What the Customer Needs to Understand
Most customers do not know what pressure testing is. They may imagine someone hosing down the deck, running the pump at high speed, or applying water with a garden hose. The explanation sets accurate expectations about what the test involves and what the result tells you.
Keep the explanation simple. The goal is a customer who understands why the test matters - not one who can describe the manifold setup.
"Pressure testing is how we check whether your pool plumbing lines are holding or leaking. We isolate the specific line we want to test - block off both ends - and apply a controlled amount of pressure. Then we watch whether that pressure holds steady or drops. If it drops, that tells us the line is losing pressure somewhere, which means water is escaping from that pipe underground. It does not tell us exactly where yet, but it confirms the line is leaking and narrows down where to look."
"We use conservative pressure - enough to find a leak, not enough to stress old or already-damaged pipe. Before we test any line, we look at the plumbing condition and photograph what we see. We want to find the problem, not create one."
What Pressure Testing Can and Cannot Tell You
- It can tell you: whether a specific isolated line is holding pressure or losing it
- It can tell you: which lines are likely leaking and which are holding stable
- It cannot tell you: exactly where in the line the failure is located - that requires acoustic listening or trace gas work after the pressure test identifies the leaking line
- It cannot test: water features or plumbing with open termination points where test plugs cannot be seated
Jeff David's field rule at Leak and Subsurface Locators is conservative pressure testing. The goal is to evaluate the line accurately - not to force an answer by pressurizing aggressively. Old PVC, previously repaired fittings, brittle pipe, and unknown plumbing conditions all create risk when pressure is applied without care. Document the starting pressure, ending pressure, duration, and result on every test. That documentation protects the technician and gives the repair contractor accurate information.
Pressure testing is how good leak detection companies separate confirmed plumbing leaks from guesses. A company that does not pressure test pool plumbing lines is giving the customer an opinion, not a finding. That distinction matters when repair money is on the line.
Learn Pressure Testing From the Field Up
LBA teaches pressure testing technique, conservative field practice, and how to explain results clearly to customers.
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