For many pool owners, noticing a greater than normal drop in their pools water level can cause a state of panic. We get it. A leak only ¼ of an inch in size can cause more than 100 gallons of water lose in just one day. But before you get to to nervous, there is a good chance that your pool isn’t leaking at all. Evaporation could be to blame for the significant drop in your pools water level. Pools in warmer climates such as Florida, Texas or California can loose up to an inch of water per a day do solely to evaporation

What causes pool water evaporation?

Before we get into an at home swimming leak detection test, let’s look at a few things that impact water evaporation.

Exposure: The more open your pool is the the elements, such as sun or wind, the more evaporation you will see. Screened in pools have less evaporation than none screened pools. The same goes for pools that are protected by a fence. So, if your pool is out in the open, you can expect more evaporation.

Temperature: For pools in cooler climates or during the winter in places like Florida, Texas and Southern California, your pool should experience less evaporation. During the hotter months and especially during the hotter times of the day where the Sun exposure is the greatest, swimming pools will experience more evaporation.

Humidity: Higher humidity climates experience less evaporation than dry climates. Because the air has a higher moisture level in places like Central Florida, the pool water doesn’t get sucked into the air. Pools in dryer climates, like Southern California, will experience more evaporation.

All of these factors will change from area to area and season to season. If you fell that your pool is loosing water much faster than normal, the bucket test is a great thing you can do at home to see if your pool is leaking or not.

Check out the video below and download our free guide here to help you determine if your swimming pool is leaking or if evaporation is to blame.

The Bucket Test