How much water loss is too much?
Florida pools naturally lose water to heat, wind, and splashing. What matters is whether your pool consistently loses more water than a container sitting beside it under the same conditions.
Do the 24-hour bucket test
- Fill a bucket with pool water and place it on a pool step.
- Mark the water level inside the bucket and the pool level outside it.
- Turn off autofill and avoid swimming for 24 hours.
- If the pool drops noticeably more than the bucket, a leak is likely.
Signs that point toward a leak
Constant refilling
You add water more often than weather or normal use explains.
Pump behavior changes
Air bubbles, loss of prime, or loss that changes with pump state.
Physical clues
Wet soil, settling, cracks, loose tile, algae, or pad moisture.
Chemical instability
Water and chemicals are diluted despite normal maintenance.
Pump on vs. pump off
Record whether loss becomes greater while circulation runs, while it is off, or stays the same. This is not a diagnosis by itself, but it gives your technician a useful clue.
What to have ready
Photos, water-level notes, your pool/spa configuration, equipment concerns, and recent construction or service history.