You can build a water level much cheaper. All you need is the same clear tubing, but you can use an empty plastic milk jug for your "base station." Just loop it through the handle a couple times before putting it down into the jug so it won't come out. The hole does not have to be in the bottom of the container. It will work just as well bringing it up and out the top of the jug, and you don't have to use a fitting that may or may not leak. Just set your jug on a kitchen chair, or the paint can shelf of your ladder. . . . you don't need to build a fancy contraption unless you want to. Remember, you will have to store it when your pool leveling needs are finished. You have a kink in the bottom of your story pole? Don't drill a hole for your tubing. Just put the lowest attachment point about 6" up from the bottom and leave the tubing free from there....it will not kink. If you put a wooden disk onto the bottom of your story pole, you can probably get it to stand un-aided.
@@robertgrlic6505 I am not sure what you mean, but I'll take a stab at it. You want to start with establishing a stationary surface or platform where your empty milk jug full of water will sit. Let's use this poster's leveling project as an example... you are wanting to plot the elevation of the ground where you are working in quite a few different spots, so you can determine where you need to remove soil so that you have a big circle that is completely flat? In this case, I would start by putting my platform as close to the center of my working area as I can get it. You then take one end your long piece of clear tubing and put it down inside the jug. For simplicity, run the tubing down across the handle of the jug using masking tape to secure it. Then you can go to your other end of the tubing and suck on it briefly to create a siphoning action. If your milk jug has colored water, you will see the water travel quickly through the tubing. When the water gets close to where you are holding the end of the tubing, you want to make sure you eyeball your jug and keep the tubing in your hand close to the same level or obviously the colored water will begin running out. Once the colored water makes it to the end of the tubing and the entire tube is full of water, you can raise the tubing you are holding enough so the water level is about a foot from the end, with the open end of the tubing pointed UP. (It sounds to me like I am over-simplifying this). Being mindful of where this level of water in the tubing is, you can now walk around to all the spots you want to check the elevation. Use a stick or a stiff tape measure to compare measurements by holding the tubing against the side of your stick and making a pencil mark where it levels out? You DO NOT NEED A TAPE MEASURE. Just mark your stick. You can pick the starting point where you establish this is where you want the bottom of your pool to be? Mark your stick. Then if you walk 10 feet away and check that spot, you water level (while holding the tubing against your stick again) might level out at a point on your stick that is 2 inches LOWER than the mark you started with? That would mean that the elevation at that specific point is 2 inches HIGHER than your starting point, and you would need to remove 2 inches of dirt in that area. If your mark was 2 inches ABOVE the starting point mark on the stick, that would mean just the opposite. . . the ground is lower than the starting point, and you would need to ADD 2 inches of dirt at that point. (that is usually not a good idea with a pool, unless you plan on compacting the ground). Hope this all makes sense. I have used this method too many times to count. SOmetimes this method is even better than using a self-leveling laser, because you don't need line of sight for your laser receiver. Let's say you were wanting to establish a level horizontal line in multiple rooms of a house. . . .you can just walk around from room to room, marking the wall(s) with your tubing reference, so long as your tubing is long enough. Hope this helps.
Thank you for being so detailed. I probably watched 15 videos before I finally found someone who would show me exactly how the water level works. I have a 60 foot span I am building a retaining wall and for the life of me cannot figure out how I was going to do this. My son suggested I use a water level I have no clue really how they worked but your video detailed it extremely well.
@@garrettscott9427 I guess the only thing I did wrong was use a 1/4 in tube. I think 1/2 would be better. The liquid move so slow and it’s really affected by the temperature
Ideas: Have a patio tile near the base station that does not move outside the pool area for 'calibration'. Good tip about temperature expansion. Be sure you get the soft vinyl tubing with a large diameter like yours; our local ACE has vinyl, but it is very stiff (so get the cheaper stuff). I am using a longer 1x2 and have my base station higher so I can read at chest level. Also, my 18'x4' AGP has 13 legs, so I started by digging recesses for (13) 12" round pavers that are 1.8125" thick, and calculating in SolidWorks the distance between centers, and scribed a line 18' diameter in the dirt.
I've been surfing UA-cam , trying to find an easy one-man way to measure for leveling my pool. There is nothing like this anywhere. This makes so much sense and you've helped me immensely. Thank you very much for the video. .
