pool.
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Poolman
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| posted on 9-1-11 at 11:16 AM |
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but does a full moon
Am looking at one of these for my kit, from what I have been reading seems a great investment. Looks like you can narrow down very quickly pipe or
structure, return pipe or suction.
Air handling in a pool hall will slightly lower the air pressure in the hall. Only reason know that is because a customer wanted a gas fire in a pool
hall, products of combustion don't make it out without a fan flue!
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trackerm
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| posted on 11-1-11 at 08:25 AM |
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yeah, that model works well in a barometer. however, for that matter to work you need a total vacuum above the fluid in order for it to work like
that. i doubt a total vacuum exists over a body of water like a pool.
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Lance
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| posted on 28-1-11 at 11:26 AM |
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trackerm,
The filter and plumbing system is enclosed. Any air trapped withing the system can expand and contract as atmospheric pressure rises and lowers. In
extreme cases as professionalpool care described above, the resulting water pushed or pulled into the open pool is small but detectable on the
leakalyzer.
Lance
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Poolman
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| posted on 6-2-11 at 06:02 AM |
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Now we can find out who pee's in the pool
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Semi_Retired
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| posted on 30-7-11 at 09:30 AM |
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| Quote: | Originally posted by Poolman
Now we can find out who pee's in the pool |
I read this a while ago, but just understood it today. The Leakalyzer will actually detect the water level rise! Bwaaahaaahaaa!!!
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Poolman
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| posted on 30-7-11 at 11:09 AM |
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Yep even a dripping pool cover will show an increase, get your head around how sensative it is and you understand what a great tool it is.
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4Leakman
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| posted on 2-8-11 at 07:01 PM |
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Coming to Orlando
Hi Pete:
I am coming down to Orlando on August 25th through Sept 2nd. Is there a chance we could hook up so that you could show me the machine in operation???
And also how it pays for itself in a month!
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professionalpoolcare
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| posted on 25-8-11 at 05:21 AM |
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Strangely enough I will be heading out of town on the 26th and coming back on the 30th. I would love to get together when I get back to talk about the
Leakalyzer. 407-255-7665
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4Leakman
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| posted on 30-8-11 at 08:33 AM |
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| Quote: | Originally posted by professionalpoolcare
Strangely enough I will be heading out of town on the 26th and coming back on the 30th. I would love to get together when I get back to talk about the
Leakalyzer. 407-255-7665 |
Hi Pete:
I will call you today!
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aquatechdivingservice
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| posted on 31-8-11 at 11:15 AM |
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| Quote: | Originally posted by trackerm
I have seen filter and pump systems installed above grade of the pool. when the system is turned off i am sure water is running back into the pool
from up top. that would show a gain in pool water vs a loss i am sure. |
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aquatechdivingservice
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| posted on 31-8-11 at 11:16 AM |
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If water is flowing back into the pool from an above grade filtration system, then you have a pretty good idea where your poolk may be leaking.
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Semi_Retired
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| posted on 31-8-11 at 11:38 AM |
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If there are no leaks in the plumbing and the equipment then water shouldn't be draining back. The water should hold in the system like when you put
a straw in a drink and plug the end and raise the straw. Let your finger go and the water drains back.
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professionalpoolcare
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| posted on 3-9-11 at 04:08 PM |
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Making the Leakalyzer pay for itself.
OK so I met with 4Leakman last week in person and we talked about a few things while I was showing him the Leakalyzer in action. Here's some of what
we discussed:
The Leakalyzer is more useable in areas of the country with concrete bottom pools. If you are servicing mostly vinyl pools like 4Leakman is then go
with the Leaktrak first.
Procedurewise we do things differently with the Leakalyzer. He immediately pressurizes the pipes, we don't unless the Leakalyzer shows a test where
we need to. In his area most of pools have a simple main drain/skimmer. In our area we have pool/spa combo's and water features so there are a lot of
lines that would need to be plugged and Jandy valves taken apart and such. Perhaps 95% of the time we don't have issues with the pipes. Perhaps
thankfully because it's rare that we run into flex pipe.
Using the Leakalyzer for the final step before you leave will pay for itself in NO CALL BACKS. Depending on what your time is worth + gas this alone
will pay for itself in a year.
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Semi_Retired
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 posted on 3-9-11 at 05:16 PM |
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Thanks for the info, Pete
I ordered mine yesterday. 
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4Leakman
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| posted on 4-9-11 at 09:40 PM |
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Thanks Pete!!!
You beat me to it. A big "Thank you" to you and Roger. It was great to meet you guys and get an up front demo of the unit. As we found afterward the
pool we were at was not (my opinion) a good site for the machine as it became rather quickly obvious what and where the problem was. Nevertheless, I
did get a good insight into it's operation and how sensitive it is... there was a quick change in the graph when we pulled a quart of water out of
the pool and also when we put it back in.
I feel that it is a useful tool, more so in the sunbelt than up North but perhaps others can chime in on this and enlighten me on how they find the
leakalyzer is a worthwhile tool in the colder, vinyl liner areas of the country... and beyond.
Nice meeting you guys. I hope to see you on the next trip to Orlando!
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