Many swimming pool owners worry about the level of water loss that is occurring in their pool and with such large volumes being involved it can often be a challenge to identify if a leak is present. The Bucket Test is a simple and effective procedure to help identify water loss, and can be conducted with no specialist skills or equipment.
To conduct the test, fill a bucket with pool water and partially submerge it in the pool. Make sure that the water levels are the same outside and inside of the bucket and mark these on the bucket, leave this for 12-24 hours.
If the water level outside of the bucket falls more than inside then this is a strong indication of a leak in the pool.
The test can be repeated with and without the pool filtration system running to help give an indication of where the leak is occurring:
- If water loss is the same with and without the filtration system this indicates a leak within the swimming pool itself
- If water loss is greater whilst the system is running this indicates a leak within the inlet pipes
- If water loss is reduced whilst the system is running this indicates a leak within the outlet pipes (skimmers and drainage pipes)
