Accurate Pool Bucket Test in Nashville, TN

Accuracy in bucket testing is essential because an average size pool, 16 x 32, that loses 1” per day will cost a homeowner in Nashville about $150 per month on the low end. 

This is how to conduct a bucket test:

1. We (or you) inspect for any autofill device and shut it off. No one can enter the pool during either of the two 24-hour tests. We do this test once while the pump is running and once while it’s not running.
2. Use a 5-gallon bucket for the pool leak test and measure the water level on the step where we plan to place the bucket (the first or second step of the pool should be okay). The water needs to be about 5 inches deep. 
3. Being sure the bucket is dry, use a Sharpie or Magic Marker to mark the inside of the bucket 1 inch from the top. And then, mark the outside of the bucket at a depth of the pool water where we plan to place the bucket (what we measured in step 2). 
4. Fill the bucket with pool water to the mark on the inside. 
5. Place the bucket on the step you measured from. 
6. Come back within a day to compare the inside water level to the outside water level, and then repeat the test with the pump not running and compare the results. This will determine whether the leak is from the pool or the plumbing. If the first test shows leakage when the second does not, the leak is most likely in the plumbing. If the water level outside the bucket has dropped more than the water level inside the bucket in either case, you have a pool leak.