This article comes from Angie’s List.
Pool Level Dropping? Is It a Leak or Evaporation?
Is the water level in your pool dropping? Test to see what’s causing the loss.
What causes pool water evaporation?
There are three main factors for evaporation: Exposure, temperature and humidity levels.
1. Exposure.
The more your pool is exposed to the sun and wind, the more evaporation you’ll see. A screened pool will evaporate less than an unscreened pool. A pool surrounded by a fence, trees or a structure will evaporate less than a pool that’s facing an open sky. A pool that isn’t on a lake, golf course or other large piece of land will evaporate less than a pool that is.
2. Temperature.
Throughout our cooler months in Central Florida, we see a significant contrast between the high and low temperatures, sometimes in excess of 25 degrees. This allows your pool to heat up during the day and evaporate all night. In fact, if the sun is down and you turn on your pool light, you’ll likely see a mist above the pool. This is the water evaporating and it does this all night, every night.
3. Humidity.
High humidity equals very low evaporation, whereas low humidity equals high evaporation. The air is like a towel or a sponge: The more dry it is, the more water it can hold. In other words, ladies, if you know your perfectly styled locks will fall as soon as you walk outside, you can expect very low evaporation from your pool.
These factors vary greatly from area to area and from season to season. For example, Arizona summers are dry, whereas between daily showers and 100 percent humidity, Florida summers are wet. Therefore, evaporation is high during an Arizona summer but very low during a Florida summer.
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