A gunite pool can lose water through the shell, a penetration, or underground plumbing. A good inspection starts with the customer interview -- not with a dye syringe.
Learn the H.U.N.T.E.R. Method → Free Report AppA gunite pool is inspected by following a systematic process: customer interview, water-loss review, equipment inspection, shell inspection, dye testing of suspected leak points, and pressure testing of plumbing lines when indicated. Common leak areas include skimmers, light conduits, return fittings, main drains, hydrostatic valves, tile lines, cracks, steps, and old repair material. A leak should be confirmed with evidence -- not assumed from appearance alone.
The technician uses the visual inspection to identify targets for dye testing -- not to call leaks confirmed. A crack, stain, or old repair is a target, not a conclusion.
Dye testing should follow visual identification of a specific suspected area. The pump must be off and the water calm before dye is placed. A confirmed finding requires visible dye movement into a specific opening, seam, crack, or void.
The Leak and Subsurface Locators field checklist states this explicitly: note the finding and keep going. A gunite pool can have multiple leak sources -- a confirmed skimmer throat leak does not prove the return plumbing is sound, and a failed pressure test does not prove the shell has no leaks.
Customer interview answers shape the inspection sequence. Pump-on vs. pump-off loss, water stopping at a certain level, wet yard areas, and prior repairs all direct where to look first.
A gunite pool has shell, penetrations, and plumbing -- three separate leak zones. Mind-map the plumbing system and identify all fittings before beginning the dive inspection.
Visual inspection of skimmers, lights, returns, drains, tile line, cracks, and old repairs narrows the dye testing targets before any dye is used.
Pump off. Water calm. Dye at each suspected area -- skimmer, conduit, returns, drain, cracks. Pressure testing by trained professionals when plumbing is indicated.
Document every confirmed finding with photo or video before patching. Note every area tested, every result, and every area not accessible. Note it and keep going.
Complete report on-site. Separate confirmed findings from suspected findings and inaccessible areas. Verify after repair when possible.
Do gunite pools usually leak through cracks?
They can, but not every crack leaks. A crack should be dye tested before it is called an active leak. Common gunite leak sources also include skimmers, lights, returns, drains, tile lines, and plumbing -- the crack may not be the cause even if it is the most visible defect.
When is pressure testing needed for a gunite pool?
Pressure testing may be needed when the shell inspection does not explain the water loss, when the pump-on/pump-off pattern suggests plumbing, or when the customer history points toward underground plumbing failure. Pressure testing should be performed by trained professionals only.
Can a gunite pool have more than one leak at the same time?
Yes. This is one of the most important points in professional pool leak detection. Finding one confirmed leak does not clear the rest of the pool. The inspection must continue until every area has been covered.
Jeff David is the founder of Leak Business Academy, LLC and Leak and Subsurface Locators, LLC. He is a licensed pool contractor in Florida and an FSPA Palm Beach board member. The gunite pool is the most common pool type in Florida -- and the one with the widest range of possible leak sources. The field checklist used at Leak and Subsurface Locators covers every zone in the order described on this page.
LBA training covers the full gunite inspection sequence -- from customer interview through pressure testing, pipe locating, and complete report documentation.
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