The best easiest perfect way!! I have planned to do this for my 16x32 Bestway (Intex). This will insure all 24 support bricks (or blocks) have the exact same PLANE. The poles are all the exact same length. If done this way the top edge of the pool will be PERFECT. Same pole length plus same pad horizon for all pads equals success. The rectangular edge on all four sides depend on this to be perfect. relatively speaking it is not as important for the bottom of the pool to be exact , just smooth and close. It is the outer edge that matters. Of course if you have a basketball under the center then the material will be shorter side to side in that area causing those supports to stand more upright. Good job Garret, this is the most under and never talked about technique for making a pool level. Your is the only one. I did this search because my brother asked me to do a video for my pool. FLAT is not the same as level. Water does not lie. :)
You are the only person I have seen with a hilly yard like mine. We have had a pool for 2 years and it is always not leveled. I will use your techniques to level my yard this year. Thank you so much for this video!!!
I’m getting ready to level our spot for the pool now. Thanks for this video! Later this year we’ll be doing a 10x8 shed and yours looks great! How’d did you do yours?
You are welcome! I used concrete deck blocks for the foundation of the shed. Here is an unlisted video that covers the process somewhat. ua-cam.com/video/wJCJGDj_N2Y/v-deo.html
Materials used to build the water level: Bucket: www.lowes.com/pd/United-Solutions-2-Gallon-Residential-Bucket/1000462837 Lid: www.lowes.com/pd/Letica-9-6-in-White-Plastic-Bucket-Lid/50434790 Tubing 35ft: www.lowes.com/pd/B-K-1-2-in-x-1-ft-PVC-Clear-Vinyl-Tubing/1000115993 Fitting: www.lowes.com/pd/B-K-3-8-in-Barbed-Barb-x-MIP-Elbow-Fitting/1000505073 2x4: www.lowes.com/pd/Top-Choice-2-x-4-x-8-ft-Whitewood-Stud-Common-1-5-in-x-3-5-in-x-8-ft-Actual/1000051161 Black Food Coloring: Amazon Affiliate Link: amzn.to/2VgwdbL or www.walmart.com/ip/McCormick-Black-Food-Color-1-fl-oz/10309022?selected=true Gardner Bender Plastic Cable Staples - Around 1/2" : No link Drill Bit: www.harborfreight.com/3-piece-titanium-nitride-coated-high-speed-steel-step-drills-91616.html
Hey Garrett im wanting to use the water level to level a pier an beam cabin an was wanting to measure from the bottom of the floor joists underneath the house at each pad supporting the joists. I can see how it works on the ground elevations but i would be bringing my stick up to the bottom of the floor joists an trying to read the difference. Question is will it work backwards by using the top of the stick instead of the bottom ?
I have an Intex 18'x52" round, and I am on my third attempt at leveling the pool. This time, I am going to use a water level, and I like your video the best. I will be putting my level together today, using your video as a guide. Thanks for a great video...and wish me luck! :)
I disabled an I’m trying to fix this old moble home it’s a small single wide no blocks under it yet I want to do it myself can’t pay anybody to go it could you tell me how I would use this method an where would my starting point be on the moble home I really need to understand this method if you can help please thank you
I hate the wind, 2 times i had to start completely over. I hate this design of this pool, and the harware is on the cheap side. That must be the difference between a 2000 dollar pool and a 7000 dollar pool.
You can build a water level much cheaper. All you need is the same clear tubing, but you can use an empty plastic milk jug for your "base station." Just loop it through the handle a couple times before putting it down into the jug so it won't come out. The hole does not have to be in the bottom of the container. It will work just as well bringing it up and out the top of the jug, and you don't have to use a fitting that may or may not leak. Just set your jug on a kitchen chair, or the paint can shelf of your ladder. . . . you don't need to build a fancy contraption unless you want to. Remember, you will have to store it when your pool leveling needs are finished.
You have a kink in the bottom of your story pole? Don't drill a hole for your tubing. Just put the lowest attachment point about 6" up from the bottom and leave the tubing free from there....it will not kink. If you put a wooden disk onto the bottom of your story pole, you can probably get it to stand un-aided.
How will the water travel up from the jug?
