Every pool loses some water. In Riverside and the Inland Empire, summer evaporation alone can drop a pool 1/4 to 1/2 inch per day — that's 1.5 to 3.5 inches per week without a single drop of actual leaking. That number surprises most people. But when you're adding water significantly more often than that, or the water loss doesn't track with hot or windy weather, something else is going on.
💡 Inland Empire rule of thumb: losing more than half an inch per day without a heat wave, or noticing wet spots in your yard near the pool equipment, is a reason to investigate. Don't wait — a slow leak gets worse.
The Bucket Test: Evaporation vs. Leak
How to Do the Bucket Test
- Fill a bucket with pool water and place it on the first or second pool step so it's partially submerged
- Mark the water level inside the bucket and the pool water level on the outside of the bucket
- Turn off the auto-fill (if you have one) and leave the pump running normally
- Wait 24 hours and check both marks
Where Pool Leaks Actually Come From
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Get a Free Quote →Shell Cracks
Gunite and plaster pools can develop cracks over time, especially at structural stress points: the step edges, return fittings, the light fixture niche, and main drain. Small surface cracks in plaster are often cosmetic. Cracks that go through to the shell and are located below the waterline can lose significant water. A pool that stabilizes at a specific level (always drops to the same point then stops) often has a crack right at that elevation.
Return and Suction Fittings
The fittings that connect the plumbing to the pool shell — returns, skimmer throats, main drain, cleaner port — are common leak points. The fitting sits in a hole in the shell, sealed with a gasket or plaster. When that seal fails, water escapes into the surrounding soil. This is one of the more common sources of slow, consistent water loss.
Underground Plumbing
The pipes running from the pool to the equipment pad are buried, typically 12 to 24 inches down. PVC pipe lasts a long time, but joints can fail, roots can intrude, and settling soil can crack pipes over time. Underground plumbing leaks are harder to locate without pressure testing but are relatively common in pools over 15 years old.
Equipment Pad Fittings and Unions
Every fitting, union, and valve at the equipment pad is a potential leak point. These are visible and accessible, so a slow drip here is easier to catch. Walk the equipment pad when the pump is running and look for any wet spots, calcium deposits around fittings (calcium means water has been evaporating there consistently), or any visible drips.
Pool Light Fixture
The light fixture sits in a niche in the pool wall. The conduit running from the niche to the junction box outside the pool can allow water to travel along the wire if the seal is compromised. This is a less common but known leak source — and it's one that can create electrical concerns if ignored long enough.
Why You Don't Want to Wait
A pool leaking even a quarter inch per day past normal evaporation is losing roughly 100 to 200 gallons of water weekly. Over a season, that's thousands of gallons — and a water bill that reflects it. More importantly, that water is going somewhere: into the soil under your coping, under your hardscape, or toward your foundation. Soil erosion from a plumbing leak under a concrete deck can cause the deck to crack and sink. An underground leak near the equipment pad can undermine the pad itself. The water cost is the smaller problem.
We handle leak detection and repairs in Riverside, Corona, Norco, Eastvale, and Jurupa Valley. See our equipment repair page for what we handle.