Swimming pool leak! How to perform the bucket test.

Determine if your water loss is caused by evaporation or a leak with this instruction list and video from the American Leak Detection Company!

Use the following steps to determine if your pool is leaking.

1. Bring the pool water to normal level. Fill a 5-gallon bucket with pool water to about five inches from the top.
2. Place the bucket on the first or second step of the pool. Ensure the bucket is immersed in the pool at least 5 inches.
3. Mark the water level inside the bucket.
4. Shut off the pump and mark pool water level on the outside of the bucket.
5. Resume normal pool pump operation.
6. After 24 hours, compare the two water levels. If the pool water (outside the mark) goes down more than the bucket’s water level, there is probably a leak. If levels are the same, only evaporation has occurred.

In case of rain, repeat the bucket test. During a summer day, expect water loss from normal evaporation. Test is invalid after 24 hours.

Typical evaporation

A quarter inch of water loss per day is most likely evaporation. The evaporation rate in your area will depend on humidity, sunlight intensity, barometric pressure, wind and the level of activity in the pool or spa.

Now that you know the answer what should you do? Well head over to our other post for some great tips on what to do next!