@@robertgrlic6505 I am not sure what you mean, but I'll take a stab at it. You want to start with establishing a stationary surface or platform where your empty milk jug full of water will sit. Let's use this poster's leveling project as an example... you are wanting to plot the elevation of the ground where you are working in quite a few different spots, so you can determine where you need to remove soil so that you have a big circle that is completely flat? In this case, I would start by putting my platform as close to the center of my working area as I can get it. You then take one end your long piece of clear tubing and put it down inside the jug. For simplicity, run the tubing down across the handle of the jug using masking tape to secure it. Then you can go to your other end of the tubing and suck on it briefly to create a siphoning action. If your milk jug has colored water, you will see the water travel quickly through the tubing. When the water gets close to where you are holding the end of the tubing, you want to make sure you eyeball your jug and keep the tubing in your hand close to the same level or obviously the colored water will begin running out. Once the colored water makes it to the end of the tubing and the entire tube is full of water, you can raise the tubing you are holding enough so the water level is about a foot from the end, with the open end of the tubing pointed UP. (It sounds to me like I am over-simplifying this). Being mindful of where this level of water in the tubing is, you can now walk around to all the spots you want to check the elevation. Use a stick or a stiff tape measure to compare measurements by holding the tubing against the side of your stick and making a pencil mark where it levels out? You DO NOT NEED A TAPE MEASURE. Just mark your stick. You can pick the starting point where you establish this is where you want the bottom of your pool to be? Mark your stick. Then if you walk 10 feet away and check that spot, you water level (while holding the tubing against your stick again) might level out at a point on your stick that is 2 inches LOWER than the mark you started with? That would mean that the elevation at that specific point is 2 inches HIGHER than your starting point, and you would need to remove 2 inches of dirt in that area. If your mark was 2 inches ABOVE the starting point mark on the stick, that would mean just the opposite. . . the ground is lower than the starting point, and you would need to ADD 2 inches of dirt at that point. (that is usually not a good idea with a pool, unless you plan on compacting the ground). Hope this all makes sense. I have used this method too many times to count. SOmetimes this method is even better than using a self-leveling laser, because you don't need line of sight for your laser receiver. Let's say you were wanting to establish a level horizontal line in multiple rooms of a house. . . .you can just walk around from room to room, marking the wall(s) with your tubing reference, so long as your tubing is long enough. Hope this helps.
Thank you for being so detailed. I probably watched 15 videos before I finally found someone who would show me exactly how the water level works. I have a 60 foot span I am building a retaining wall and for the life of me cannot figure out how I was going to do this. My son suggested I use a water level I have no clue really how they worked but your video detailed it extremely well.
thanks for the feedback! I actually just made a 100ft version of this 2 weeks ago that I used to map out the topography of a poorly graded backyard.
@@garrettscott9427 I guess the only thing I did wrong was use a 1/4 in tube. I think 1/2 would be better. The liquid move so slow and it’s really affected by the temperature
@@annastanfield5473 are you letting the end of the tube vent?
Ideas: Have a patio tile near the base station that does not move outside the pool area for 'calibration'. Good tip about temperature expansion. Be sure you get the soft vinyl tubing with a large diameter like yours; our local ACE has vinyl, but it is very stiff (so get the cheaper stuff). I am using a longer 1x2 and have my base station higher so I can read at chest level. Also, my 18'x4' AGP has 13 legs, so I started by digging recesses for (13) 12" round pavers that are 1.8125" thick, and calculating in SolidWorks the distance between centers, and scribed a line 18' diameter in the dirt.
I've been surfing UA-cam , trying to find an easy one-man way to measure for leveling my pool. There is nothing like this anywhere. This makes so much sense and you've helped me immensely. Thank you very much for the video. .
you are welcome!
The best easiest perfect way!! I have planned to do this for my 16x32 Bestway (Intex). This will insure all 24 support bricks (or blocks) have the exact same PLANE. The poles are all the exact same length. If done this way the top edge of the pool will be PERFECT. Same pole length plus same pad horizon for all pads equals success. The rectangular edge on all four sides depend on this to be perfect. relatively speaking it is not as important for the bottom of the pool to be exact , just smooth and close. It is the outer edge that matters. Of course if you have a basketball under the center then the material will be shorter side to side in that area causing those supports to stand more upright. Good job Garret, this is the most under and never talked about technique for making a pool level. Your is the only one. I did this search because my brother asked me to do a video for my pool. FLAT is not the same as level. Water does not lie. :)
thank for the feedback!
