Pool Losing Water on Mallorca? The Bucket Test Tells You in 48 Hours

Every pool on Mallorca loses water in summer, so a falling waterline alone proves nothing. The question is whether you are losing to the sun or to a leak, and a bucket, a marker pen and 48 hours answer it for free. Here is how to run the test properly and what to do with each result.

What normal looks like

In July and August an uncovered pool can evaporate up to five centimetres a week, more in wind exposed spots, far less under a cover. Losing within that range with no other symptoms is usually just the Mallorcan summer doing what it does.

The bucket test, step by step

1. Fill a bucket with pool water and place it on a pool step, so it shares the pool climate
2. Mark the water level inside the bucket and the pool level on the outside
3. Switch the pump off and wait 48 hours without swimming
4. Compare: same drop in both means evaporation, a clearly bigger drop in the pool means a leak
5. Repeat once with the pump running: a bigger loss with the pump on points at the pipework, an equal loss points at the shell

The usual suspects

The skimmer joint is the most common leak point on older island pools, followed by return fittings, tired grout lines and buried pipe runs where ground has settled. Most of these are repaired underwater or with a partial lowering, and none of them require digging up a terrace on a guess.

When to call leak detection

A clear positive bucket test is the moment to book professional leak detection, which uses pressure testing and electronic listening to mark the exact spot. Under water restrictions every lost litre is expensive twice, so the maths favours finding it early. Persistent staining or a wet patch in the garden are the same signal shouting louder.

Two days and a bucket settle the question. If your pool fails the test, professional leak detection finds the spot without digging, and free quotes from vetted companies are one form away.