Oftentimes, you might step into your pool and notice that the water level is significantly lower than the last time you remember it. Sometimes there may be an inch of water missing, or more! This can be quite frustrating when you can’t quite figure out the reason and you might ask yourself, why is my pool losing 1 inch of water a day? Let’s find out.
Generally, your pool might be losing water due to evaporation, especially in the summer. This is quite common for an outdoor swimming pool although the water loss is quite minimal. But if your pool is losing a noticeable amount of water such as 1 inch per day then there is most likely a leak in the pool’s structure or the skimmer. This is a big issue and needs to be addressed quickly.
Although 1 inch of water may not seem like a lot, it can actually be a serious issue. Leaks are quite detrimental to your pool and can cause other costly problems if left unattended for too long. But don’t worry! This article will cover all you need to know about ways to detect leaks in your pool, and how you can easily fix this problem. So, let’s not waste anymore time and figure out why your pool is losing so much water.
Is It Normal For A Pool To Lose An Inch Of Water A Day?
On average, your pool can lose about a quarter of an inch of water in a day. However, this depends on the weather variations as sunlight can play a huge role in the evaporation of water, leading up to even ½ inch of loss in the water a day. This is still pretty normal but if your pool loses more than that every day then there are reasons to be concerned.
Naturally, pools will lose water over time. In a dry environment, your pool is likely to lose about ½ an inch of water per day. However, if it loses more than that like 1 inch each day then it is an indication that there is a leak in your pool.
This is a concern and at this point, as no matter how many times you refill the pool it will not work as the level of water may keep dropping due to the leak.
Ways To Detect If Your Pool Is Losing Water
As the pool water level can also drop due to evaporation, it is difficult to determine whether you have a leak in your pool. Before deciding on how to fix this issue, you need to know about the ways to detect if your pool is losing water due to evaporation or a leak. There are some specific methods to check for an unexpected fall of water level in your pool.
Checking The Water Level
You can easily determine if the water loss in your pool is due to evaporation or a leak by checking the water levels. You can mark the water level with a marker or a tape to indicate the current level.
If the water level falls below the marked level the following day, then it means that your pool is losing water. If the fall is more than ½ an inch then this means that there is a leak as evaporation cannot cause such a drastic fall in the water level.
Visually Check for Leaks
Your pool can have leaks in the filter or the plumbing. Simple leaks around the equipment are not difficult to detect. A visual check will help you quickly recognize a problem.
You will need to inspect the hardware as well as the filter, heater, and pump. These units are prone to risks as they are built to withstand continuous pressure and workload. You may need to seek a professional to look into it as these may need a replacement part.
Bucket Test
To analyze the water loss in your pool, you can also do a “bucket test”. This requires you to fill up a bucket and place it next to the water. You can mark the water levels of both your pool and the bucket to indicate the current level.
Wait for 24 hours before you check both the losses. If your pool loses more water than the bucket then this means that your pool has a leak as evaporation would cause both the water levels to drop by the same amount.
Check For Tears In Your Pool Lining
A vinyl pool lining can last for up to 10 years approximately with proper care and maintenance. But they are prone to tears which can cause the water to leak. Within just a day, a small tear in your pool’s vinyl lining can cause more than an inch of water loss.
You can intensively check the lining for any cracks or tears. If you find any, then it needs to be repaired so your pool doesn’t lose any more water. You may even need to replace the complete lining in some situations.
Ways To Fix This Problem
There might be different types of leaks in your pool. Nevertheless, there is no issue you can’t fix, whether it is evaporation or a pool leak. However, the methods may differ. There is a completely distinctive way to fix the problem of evaporation whereas, on the other hand, different kinds of pool leaks require different repairments.
Fixing Water Loss By Leak
The most common places your pool can have a leak are the fittings, plumbing, drains, and the skimmer. It is easy to fix a leak in the fittings. You can simply put silicone around the leak. This will stop your pool from losing water. Similarly, a leak in the skimmer can also be stopped by patching a silicone around it, although this is temporary. It will eventually need a replacement.
On the contrary, it is much more complicated to fix a leak in the pool’s drainage system. In such cases, you will need to replace the entire system to prevent the leak. To fix a leak in the plumbing, it is best to call for professional help as it can be sourced from extreme water pressure and can’t be fixed manually.
Fixing Water Loss By Evaporation
Typically, if your pool doesn’t have a leak and is still losing water then it is likely due to evaporation. The best way to solve this problem is by covering your pool with a pool cover.
It slows down evaporation excessively and so, prevents water loss. The daily loss of 100 liters of water drops down to 3 liters a day because of a pool cover. What a big difference! Thus, don’t forget to cover your pool after swimming and you will find the water level the same as before on the next day.
By now, you have all the information you need to know about why your pool is losing 1 inch of water a day and how you can easily fix this issue. You simply need to find out the reason at first and then take proper measures. If it is evaporating then you can simply use a pool cover. If it’s a leak then assess the issue and take appropriate measures or consider contacting a professional. I’m sure that will get your problem fixed in no time. Thanks for dropping by and I sincerely hope you found an answer for your issue from this article.
