Do I Have A Leak Or Is The Water Just Evaporating?

We get quite a few calls from people that think they have a leak in their in-ground pool.  Remember that evaporation rates change during the year so if you experience a quicker loss of water than you believe is normal, it does not necessarily mean that you have a leak.  There is a simple way you can test this yourself.  First make sure that your pool level is normal.  Take a 5-gallon bucket and fill it with your pool water.  Then place the bucket on the 1^st or 2^nd step of the pool so that the bucket AND the water in the pool are at the same level.  (If you have a vinyl liner step, make sure the bucket does not have a rim on the bottom that could leave a ring mark on the step.  The bottom of the bucket needs to be smooth.  You can always put something smooth under the bucket but make sure it will not disintegrate and that there is no print or ink on it that could stain the liner.)  Twenty-four hours later, check the levels and see if there is a difference.  If you can’t tell, check back again in another twenty-four hours.  The pool and bucket will have the same rate of evaporation but if the pool’s level drops below the bucket’s level, you know you have a leak in the pool. –Service