Are you starting to wonder if your pool may have more than just an evaporation problem? Over the course of your pools life, you may stumble upon the unfortunate fact that you have sprung a leak. Not all leaks will be immediately obvious, and even if you detect something may be afoot, what is the easiest way to determine that you indeed have a leak?

The good news is there is a very simple test you can perform, and the only tools you need are a 5-gallon bucket, a sharpie, and some time. Once you’ve gathered your materials, follow these 5 simple steps to make your determination.

1. 1. Turn off the circulation pump and avoid pool activities for the day.
2. 2. Fill the 5-gallon bucket with pool water so that when you set the bucket on the first or second pool step, the water levels are even both inside and out. Make sure the bucket itself is no more than two inches above the water level of the pool.
3. 3. Draw a line on the inside of the bucket to match the inside water level, and draw a line on the outside of the bucket for the outside water level.
4. 4. Turn the circulation pump back on, and if you have an automatic fill valve, be sure to turn this off. Leave the bucket and pool to rest for at least a day, and if it rains you’ll need to start over.
5. 5. After 24 hours, observe the water levels of the pool and the bucket. If both levels are even, you are leak free and are just observing evaporation. This is usually around 1/4”, but if you observe more you may need to check the circulation pump and hardware for leaks. If the outside mark on the bucket is lower than the inside mark, you likely have a leak somewhere.

If you find a leak, don’t worry! The adhesives experts here at Chemical Concepts have everything you need to make repairs. We sell a variety of pool and spa repair products, including the quick and easy underwater pool patch from H2O Glue that allows you to just peel and stick. Don’t believe us? Check out our video!

We also encourage you to check out our H2O glue brochure for other great pool and spa products, and to save on your next order.

If you run into any problems, need to place an order, or have any questions for our team, don’t hesitate to call or email us at the number and email provided at the top of the page. We look forward to talking with you and be sure to let us know how it works on our social pages!