Ilfracombe, North Devon, winter 2025 into 2026. A swimming pool steadily losing water. The investigation covered the pool shell and the plant room, the leak was found, and the repair meant tracking down obsolete American skimmer parts the UK supplier no longer stocked. By March the pool was holding its water.
The problem: a pool that needed constant topping up
A pool that loses water faster than evaporation can explain has a leak, and pool leaks are awkward because the water has so many places to go: the shell, the skimmers, the light niches, the pipework, or the plant room equipment. This one had been losing water persistently, and the owner wanted an answer rather than another season of topping up.
Finding it: pool and plant room, tested properly
Pool leak detection is a process of elimination done with instruments rather than hunches: isolating and pressure testing the pipe runs, checking the fittings that pass through the shell, and inspecting the plant room. The investigation ran across both the pool itself and its plant room, and found where the water was going.
The fix: when the parts no longer exist
Then came the part of the job nobody plans for. The pool's skimmers were an American design no longer in production, and the gaskets needed for a sound repair were not available from UK suppliers. Rather than bodge it, we tracked the original manufacturer in the United States, sourced the right gaskets when the supplier would not ship to the UK directly, and matched the correct heavy-duty liner material for the sealing work.
It took persistence across the winter, with the owner kept informed at every step. By March the result was the only one that counts: the pool was holding its water.
What this job shows
- Pool leaks are findable. Shell, skimmers, pipework or plant room, the source can be isolated and proven. Our swimming pool leak detection service covers domestic and commercial pools across Cornwall and Devon.
- The repair is seen through. Obsolete parts are hunted down rather than worked around with something that nearly fits.
- Winter is the right time. Finding and fixing a pool leak out of season means the pool is ready when the weather is.
Got a leak that needs finding?
DCI Leak Detection finds hidden water, heating and pool leaks across Cornwall and Devon using tracer gas, acoustic listening and thermal imaging, with an insurer-ready trace and access report on every job. No find, no fee on residential work, subject to terms.
Call Dickie on 07822 025 911 Fast response across Cornwall & Devon · Insurance-approved reports · More case studies