How To Detect If Your Inground Pool Is Leaking
First, you need to determine if you have a leak in your pool and require professional detection services. The simplest way to know you have a basic leak is if there’s one in your equipment, and you physically can see it. However, if the leak may be underground or you can’t find it, a straightforward solution is the pool bucket test.
How To Use The Pool Bucket Test
Take a five-gallon bucket, fill it up a third to halfway with water, and then set it on the first step of your pool. There are two reasons for that much water. First, to weigh down the bucket, so it doesn’t float away, and second, to provide a visual water level on the outside of the bucket.
Next, take a piece of tape or a marker and mark the outside of the bucket where your pool water is touching – it’s usually a few inches above the bottom of the bucket, depending on how far or deep that first step is.
Then take the inside of the bucket and mark a line above the water you initially put in. Those two lines do not have to be the same.
Now let the pool run for around 24 hours and check for any difference in the water levels.
You will likely lose up to a quarter inch of water due to evaporation. There are online charts using your local temperature to tell you, on average, how much evaporation is typical for your area. These can help you decide if your drop in water level is just evaporation.
However, if after 24 hours you notice that your outside pool water level has dropped, let’s say, an inch, and you only dropped a quarter or eighth of an inch inside the bucket, then you’ve likely identified a leak.
Your best option is to call a professional to detect the cause and location. We can help!
Fill out the form below to have one of our leak detection technicians inspect your pool, or CLICK HERE to find a service location near you.