If you own a pool in Sarasota, you already know the water level drops on its own during the warmer months. Between the sun, the wind, and the humidity swings we get on the Gulf Coast, some water loss is completely normal. The hard part is knowing where “normal evaporation” ends and an actual leak begins — and a lot of local pool owners go months without knowing the difference.
We hear a version of the same story often: a homeowner notices they’re topping off the pool more than they used to, assumes it’s just a hot summer, and doesn’t think much of it until a water bill or a cracked deck tile makes it obvious something else is going on. Here’s how to tell which one you’re dealing with.
Start With the Bucket Test
This is the simplest way to separate evaporation from a real leak, and you can do it yourself before calling anyone. Fill a bucket with pool water and set it on a step in the pool so the water level inside the bucket matches the water level in the pool. Mark both levels with tape. Wait 24 hours, then compare.
If the pool’s water level has dropped roughly the same amount as the water inside the bucket, you’re most likely looking at normal evaporation — the bucket loses water to the same sun and wind the pool does. If the pool has dropped noticeably more than the bucket, that difference is a strong sign you have a leak somewhere in the shell, plumbing, or equipment.
Signs It’s More Than Evaporation
Beyond the bucket test, a few other clues tend to show up around Sarasota properties when a leak is developing:
- Wet or unusually soft spots in the yard, especially near the equipment pad or along the run of underground plumbing
- The water level stalls at a specific point, such as right at the skimmer opening, rather than continuing to drop
- Cracks or lifting at the tile line or deck, which can be a sign the surrounding soil has shifted from water escaping underneath
- Air sputtering from the return jets when the pump is running
- A water bill that’s climbed without an obvious reason, particularly if you’re on a well or use an auto-fill line, since that can quietly mask a leak for a long time
Any one of these on its own isn’t necessarily proof of a leak, but a couple showing up together is worth paying attention to.
Why Leaks Are Common in Sarasota Pools Specifically
Sarasota’s soil and building history both work against pools over time. A lot of the area sits on sandy, shifting soil that moves more than homeowners expect, and ground movement is one of the most common causes of stress cracks in a pool shell or plumbing joints. Add in our rainy season, when saturated ground puts extra pressure on buried pipes and structures, and it’s easy to see why leaks tend to show up — or get worse — during the wetter months.
Older neighborhoods around Sarasota also have plenty of pools with decades-old plumbing that was never designed to be inspected without excavation. Small leaks in those systems can run for a long time before they surface as a noticeable problem.
What to Do If You Suspect a Leak
If your bucket test and a couple of the warning signs above line up, the next reasonable step is narrowing down where the water is actually going. That usually starts with pressure testing the plumbing lines to isolate whether the leak is in the pipes, the shell, or the equipment, since each of those is diagnosed and repaired differently. Guessing at a repair without that step often means paying to fix the wrong thing.
This is exactly the kind of troubleshooting we handle for pool owners throughout the area — if you want to read more about how the process works, our pool leak detection page walks through it in more detail, and we also have information specific to leak detection for Sarasota pools.
When to Call a Professional
You don’t need to wait until the problem is obvious to get it checked out. If your bucket test shows a clear gap between the pool and the control bucket, or if you’re seeing wet spots, cracking, or a rising water bill, it’s worth having someone take a look before the leak has a chance to undermine the deck, erode soil around the shell, or drive your water usage up further. If you’d like to talk through what you’re seeing, feel free to reach out and tell us what’s going on — we’re happy to help you figure out the next step.
