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Most pools lose 1/8" to 1/4" of water per day due to evaporation. Evaporation is seasonal. Humidity, temperature, wind, pool water temperature and heat from the sun will all effect evaporation. In the Florida summer when the humidity is high and there is little wind, evaporation is reduced. During the dry season when the wind is steady and the humidity is low, evaporation is greater. Sometimes evaporation can be more than 1/4" per day for short periods.
Personal use also effects evaporation. If you have an 85 degree pool for the Christmas holidays, that pool will evaporate faster than the one next door that is 60 degrees. Water features such as water falls, fountains, and rock edges will also increase evaporation.
Is my pool leaking?
There are a few ways to determine if your pool is leaking. If you have pool/spa combination. In the morning before the pool turns on. Check the spa water level. It should be at the edge of the overflow lip. If it is not, how low is it? This may indicate a few different problems.
- The valves could be in the wrong position allowing water to backflow back into the pool.
- A check valve could have debris in it allowing water to back flow into the pool.
- The spa could have a leak
The next step is called the "bucket test." This is the easiest, cheapest, and most effective way to determine a leak. Shut the pool off. Take a pencil and place a mark at the water level inside the skimmer in the back under where the round lid is. Take the bucket fill it about half full of water. Place it on the pool deck on the side away from the house where it can get full access to sun, wind, and rain. Mark the water level in the bucket. Turn the pool back on. Check both levels in 24 hours. Make sure the pool is off when you recheck the water level. The bucket and the pool should be within 1/16” of each other. Even with rain both levels should be very close. If the bucket lost less than the pool than you most likely have a leak. The difference between the two will determine the about of leak per day. One inch of water depth on an average size pool would be approximately 150-200 gallons. |
