Abstract: Ever notice your pool's water level dropping inexplicably? Most of the time, it's not even from evaporation; many times, your pool is trying to tell you that there may be a leak. That is it. The bucket test, a tool involving placing the bucket on the first step, is the easiest and most useful diagnostic tool for every pool owner to differentiate between evaporation and leaks. This guide has shown how the bucket test is important and by doing this, your pool will be able to keep your money inside instead of losing it to expensive repairs.
What is the Bucket Method For A Pool?
To check if the loss of water in your swimming pool is due to evaporation or brought about by something else, it has a simple, reliable test: the bucket test. This is a simple diagnostic tool involving the use of a bucket and water, with the bucket water level being a critical component to observe. Put the bucket in the pool, an inch from the top, and then look at the rate of water loss inside the bucket against water loss outside the bucket in identifying how much water your pool is leaking. If your pool is losing water at a faster rate than the bucket, it's likely you have a leak, undermining the desired pool water level stability.
How to Do A Bucket Test For Pool Leaks: Step-by-Step
Before you begin, you need to make sure your pool is at the proper level and that you have turned off any auto-fill devices so they don't interfere while you conduct your test, aiming to maintain the correct pool water level. This is the correct way to perform a bucket test, ensuring the water level inside is maintained an inch from the top for accurate analysis. Check out our helpful infographic guide below for more info!
- Fill the bucket: Fill a clean 5-gallon bucket with pool water to about 1" from the top, where the water level should mirror the water level in the pool for correct results.
- Place the Bucket: Ensuring the bucket on the first step of the pool can help stabilize the test and provide clear results on the original leak detection efforts. Step into the pool and position the bucket on the step in such a way that it lies below the water line by about 5 inches, the entire system stable and not prone to fall, accurately mirroring a situation where water level could be compared inside and outside the bucket.
- Mark Water Levels: Use a waterproof marker to note the water level both inside and outside the bucket to accurately measure if the issue is evaporation or a leak. Use a waterproof marker to note the water level both inside and outside the bucket, crucial for determining if you're dealing with evaporation or a leak.
- Wait for 24 hours and check the levels of water. If it rains or there are marked changes in weather at the period, conduct the test again to ensure that proper testing conditions are obtained.
Analyzing Your Results: Evaporation or Leak?
Based on that, if the level had actually reduced far more on the outside of the bucket than what it had inside, then most likely this reflects a leak. However, in the event that the two levels had dropped down in similar amounts, then that's probably just evaporation. After this test, an estimated value of the amount of water loss can be made with the help of a pool water loss calculator to give a further confirmation if the decrease of water is due to a leak.
Pool Bucket Test Accuracy
A simple method, but the bucket test is effective if done under normal weather conditions and, most importantly, done correctly to distinguish between evaporation or a leak. It is an effective preliminary diagnostic test one can do to know if, at all, there is a chance of a leak. So, by all means, one knows what to do if such a possibility arises, including consulting an original leak detection company for precise measures.