You are the only person I have seen with a hilly yard like mine. We have had a pool for 2 years and it is always not leveled. I will use your techniques to level my yard this year. Thank you so much for this video!!!
yeah we have a very oddly graded yard lol
And you are welcome!
Garrett Scott your technique definitely helped THANK YOU !
Could turn the tape upside down also. Make it dummy proof
I’m getting ready to level our spot for the pool now. Thanks for this video! Later this year we’ll be doing a 10x8 shed and yours looks great! How’d did you do yours?
You are welcome! I used concrete deck blocks for the foundation of the shed. Here is an unlisted video that covers the process somewhat. ua-cam.com/video/wJCJGDj_N2Y/v-deo.html
Materials used to build the water level:
Bucket:
www.lowes.com/pd/United-Solutions-2-Gallon-Residential-Bucket/1000462837
Lid:
www.lowes.com/pd/Letica-9-6-in-White-Plastic-Bucket-Lid/50434790
Tubing 35ft:
www.lowes.com/pd/B-K-1-2-in-x-1-ft-PVC-Clear-Vinyl-Tubing/1000115993
Fitting:
www.lowes.com/pd/B-K-3-8-in-Barbed-Barb-x-MIP-Elbow-Fitting/1000505073
2x4:
www.lowes.com/pd/Top-Choice-2-x-4-x-8-ft-Whitewood-Stud-Common-1-5-in-x-3-5-in-x-8-ft-Actual/1000051161
Black Food Coloring:
Amazon Affiliate Link:
amzn.to/2VgwdbL
or
www.walmart.com/ip/McCormick-Black-Food-Color-1-fl-oz/10309022?selected=true
Gardner Bender Plastic Cable Staples - Around 1/2" :
No link
Drill Bit:
www.harborfreight.com/3-piece-titanium-nitride-coated-high-speed-steel-step-drills-91616.html
Hey man, thanks for the video!
What kind of fitting did you use for the tubing on the bucket?
That is amazing. Thanks
Well explained.
Hey Garrett im wanting to use the water level to level a pier an beam cabin an was wanting to measure from the bottom of the floor joists underneath the house at each pad supporting the joists. I can see how it works on the ground elevations but i would be bringing my stick up to the bottom of the floor joists an trying to read the difference. Question is will it work backwards by using the top of the stick instead of the bottom ?
If the story pole is long enough then it should work. How many feet difference would you estimate between the top and bottom measurement?
I have an Intex 18'x52" round, and I am on my third attempt at leveling the pool. This time, I am going to use a water level, and I like your video the best. I will be putting my level together today, using your video as a guide. Thanks for a great video...and wish me luck! :)
I hope it works out this time!
I disabled an I’m trying to fix this old moble home it’s a small single wide no blocks under it yet I want to do it myself can’t pay anybody to go it could you tell me how I would use this method an where would my starting point be on the moble home I really need to understand this method if you can help please thank you
Starting point would probably be your lowest point.
Good concept and brilliant tool but it’s much easier to level sand and it will compact
Sand isn't advisable unless a hole is dug first. Otherwise the sand will wash out.
Sand isn't advisable unless a hole is dug first. Otherwise the sand will wash out.
Ingenious, really awesome man! Thanks
you are welcome!
wooooooooow! I am so doing this thank you
Awesome! Thanks mate! :)
Do air bubs go in tube using this method ?
Only initially. Very easy to bleed them out after constructing it.
hi, what did you use to dig up your area? A tiller?
a shovel and pickaxe. Very tire some. I would recommend machinery!
I hate the wind, 2 times i had to start completely over. I hate this design of this pool, and the harware is on the cheap side. That must be the difference between a 2000 dollar pool and a 7000 dollar pool.
Brilliant !
After use, how do u empty the water from the tubing?
No need to empty the water, it won't stain the tubing
What is the diameter of the tubing?
I used 1/2-in x 35-ft PVC Clear Vinyl Tubing
👍🏽👍🏽👍🏽
Place the zero of the tape measure on the top, so you won't have to read measurements in reverse.
ah, so just read it upside down.
Thank you!
you are welcome!
i think string and droppers would be easier but good idea
That's only gonna give you vertical plumb line not horizontal level over long distance
This also proves that the earth is flat 👍