If your pool’s water level keeps dropping, the first thought is usually the worst one: I have a leak.
Often you don’t. Here in Coastal Georgia, heat, wind, humidity, heavy swimming, and your own equipment all pull water out of a pool, and most of it is completely normal. The trick is knowing where normal ends.
At Nate’s Pools & Service, we service pools throughout Brunswick, St. Simons Island, Savannah, Jesup, and the surrounding Coastal Georgia communities. Here’s how to tell the difference between water you’re supposed to lose and water that’s going somewhere it shouldn’t.
How Much Water Loss From a Pool Is Normal?
About a quarter inch per day. That’s the general benchmark for evaporation, and most pools land somewhere near it.
In Coastal Georgia, expect to run at the high end of that range through July and August, when heat, sun, and afternoon wind are all working at once. In the cooler months, evaporation drops off sharply and you may go weeks barely topping off at all.
If you’re consistently losing more than half an inch a day, something else is going on. That’s the point to stop guessing and start checking.
Why Does My Pool Lose More Water in Hot Weather?
Evaporation speeds up whenever conditions pull water into the air, and our summers stack every one of those conditions together.
Sun and air temperature are the obvious drivers. Wind matters more than most people expect. A breezy day that doesn’t feel especially hot can move a surprising amount of water. And warm pool water under cool night air evaporates fast, which is why the level often looks lowest first thing in the morning.
If the drop followed a run of hot or windy days, a leak probably isn’t your answer.
Can Swimming Cause a Pool to Lose Water?
Yes, and more than you’d think.
Cannonballs, kids climbing in and out, an afternoon of people in the water: splash-out adds up quickly. A busy holiday weekend can easily account for an inch that seems to have vanished overnight.
Water features do the same thing from a different direction. Waterfalls, deck jets, and fountains increase the surface area exposed to air, which increases evaporation, and they also throw water past the coping when it’s windy.
Why Does My Pool Level Look Fine After It Rains?
This one fools people constantly, and it’s specific to our climate.
A heavy coastal storm can put an inch or more back into your pool overnight. If you’d been watching a slow drop and then a storm rolls through, the level jumps and the problem appears to have fixed itself.
It didn’t. The leak is still there, and the rain just refilled it. If your water level looks great after a storm and then falls off quickly over the following week, that’s a signal, not an all-clear.
When Is Pool Water Loss a Sign of a Leak?
The clearest warning sign is a change from what’s normal for your pool.
Watch for:
- Losing more than half an inch a day with no heat wave or pool party to explain it
- Soggy or unusually green patches in the yard near the pool or equipment pad
- Chlorine and chemistry that won’t hold, no matter how much you add
- Air bubbles coming from the return jets
- The autofill running far more than it used to
- Cracking or settling in the deck around the pool
Any one of these on its own may be nothing. Two or three together are worth a professional pool inspection.
Is It the Pool or the Equipment?
The shell is usually not the problem.
In our experience, most Coastal Georgia leaks turn up in the plumbing and the equipment pad rather than the pool itself: pump seals, filter connections, valve bodies, unions, and fittings. Salt air is hard on metal hardware, so pools running a saltwater system tend to show wear at those connection points sooner.
This is also why “look for the crack” is bad advice. Plenty of leaks are invisible from inside the pool.
Can a Fiberglass Pool Leak?
Yes, though rarely where people expect.
A fiberglass shell is a single molded piece, so it doesn’t have the seams, joints, or plaster that give concrete and vinyl pools their common failure points. When a fiberglass pool loses water, it’s almost always at the plumbing penetrations (skimmer, returns, main drain, light niche) or out at the equipment pad.
That’s usually good news. Those repairs are far less involved than shell work.
What Is the Bucket Test for a Pool?
The bucket test compares your pool’s water loss against plain evaporation, using the same weather for both. Here’s how to run it properly:
- Fill a five-gallon bucket with pool water to within an inch or two of the rim.
- Set the bucket on a pool step so it’s partly submerged. This keeps the water in the bucket at roughly the same temperature as the pool.
- Mark the water level inside the bucket and the pool level on the outside of the bucket.
- Turn off your autofill. If it refills the pool mid-test, your results are meaningless.
- Wait 24 hours with no swimming.
- Compare the two marks.
If both dropped about the same, you’re looking at evaporation. If the pool dropped noticeably more than the bucket, something beyond evaporation is happening.
Then run it a second time. Do one round with the pump running and one with the pump off. If the loss is worse with the pump on, the problem is likely in the pressure-side plumbing. If it’s worse with the pump off, look at the suction side or the shell. That single comparison tells a technician more than almost anything else you can do yourself.
The bucket test doesn’t replace professional diagnosis, but it turns “I think something’s wrong” into real information before we ever pull up.
Should I Drain My Pool to Find the Leak?
No. And in Coastal Georgia this one really matters.
Much of Glynn and Chatham County sits on a high water table. When you empty a pool, you remove the weight of the water holding it in the ground, and groundwater pressure underneath can push the shell upward. A fiberglass or vinyl pool can float, buckle, or lift out of position, and that turns a repair into a replacement.
Leak detection is done with the pool full, using pressure testing, dye testing, and listening equipment. If anyone suggests draining your pool to hunt for a leak, get a second opinion.
Why You Shouldn’t Ignore Unexplained Water Loss
Topping off and moving on costs more than it saves.
Every gallon of fresh water you add dilutes your chemistry, so you end up buying chemicals to correct a problem you’re re-creating weekly. And a leak in the plumbing doesn’t stay put. Water moving through soil erodes the fill supporting your pool and decking, which is how a fitting repair becomes a structural one.
If the level is dropping and you can’t explain it, get it looked at.
Coastal Georgia Pool Service From Nate’s Pools & Service
Nate’s Pools & Service provides pool maintenance, inspections, and repairs for homeowners across Brunswick, St. Simons Island, Savannah, Jesup, and the surrounding Golden Isles.
We’ve worked on pools in this region for years, and we know how coastal soil, salt air, and a high water table change the way pools behave here. If your water level is dropping, we’ll find out why before recommending any work.
Is Your Pool Losing Water?
If you’re refilling constantly and can’t tell whether it’s evaporation or a leak, call Nate’s Pools & Service at 912-294-1077 or book an inspection. We’ll get you an answer.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much water loss is normal for a pool? Roughly a quarter inch per day from evaporation. In Coastal Georgia summers you may see slightly more. Consistently losing more than half an inch a day usually points to a leak.
How do I know if my pool is leaking? Run the bucket test. Float a bucket of pool water on a step, mark both levels, turn off the autofill, and wait 24 hours. If the pool drops noticeably more than the bucket, you likely have a leak.
Can a fiberglass pool leak? Yes, but rarely in the shell itself. Fiberglass pools are molded in one piece, so leaks almost always occur at plumbing penetrations like the skimmer, returns, and light niche, or at the equipment pad.
Should I drain my pool to look for a leak? No. Coastal Georgia’s high water table can push an empty pool shell out of the ground. Professional leak detection is performed with the pool full.
Does rain mean my pool leak is fixed? No. A heavy storm can refill a leaking pool and hide the problem for a few days. If the level falls quickly again afterward, the leak is still there.
Do you offer leak detection in Brunswick and Savannah? Yes. Nate’s Pools & Service provides leak detection, inspections, and repairs throughout Brunswick, St. Simons Island, Savannah, Jesup, and surrounding Coastal Georgia communities.