Unexpected bucket test results

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T

TheElbow

0
Apr 22, 2013
21
San Diego
I ran a bucket test over the weekend because the pool has been losing water a bit faster than normal (but the weather has also been hotter) so I just wanted to convince myself everything was ok.


I made sure the water level in the bucket was the same as in the pool. The next morning, the bucket had floated away (presumably because more water evaporated out of it, than out of the pool).

So I added a brick to the bucket, evened out the water level and tried again. Once again the water in the bucket seems to be evaporating more quickly.


This would seemingly be a good result, but why is it happening? The bucket is orange plastic--could the color be causing the water to heat up faster than my white/light blue pool plaster?

Weird stuff.
 
Only way for it to happen is if water is being added to the pool ... do you have an auto-fill that is running?
OR
Something is removing water from the bucket ... do you have a dog that likes to drink out of buckets? ;)
 
No auto-fill device.


And while a stray cat does pop by occasionally at night, I think the height of the water in the bucket would have prevented the animal from standing up and reaching into it to drink--the pool would have been way easier to drink from. Plus, I noticed the second test results over the course of maybe 8 hours, during the day.
 
I was going to suggest a magic bucket or a poltergeist.....I know, not helpful at all.

try a white bucket and see? seems rather unlikely that it would make that big a difference, but I've been wrong before.
 
how much water did you have in the bucket? 1 inch, 6 inches, 12 inches? All I can think is that there was not much and the bucket was more buoyant than the weight of the water in it??
 

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I have it on pretty good authority that ghosts usually mess with peoples automatic cleaners. Pretty sure it was on TV, and TV never lies.
 
Is there a spouse or roommate that could be "helping" you? I can imagine in my house on about the 3rd try my hubby saying "why do you keep leaving buckets full of water in the pool??"

I'm outta ideas ..
 
We did a bucket test also, fearing the pool was leaking. Every day the water level in the bucket was pretty much equal to the pool. "Not true!" I cried, "I KNOW it is leaking." So we examined the bucket, sure enough it had a small hole. Got a relatively new plastic bucket. DH tossed a big rock in it to weigh it down. Next day the water level in the bucket was pretty much equal to the pool. "More time!" I insisted. Three days later, no circulation, no waterfall, the water levels were still the same. So I picked up the bucket, ready to give in to the idea that it was massive evaporation.... and the rock fell through the bottom of the bucket. Tossing the rock had broken the bucket.

Check your bucket.
 
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