Pool Leak Detection & Repair
Tell evaporation from a leak, then trace pool water loss to the fitting or line responsible.
Plumbing guide
Pool Leak Bucket Test in Goodyear, AZ: Step by Step
Sun and wind pull water off every pool. This simple comparison, using a bucket, a marker and a day, shows whether the drop is ordinary or something worse.
By the Goodyear Express Plumbing team ·
Why a pool loses water
Evaporation is the main reason a pool level drops. Dry air, wind, heat and a sunny surface all speed it up, and the Valley has plenty of each from May through September. Pools also lose water to splash out, backwashing the filter and swimmers climbing out.
Because of that, a level that falls a little every day is not proof of a leak. The question is whether it falls more than evaporation can explain. The bucket test answers exactly that.
How to run the test
Fill a plastic bucket with pool water to about an inch from the top. Set it on a pool step so its base sits below the surface and it does not float or tip. The water inside and outside should be at roughly the same level.
Mark the bucket water level with tape on the inside. On the outside, mark the pool level against the bucket wall. Turn off any autofill valve, because refilling will cancel the loss you want to measure. Leave everything alone for 24 hours, then compare.
How to read the result
If the pool and the bucket dropped by about the same amount, the loss is evaporation. If the pool dropped noticeably more than the bucket, water is escaping somewhere. A larger gap means a larger leak.
Run the test on a calm day without rain or heavy swimming. Both containers see the same sun and wind, which is why the bucket works as a control.
Reading the bucket test
After 24 hours, line up the two water levels and check the rows below.
| What you measure | Meaning | Follow-up |
|---|---|---|
| Both fell by the same amount | Normal evaporation | Test again another day |
| Pool fell clearly further | Water is escaping | Repeat with the pump off |
| Loss eases with the pump off | Pressure side leak | Check returns, unions and valves |
| Loss unchanged with the pump off | Shell, skimmer or suction side | Hire a pool leak specialist |
The pump on and pump off follow up
If the first test points to a leak, repeat it once with the pump running the whole day and once with the pump off the whole day. A leak that slows or stops when the pump is off often sits on the pressure side, such as a return line, a fitting at the equipment pad or a valve.
If the loss continues at the same rate with the pump off, the leak may be in the shell, a skimmer, a light niche or the suction line. Write down the numbers from both days. They give a technician a place to start, and our page on pool leak detection and repair explains what happens next.
Clues you can check yourself
Look at the equipment pad for wet ground, drips at unions or a pump that leaks at its seal. Check the tile line and skimmer opening for cracks. Watch the soil near the pool and the deck for a soft spot or a patch of grass that stays green in a dry week.
Also check the autofill. A float valve stuck open can hide a leak for months, since it quietly replaces what is lost. Compare your water bill with the pool's behavior if the autofill is on the city supply. See leak detection for other ways to locate hidden water loss.
Mistakes that spoil the result
The most common error is letting the pool top itself up during the test. Another is setting the bucket on the deck, where it sits in air and sun and loses water at a different rate. A third is testing right after a pool party, when splash out is unusually large.
Do not add chemicals or water during the 24 hours. Keep a record of the date, weather and readings so you can repeat the test and compare.
What to do about a confirmed leak
Keep the pump running only if the technician advises it, and avoid draining the pool to find the leak, since an empty shell can lift or crack. Call a contractor who finds pool leaks, describe your test results and mention equipment, plumbing or shell clues.
Do not ignore a leak. Water can wash soil out from under the deck and the shell, and that repair is far larger than fixing a fitting.
Keeping the numbers for a technician
Write the date, start time, readings and weather on paper. Take a photo of the bucket and the tape marks. Note whether the autofill, the cleaner or a fountain was on, and what the equipment pad looked like. A technician who sees your notes can skip questions and move straight to a pressure test or a listening check.
If you rent the home, tell the owner what you found before calling anyone, since repairs usually need their approval.
Pool equipment clues
Check the pump basket lid, the filter's multiport valve and the heater connections. A pump that sucks air bubbles into the return jets may have a loose lid or suction side leak. Air in the pump basket is a hint that air, and possibly water, moves through a crack.
Check the backwash line and the waste valve for slow dripping.
Cleaning and testing again
After repairs, repeat the bucket test to confirm the pool now holds water like the bucket. Do the test again in a month. A pool that is stable is a good sign.
Keep your records. They are helpful if you sell or file a claim.
Common questions
Pool bucket test questions
It varies with heat, wind and surface area. That is why the bucket is the baseline: compare the pool to the bucket, not to a fixed number.
Yes. Rain adds water to both, but not equally. Repeat on a dry day.
Run it once and turn it off once. The difference between the two days points to the pressure side or the suction side.
It may be. The autofill can hide a leak, so switch it off during the test.
Related services
Leak Detection
Pinpoint concealed water loss in walls, floors or buried pipe using listening gear and pressure tests.
Water Line Repair & Replacement
Fix or swap the buried pipe that carries water from the meter into the house.
More plumbing guides
How to find a water leak in your house
Work from the meter inward, then through toilets, sinks and the yard, to find where water is escaping.
Why is my water bill so high?
Seven common reasons a bill jumps, and a quick way to separate a leak from heavy use.
Backflow preventers and irrigation
What a backflow device does, why sprinklers need one and where reclaimed water fits in.
Pool dropping faster than it should?
Call with your test numbers and the dispatcher will find a contractor who traces pool leaks.