Pool Leak Detection & Repair
Work out whether a pool or spa is leaking or just evaporating, then locate the loss.
Plumbing guide
Pool Leak Bucket Test in Peoria, AZ: How to Read It
Under the Arizona sun a pool loses water every day, so a falling level does not prove a leak. The bucket test compares your pool with a bucket that cannot leak, and the difference tells you what is going on.
By the Peoria Express Plumbing team ·
Why the test works
Evaporation takes water from the pool and from an open bucket at nearly the same rate when both sit in the same sun and wind. A leak takes water only from the pool. If the pool drops further than the bucket, the extra loss must be going somewhere.
The test costs almost nothing and needs only a bucket, a marker and a few minutes spread over a day.
What you need
Use a plain five-gallon bucket or a similar container with straight sides. You also need a marker or a piece of tape and a pen to write down the starting time and the level.
Make sure the pool is at its normal running level before you begin, and avoid running the sprinklers or a water feature that could add or spill water during the test.
Run the test step by step
Fill the bucket about five inches deep and rest it on the second or third pool step, partly underwater. A stone inside keeps it from tipping. Draw a line at the bucket's inner water level and another on the outside at the pool surface.
Leave the pump running on its normal schedule and wait twenty-four hours. Do not swim or splash near the bucket. Then compare the new marks: the bucket water level against its inside mark and the pool level against the outside mark.
Reading the result
If both dropped by the same amount, the loss is evaporation. If the pool dropped more, you probably have a leak. A difference of more than about a quarter inch in a day is worth following up.
Repeat the test with the pump off for another day. A leak that appears only when the pump runs usually sits on the pressure side of the plumbing, while a leak that persists with the pump off could be in the shell, a light, a skimmer or a suction line.
Reading the bucket test
Compare the water drop in the pool with the drop in the bucket after a full day.
| What you measure | Meaning | Next move |
|---|---|---|
| Both levels fall by the same amount | Evaporation only | Repeat on another day |
| Pool falls farther than the bucket | A leak is likely | Repeat with the pump off |
| Loss slows with the pump off | Pressure-side plumbing may be leaking | Pressure test the lines |
| Loss continues at the same rate | The shell, skimmer, light or a fitting may leak | Book a leak search |
Other clues
Check the equipment pad for wet concrete, drips at the unions or white crust around the fittings. Look at the ground near the pool for soft or green patches, and listen for a hiss at the pad.
Cracks in the deck, a pool light that fogs up and air bubbles at the return jets can also point to a problem. Note what you see, because it helps the plumber decide where to look.
What to do next
If the test points to a leak, keep the water at a safe level for the pump and avoid letting it run dry. A pump that sucks air can overheat and damage its seal.
A plumber can pressure-test the lines and locate the break. See pool leak detection and repair for how that works, and read the notes on a high bill in leak detection if the meter keeps climbing.
Why evaporation is high here
Dry air, heat and wind pull water from the surface fast. A pool in the Phoenix area can lose a quarter inch or more on a hot, windy day without any leak at all.
That is why the bucket matters. It loses water to evaporation at the same pace, so only the difference between pool and bucket points to a leak.
Keeping accurate records
Write the date, time, bucket reading and pool reading on a card. Record the weather, since wind and heat change evaporation.
Take photos of the water line on the tile at the start and the end of the test.
Share the notes with the technician. They often shorten the search.
Common pool leak locations
Skimmer throats, return fittings, light niches, cracks in the shell, plumbing under the deck and the equipment pad are common culprits.
Dye testing near suspect spots can show water being pulled into a crack. A technician does this with the pump off and the water still.
Note any wet ground near the pad or deck.
Sources and a second opinion
The City of Mesa publishes its own guide, Is Your Pool Leaking?, which describes the same bucket test and notes that a typical pool in the Valley's dry climate can lose as much as 25,000 gallons a year to evaporation. Its figures are for Mesa weather, but Peoria's climate is close.
Common questions
Pool leak test questions
It depends on sun, wind, humidity and pool size. The bucket test compares your pool with a bucket under the same conditions, so you do not need an exact number.
Run it as normal for the first day, then repeat with it off. The comparison tells you which side of the plumbing has the leak.
Yes. Use a smaller container, keep it on a seat or ledge and follow the same steps.
Related services
Leak Detection
Track down hidden water loss using listening gear and thermal imaging, so only a small patch gets opened.
Backflow Testing & Prevention
Stop irrigation, pool and reclaimed water from flowing back toward the drinking supply.
More plumbing guides
How to find a hidden water leak
Begin at the water meter and work inward through a few checks until the hidden leak is narrowed to a room or a pipe.
Reasons for a high water bill
Eight reasons the bill climbs, from a silent toilet leak to an irrigation valve stuck open, each with a way to check.
Backflow preventers and irrigation
Sprinkler systems and reclaimed water lines depend on backflow protection. What the device does and why it gets tested.
Pool still dropping?
Call the line and describe the bucket result. Someone on the line can hand you to a contractor who finds pool leaks.