You're adding water too often.

Yes, if you’re filling the pool more than once a week (or every few days), you probably have a leak. Normal evaporation tops out around a quarter-inch per day in hot weather. If you’re losing an inch or more overnight, something is wrong.

Other early signs: wet spots or soggy ground near the pool equipment or along the perimeter, air bubbles coming out of the return jets, or the pump losing prime. Sometimes you’ll see algae growing around a tiny crack—chlorine can’t keep up with the constant new water feeding it.

Do the bucket test to be sure. Fill a bucket with pool water to the same level, set it on the pool step, mark both water lines, and check after 24 hours. If the pool level dropped more than the bucket, it’s a leak.

Don’t ignore it—small leaks get bigger.