Evaporation, what's normal???

[mariner09]

I just moved into a new house aver a month ago and it has a pool.

I figured out my first problem that I got no response in this forum to, but I do believe this pool isn't normal.

I was having pressure issues and found out that my filter cartridges were the cause.

On to the next item...

What would one expect to be a normal water loss in a 24hr period? I have a 17,000gal (best guess) inground pool and I fear there may be a leak somewhere. I haven't done the once-over with the filter, yet. Maybe today as I have to examine the light that doesn't work.

It seems I'm topping it off everyday and that doesn't seem right to me.

[Rangeball]

Where are you at, and what have the day/night temps been?

How much in inches are you topping off each day?

Have you done a bucket test? If not, do a search for bucket test, there're some threads discussing it.

Good Luck :)

[matt4x4]

any real visible amount of water loss overnight (enough to top it up daily) is definitely cause for concern.
Could you elaborate on how much and over how long, does it seem to disappear more when the pump is on, off, or does it just drop the same all the time.......

[prh129]

The bucket test means to float a bucket of water in your pool. Mark the water level in the bucket and the water level in the pool at the start of the test. After 24 hrs, if the pool level dropped more than the bucket level did then you probably have a leak.

Peter

[larry2338]

Depending on his/her weather, maybe a visible drop in water level overnight doesn't mean a problem. We have had, until today, an extended period of abnormal weather for the deep south. Temps 92-95 degrees, humidity < 30 percent !!! and nearly continuous 10-20 mph breeze. I was noticing a 1/4 inch drop nightly and began to wonder about a leak. After a couple of weeks of that, I put the solar cover back on at night and suddenly, no water loss.

[matt4x4]

Yes, you do have to take weather into account, I guess I've become accustomed to having the "feel for the weather" automatically work it's way into the observations, mine's dropped an inch in 2 weeks which is also abnormal for around here, but we've also had low humidity, continuous wind and higher than normal temps - somehow, I "calculate" all that in when visually checking the pool and really think nothing of it.
However, topping the pool up daily sounds excessive, even for high heat, low humidity and windy scenarios, every 2-3 days maybe...
The bucket test will tell for sure.

[mariner09]

Then I certainly have an issue somewhere. Daytime temps have been high 70's to low 80's and upper 50's at night.

I have a Fox Pool with steps on one side and there are jets there that don't seem to do anything. I may plug them and see if that matters.

I have to search the liner for any issues, but I notice a few spots seem soft in that the sand underneath may be giving way.

Lot's to look at, but I think one night I noticed about a 2" drop. This has been happening while continuously running the pump. i have to track this without running the pump as well.

[mas985]

Here is a site that has yearly evaporation rates. You have to figure that most of it is in the summer so if you divide by the yearly rate by 200, you can estimate a summerly rate.

http://www.grow.arizona.edu/Grow--GrowResources.php?ResourceId=208

[prh129]

If you lose 2" in one night I would say you defintely have a leak somewhere. The worst case from the website below is only about 1/3".

Peter

[mariner09]

I noticed a very small funnel near one of the jets in the stairs at the shallow side. I removed the jets and plugged them. I think the pool "pro" that opened things up assumed they were active.

I noticed some depression in the bottom on one side which would happen if the jet was draining under the liner on that side.

I'm topping off, hopefully for the last time.

The joys of learning a "new to me" pool.

[mariner09]

That was it :D

The yahoos assumed that because there were holes in the stairwell going into the pool, that jets must belong there. I plugged them and have not seen a drop in water level in 12 hours of running the pump.