Is Your New Orleans Pool Leaking or Just Evaporating?

Written by Big Easy Pool Designs

Is Your New Orleans Pool Leaking or Just Evaporating?

Quick Answer: Every pool loses some water to evaporation, and a New Orleans summer pulls plenty out on hot, breezy afternoons. Splashing and backwashing take more. So before you book pool leak detection in New Orleans, compare what the pool loses with what a bucket of water loses sitting in the same sun. If the pool drops faster, something besides the weather is taking water, and that’s worth a closer look before it turns into a bigger repair.

We’d rather you run a free test first than pay to chase a leak that doesn’t exist. And if the test does point to a leak, you’ll walk into the inspection with useful information.

Why Does Evaporation Fool So Many New Orleans Pool Owners?

Our swim season runs long, and the pool sits in strong sun for months. Warm water and a breeze across the surface speed up evaporation, while a muggy, still day slows it down. That means the loss changes from week to week, and a drop that looked alarming in a dry, windy stretch can look normal again after a few humid days.

Rain muddies the picture further. A summer thunderstorm can put back what the pool lost over several days, so water loss seems to come and go. Hurricane season adds its own swings, and our hurricane season pool prep guide covers what to do about water level before and after a storm.

Two household habits hide loss too. An automatic fill valve tops the pool off quietly, so you never see the drop at all. And every refill with fresh water shifts your balance, which our post on pool water chemistry in the Louisiana summer explains.

How Do You Run a Bucket Test?

This is a simple side-by-side comparison. The bucket sits in the same weather as the pool, but it can’t leak.

1. Pick a stretch with no rain in the forecast and turn off any automatic fill valve.
2. Set a bucket on a pool step and fill it so the water inside sits close to the pool’s own level.
3. Mark the water line on the inside of the bucket and the pool’s water line on the outside.
4. Leave the pump on its normal schedule, then come back later and compare how far each level dropped.
5. If the pool dropped more than the bucket, repeat the test with the pump off and see whether the gap changes.

A pool that loses more than the bucket is losing water somewhere besides the air. If the extra loss shows up with the pump running and shrinks with it off, that can point toward plumbing. If the loss is about the same either way, the shell or a fitting can be the source. Either result tells an inspector where to start.

What Signs Point to a Real Leak?

A bucket test is the cleanest check, but the yard often gives hints of its own.

• Soft, soggy ground near the equipment pad or along a plumbing run, even in dry weather.
• Cracks or loose tiles at the waterline.
• A deck section that has started sinking or pulling away from the coping.
• Air bubbles coming out of the return jets, or air collecting in the pump basket.
• A water bill that climbs while the pool level holds steady, which often means the autofill is covering a loss.

Could the Leak Be at the Equipment Pad?

Start with the easy look before you worry about the shell. The equipment pad is where the pipes and valves meet above ground, and a slow drip there is often visible if you check while the pump runs. Look for damp concrete under the pump, crusty white deposits around fittings, or a filter valve that weeps when it changes position. A drip at the pad doesn’t explain every loss, but it’s the cheapest leak to find, and it’s worth ruling out before anyone opens up a deck.

Where Else Can a Pool Leak?

Plumbing Lines

Return and suction lines run under the deck and through the yard. South Louisiana ground shifts over the years, and that movement can stress pipes and joints. A plumbing leak can also wash soil out from under a deck, which is one reason a small loss is worth chasing early.

Skimmers and Light Niches

Anywhere a fitting passes through the shell is a joint that can open up with age. Skimmer throats and light niches are common places to check.

The Shell and Tile Line

Cracks in plaster or at the tile line can let water through. Some are cosmetic and some aren’t, and telling them apart takes an inspection.

The Hydrostatic Relief Valve

Many in-ground pools here have a relief valve in the floor that lets groundwater in so the shell isn’t pushed up when the pool is low. A worn valve seat can let pool water out. We won’t repeat how the valve works; our post on building a pool on a high water table explains it.

When Does Pool Leak Detection in New Orleans Make Sense?

Call for an inspection when a bucket test shows extra loss or the signs above show up. The same goes for any project that requires draining, and that one matters most. If you’re planning a resurface, fix the leak first, since new plaster over a leaking fitting just hides the problem. Our guide to pool remodeling and resurfacing covers the rest of that decision.

Our leak inspections start with the shell and its fittings, then move to the plumbing runs. The written scope tells you what we found and what the repair involves. Plumbing repair and leak correction are part of our pool renovation work, and plumbing is often the line that decides a renovation budget, as our breakdown of what drives pool renovation cost explains.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does rain ruin a bucket test?

Yes. Rain adds water to both the pool and the bucket, and runoff can reach the pool unevenly. Restart the test once the weather turns dry.

Should I drain the pool to look for a crack?

No. On a high water table, groundwater can push an empty shell upward. Leave draining to a crew that checks groundwater conditions first.

Is a small leak worth fixing?

Usually, yes. Beyond the water itself, a steady leak can soften the soil under a deck and turn a plumbing repair into a deck repair.

Can an autofill valve hide a leak?

It can. Turn it off before testing, and keep an eye on the water bill.

Get the Water Loss Checked

If the bucket test says the pool is losing more than the weather explains, we’ll inspect it and put the findings in writing before any repair is scheduled.

Big Easy Pool Designs serves New Orleans, Metairie, Gretna, and the wider metro. Request an inspection or call (504) 688-4066.