WHAT IS A WATER BUCKET TEST?
A water bucket test measures your pools’ water evaporation and compares it to your pools’ water level change.
The objective of the water bucket test is to determine if your pool is leaking.
If your evaporation level and pool level are the same after a 24 hour period you do not have a leak. However, if your pool water level measured on the outside of the bucket drops more than 1/4″ on the leak detection sticker you probably have a leak. Especially when you compare it to the evaporation level marked on the inside of your bucket. If the pool level drops more than the bucket level, then you can be pretty sure you have a leak.
A water bucket test is the best way to determine if you really have a leak or if you are just experiencing evaporation. In a lot of cases when the level is fairly significant, over 1/4″ you can do a straight water level test in the pool. We recommend conducting both at the same time then you can visually see the water level drop in your pool.
HOW TO CONDUCT YOUR OWN WATER BUCKET TEST
Step 1: Turn the pool pump off and wait 10 minutes. The water level needs to be at its’ typical or usual daily water level.
Step 2: Take a bucket and apply the sticker halfway up on the inside of a bucket and fill it with water to the water line on the sticker. Now place your bucket on the first step of the pool.
Step 3: Now apply the sticker to where the water line is on the outside of the bucket.
Step 5: Turn the pool back on.
Step 6 Turn pool back off and read the results 24- hours later.
Turning the pool off and waiting ten minutes lets the water level settle before you start the test.
You need to leave your pool pump on during the 24 hour test. There can be leaks in the return lines and those will only show up if the pool filter is running.
If the water is level is in the leak area of the sticker, we suggest running a water bucket test to confirm your findings. If that test confirms your findings, you should call your pool service company and tell them what you have done and ask them what they think the next step should be for you. Typically, a leak test is around $400.
If it rains during the test you have to start over and let the water level go back to normal.
After 24 hours look and see where the line is on the inside of the bucket. That is your evaporation amount. The water line on the outside of the bucket should be at the same water level. If it is more than the evaporation level, then you probably have a leak. The bigger the difference, the bigger the leak.