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leakpronj
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![[*]](./images/corporate/default_icon.gif) posted on 28-9-11 at 04:55 PM |
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ridged micro scope
thinking about buying the ridged micro scope see snake new in the buis n this tool looks like it can help allot. is it worth the $ . also do u have
the path tracker to locate the camera under ground.
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Semi_Retired
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| posted on 29-9-11 at 11:24 AM |
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If you own everything else, and are making copious amounts of money, then buy it. It will likely be used very little compared to all the other things
you will need to buy first.
They are available with sonde BTW.
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leakpronj
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| posted on 29-9-11 at 03:18 PM |
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i own every thing to dive, pressure test n also have microphones n a deck plate mic. im havin problems hearing the leak under ground . ive been to
about 2 dozen leaks so far no problems w skimmers, liners , lights ect. Have 3 leaks undergroung n couldnt locate either one . i need something that
works
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4Leakman
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| posted on 30-9-11 at 07:16 PM |
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What equipment???
What equipment are you using to listen to underground leaks with???
You say that you have a "deck plate mic" , whatever that is. But a microphone is of no use without it being connected to some electronic equipment
that can interpret what is being heard!
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leakpronj
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| posted on 1-10-11 at 01:05 PM |
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i use leaktronics listening devices google it . went back friday and put water into the return side and air in the pump side n i still didnt here
anything . like i said i can locate the leak w ease but having a lot of problems pin pointing them under ground . so i was thinking about this ridged
camera to help me see the leak them put my microphone over it n see what im missing . its just very expensive.
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brrscuba
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| posted on 1-10-11 at 02:16 PM |
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Call Ridgid and request a demo of the camera, they will send out a factory rep to demo it on the pool of your choice, enjoy the free demo and solve
your leak.
Bruce
poolrepairdiver.com
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4Leakman
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| posted on 1-10-11 at 08:50 PM |
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Pressure??
How much pressure are you putting into the plumbing??? Depending on the depth of the leak you may have to supply more pressure than you are currently
applying.
Other factors are the size of the leak... ie: How fast is the pressure dropping?? If it is a very slow leak and the plumbing is 3 or 4 ft deep then
you may have a problem with an on-deck mic.
Around here some builders place their plumbing on virgin soil... approximately 3 1/2 ft deep. Then they proceed to backfill with every rock and
boulder that they can find. But I will say that I can usually get right on top of the leak with one of the fishers or even my metrotech at that
depth.
Looking at the leaktronics videos showed me a big waste of time walking around the pool with a mic in the water ( gunite pool)when I could have the
dye tests done in a fraction of the time. And a microphone for vinyl detection would be a real pain. The Leak tracker would have picked up that leak
in less than a minute or so. The guy always ends up retesting with dye (and rightfully so) but could have saved some time by just doing the dye test
in the small spa right away. The repairs would have been made and the truck back on the road pretty quickly.
I have the underwater mics for my Fisher equipment and they work well if I choose to use them but that is not too often. I really did like the camera
that allows dye application. That is something I cold find several uses for!
Looking at the amplifier that is with the mic I am wondering if it gives you enough filtering and frequency selection to work well with the ground
mic. Perhaps it is not allowing you to tune, or maybe you are not tuning, to the correct frequency range to hear the leak.
Are you sure that you are checking the entire plumbing run for that piece of equipment. Many times the plumbing may not be going in an "obvious"
direction. Many "builders" up here use spa-flex pipe and weave that crap all over the place and common sense and logic do not come into play.
Keep us informed...
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leakpronj
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| posted on 1-10-11 at 09:17 PM |
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i closed the pool today. told customer i will put a camera in there next yr. n he was alright w it . i did talk to a ridged rep and you are right
bruce they do a demo . leakman thats funny that you said it is a waste of time to listen for leaks then do a die test . the last 2 times i skipped the
mic n just started w the die. i put the mic in for the main drain only. i might have to go w a fisher next yr along with t ridged camera .
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4Leakman
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| posted on 2-10-11 at 09:50 AM |
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The camera that leaktronics has looks pretty nice but they don't show it available as a separate item. It can be too unreasonable as it does not
increase the price of their listening device deluxe package too much, considering the other stuff that they toss in. If you do buy a camera make sure
that the focus is adjustable. If it does not do that is is pretty useless! Have fun!!!
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leakpronj
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| posted on 2-10-11 at 10:10 AM |
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leakman that camera w the so called die injector is a ridged camera w surgical tube TAPED to the camera then u just hook up you syringe n hold the
camera w one hand and squirt die w the other while looking at the camera its great for lights. i was thinking i can do a similar set up w the micro
camera n that will b the perfect tool w the tracker
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4Leakman
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| posted on 4-10-11 at 04:51 PM |
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Pretty Funny
I called Leaktronics this afternoon inquiring about their underwater microphone setup. They only sell the kit as a whole and not as separate pieces.
Not really impressed with their stuff. I guess it is a starting point though. Both of mine from here have crapped out and they both got veeerrry light
usage. It is nice to have one on the truck but for me not a necessity. I will have to look around and see if I can find a good from perhaps another
location.
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leakpronj
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| posted on 6-10-11 at 02:47 PM |
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How do you go about detecting a leak? Lets skip the telephone conversation and get to the pool and start leak detection process. I am inquiring to see
if there is anything I am missing in this process. This is an open question to all.
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4Leakman
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| posted on 7-10-11 at 05:50 PM |
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Ask Questions...
When someone calls they usually already know that they have a leak. That is why they are calling. Now you have to ask some questions about the type
and size of pool and try to ascertain info about how much water the pool is losing. Does it lose more running or when it is off? Any air showing up in
the pump and returning to the pool?? Problems vacuuming? Has this just started or has it been an ongoing problem?
