Guide
What level should pool water be?
Updated October 21, 2026
Written by Richard Ellis, Certified Pool Operator
Short answer
Keep pool water about halfway up the skimmer opening, or roughly the middle of the tile line. Too low and the skimmer pulls air, which can run the pump dry. Too high and the skimmer cannot pull floating debris in. After heavy rain, lower it back to the middle; if it keeps dropping faster than evaporation, test for a leak.
Water level is the simplest thing in pool care and one of the easiest to let slide, especially in Florida where it swings between summer evaporation and afternoon downpours. Here is where it should sit and what goes wrong when it does not.
What is the correct water level for a pool?
About halfway up the skimmer opening. Anywhere from a third to two thirds of the way up works, and the middle gives you room for evaporation and rain either way.
What happens if pool water is too low?
The skimmer starts sucking air. The pump loses prime, runs hot and can be damaged running dry, and a pool vacuum will not hold suction. If the level drops below the skimmer, turn the pump off until you top it up.
What happens if pool water is too high?
The skimmer door cannot do its job, so leaves and pollen float right past it instead of being pulled in. The pool looks dirtier between cleanings, and after a big storm very high water can push close to the deck and the equipment.
How do you lower pool water after rain?
Use the pump's waste or backwash setting on a sand or DE filter, a submersible pump, or a garden hose siphon, and lower it to the middle of the skimmer. Send the water toward the lawn, away from the house. Do not drain below the skimmer; for anything more than that, read should I drain my pool first.
How much water should a pool lose a day?
In a Florida summer, roughly a quarter inch a day to evaporation, more on hot, windy days. If it drops faster than that, a bucket test tells you whether it is a leak; see why is my pool losing water.
How do I add water to my pool?
With a garden hose in the pool until the level reaches the middle of the skimmer. If your fill water comes from a well, add a metal sequestrant, because well water brings iron with it; see how to remove iron stains. Test and rebalance after a big top up. On our weekly pool service, that testing and rebalancing happens every week, with every chemical included.
Quick answers
- Should pool water cover the tile line?
- Roughly, yes. The middle of the tile line is about where the middle of the skimmer sits in most pools.
- Can I run the pump with low water?
- Not if the skimmer is pulling air. Top it up first, or the pump can lose prime and run dry.
- Should I lower the water before a hurricane?
- Lower it three or four inches at most, and never drain it. The full storm prep is in the hurricane season pool checklist.
Keep reading
Why is my pool losing water?
Most Florida pools lose water to evaporation, roughly a quarter inch a day in summer and more on hot, win...
How to vacuum a pool
To vacuum a pool by hand, attach the vacuum head to a pole, fill the hose with water so there is no air i...
Should I drain my pool?
Usually not. Algae, cloudy water and most chemistry problems clear without draining, and in Florida an em...
Hurricane season pool checklist
Never drain your pool before a hurricane. In a high water table an empty shell can float up out of the gr...
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