These are a few initial questions but you should be able to get an idea if it is a plumbing vs structural problem..ie: liner leak etc.
You have to get SOME phone info. If not then you will have to charge all outdoors because you will have to do an awful lot of work which means you
will also charge an awful lot of money. It will be very time consuming. So, unless you get lucky right away you are going to stick the happy homeowner
with a large bill just to find the source of the leak. Now you have to repair it and add even more to the bill.
Most likely you will never be called back to that property and probably rightfully so. In my opinion you can't skip the telephone conversation and
"start" because you have no idea where to look. It has happened to me on occasion but usually only when we do work for another company (builder).
They just tell us to find it, which we do but sometimes it takes many billable hours. In that instance I don't mind because I bill them at a higher
hourly rate and they are happy that they don't have to send out a crew that has no idea what to look for. I look for a long term relation with my
customers, not just a one shot deal but to each his own.
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leakpronj
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| posted on 9-10-11 at 09:07 AM |
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most cases the homeowner doesn't have a clue. i go to the pool n do the same process all the time ,ck the equipment for signs of leaks turn on /off.
Ck the structure of the pool , dye test skimmers, returns,light, vacuum, throw my pool mic in for bottom drains if no leak detected then dive the
pool. this process takes about 1 1/2 hours. on some real hard ones ill plug the plumbing just to make sure the pool is leaking n come back in 24hrs
then continuing my dive or focus elsewhere.
so yes i do talk to t customer but take it like a grain of salt. customers double talk themselves all the time n try to get u to do stuff for there
own satisfaction. n yes we get type of pool n size do charge MORE $$ if attached spa, self cleaning system but does that really matter you'll see it
when u get there.
in our area people run on the uncertainty of an hourly rate job most prefer to know how much to find the leak then we talk repair afterword. you
should try that approach 9 out of 10 u will make alot more $$.
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brrscuba
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| posted on 9-10-11 at 09:57 AM |
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I agree with you both, information gathering on the phone, in person with the owner at the job, and at the job (without the owner) by your instincts,
experience and keen observations is critical to successfully finding and fixing the leaks in the time frame you allot for the job. Yes, some owners
don't have a clue, but I still get useful information and clues that help me.
Leakmans point of long term relationships with customers for future work on their pool and referrals to family and friends with pools is spot on.
Every job well done should generate another referral job.
We might have more suggestions about the inspection protocol if we knew what type of pools you inspect (cement, fiberglass, vinyl liner) and what area
and climate you are in. (year-round pool use or northern seasonal usage)
Thanks for contributing to the forum.
Bruce
poolrepairdiver.com
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leakpronj
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| posted on 11-10-11 at 01:55 PM |
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im in the no east so more seasonal usage. my pool repairs are mostly cement and vinyl. thanks
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4Leakman
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| posted on 11-10-11 at 07:09 PM |
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OK
I am in Rhode Island and Bruce is in Connecticut so we are all in the same boat. We have a sixth month season give or take... if all goes well. Even
if you closed that pool you should still be able to search for the underground leak.
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leakpronj
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| posted on 12-10-11 at 01:54 PM |
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thanks for the reply but w/out putting wtr back in the line how would u approach that?
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4Leakman
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| posted on 12-10-11 at 02:20 PM |
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Not a problem.
Why is there an issue putting water in the line??? After you find the leak and make the repair just blow the water back out. This way you get the job
done and some $$$ in your pocket. And as a side benefit the job is out of the way and gives you a chance to do some other work in the springtime when
time is a bit more precious!
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leakpronj
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| posted on 12-10-11 at 05:15 PM |
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leakman what is your metrotech tool . like i said above having hard time pinpointing the leak . told cust i will put a camera in there next season and
if i cant locate it well install new line
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brrscuba
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| posted on 12-10-11 at 06:23 PM |
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The other option is pressurize with Helium, and a helium sniffer to locate the leak, if you do not want to buy a unit perhaps you can find someone in
NJ who has one
Bruce
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4Leakman
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| posted on 13-10-11 at 10:14 PM |
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Metrotech
It is another listening device. I also have a Fisher xlt-30 plus a Fisher xlt-16. All I have used this season is the xlt-16 as it has done all hat I
have needed... and I found several leaks down at the 42" level and have been right on top of them each time
The metrotech is a bit more sophisticated as it allows the user to take the readings and freeze them. I believe it will keep eight readings in memory.
Then you can compare the readings and the strongest / highest should be where the leak. Really nice but again, I don't use it often!
Bruce's idea with helium would work also I guess. I have no experience with it!
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leakpronj
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| posted on 16-10-11 at 09:58 AM |
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so u recommend the fisher xlt-16 or the metrotech ? whats the price. bruce hows the helium device working for you n whats the pros and cons
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4Leakman
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| posted on 16-10-11 at 01:03 PM |
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Not available
Neither device is currently manufactured. The updated xlt-17 is available here. The latest metrotech is most likely available elsewhere but will be
much more expensive.
The only difference is the digital meter, as opposed to the analog meter on the 16.
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brrscuba
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| posted on 17-10-11 at 01:27 PM |
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You should call Lance (and since you are in NJ you should come to the Atlantic City Pool Show January 24, 25, 26,) Lance can explain the xlt-17 vs the
xlt-30, he can also fill you in on helium sniffers, he sells all this stuff, I have access to a helium setup when I cannot locate with my XLT-30, for
me it is the last option but I do know of other leak guys who use it first, to narrow the search area, and then listen to home in exactly
It takes experience and the right equipment, keep working at it and your success rate will improve.
Bruce
poolrepairdiver.com
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