The Traditional Way To Prevent A Floating Vinyl Liner
Existing customers that have this type of sump have come to accept that their liner floats. The problem;that generally happens is that the liner has already floated by the time the water gets to the pipe. Re-actively, all you can do is put a sump pump in the pipe to get rid of the water. ;What happens if you live in a climate that freezes, now you have;a pump and hose that will freeze and crack.
How To Repair A Pool Liner
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Problems with your pool liner are generally caused by a leak or a misaligned liner bead that, if left unattended, could cause considerable damage. Repairing a damaged liner is easy if you know how. Following are some simple steps most do-it-yourselfers can follow to fix a pool liner. For More Above Ground Pools
Choose Your Mil Or Gauge
The thickness of your vinyl liner is measured in mil. A mil is 1/1000 of an inch, and a dime is 49 mil, which is 49/1000 of an inch. Most pool liners are 20 to 35 mil. While we might think a thick mil is better than a thin one, the quality of vinyl makes a difference. So, be sure you have virgin vinyl with a strong mil. Some manufacturers use the term gauge and mil interchangeably.
Many pool liners have different mil measurements for the walls and the floor. The walls get more UV exposure, so the mil should be thicker. If your pool mil measurements are 35/30, this means the wall has a 35 mil, and the floor is 30 mil. There will be a seam where the walls and floor meet when the mil measurements are different.
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Only Use Virgin Vinyl
Pool liners are made of vinyl. You want one made of virgin vinyl without any used, composite, or mixed products. Virgin vinyl is strong and will expand and contract for a longer time before weakening, especially when compared to other types of recycled or mixed vinyl. New vinyl will stand up to the chemicals and the UV rays that bombard it each day.
How Much Is An Inground Pool Liner Track Replacement
If the pool liner track itself is unable to hold the liner, a professional can install a replacement for about $350, plus the cost of labor. If the pool liner is off track, a professional can come to your property and tuck it back in, which usually costs $100. The cost of labor differs from one company to the next.
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Look For A Hole In A Vinyl Liner With Food Coloring
If your pool has a leak, but its not in the electrical conduits or filtration system, youll need to search for a leak in the vinyl liner. This is also easy to do. You will only need food coloring. Then:
The food coloring will let you see the flow of water. Once you place the food coloring near the leak, youll see it flowing out the exact spot where the leak is.
When To Replace A Pool Liner
Professionals recommend replacing your pool liner every 10 years at a minimum. However, with the current liners on the market today, expect to replace your pool liner every 6 to 8 years on average. If you wait too long to replace your pool liner, you could cause further damage like:
- Wall Damage When the water leaks through a tear in the liner, it will begin to cause rust to the steel walls.
- Floor Damage Water leakage can weaken the subfloor beneath the liner, leading to cracks. When this happens, the whole subfloor will need to be redone.
- As the water goes through the ground, it will affect the foundation the deck is supported by. Water will cause erosion, which causes cracks in the paving and makes your deck sink.
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How Do I Fix It
To repair a floating pool liner, youll need to determine the source of the excess water and remove the water from behind the liner.
To rule out a leak in your pool liner, determine whether the water level has decreased more than usual and test the water behind the liner for chlorine using a test strip.
And if there is a puddle of water in your backyard, test the puddle for chlorine as well. If the puddle has 3 ppm of chlorine, then the water is most likely leaking from your pool.
In this case, youll need to locate the leak and repair the pool liner with a pool liner patch. If youre not sure how to detect a leak in a pool liner, or how to find the location of the leak, contact the pool experts.
To remove the water from behind the liner:
The most important areas to keep in place include:
- The shallow end breakpointwhere the shallow end floor begins to slope down to the deep end;
- On both sides of the breakpointwhere the shallow end breakpoint meets the pool walls; and,
- On in-wall steps.
How To Get Rid Of Existing Wrinkles In Your Vinyl Liner
One temporary solution that may help with small wrinkles is to use a toilet plunger. This is time-consuming but less expensive than a full drain and refill.
For large pool wrinkles, youll definitely need to remove water from the pool.
Caution: after a vinyl liner has been installed for three or more years, it rapidly shrinks and becomes brittle once water is removed. Weve seen cases where people have drained a pool to remove wrinkles and the liner split and became so brittle you could crack it like glass.
If youre going to attempt to remove wrinkles from an older vinyl liner, we suggest doing it very quickly at temperatures above 70°F . The warm temperature helps soften the liner. Drain the water, get the wrinkles out, and refill the pool as quickly as possible.
Liners need to be replaced every 59 years, so if yours is getting old, it may be more time- and cost-efficient to replace the whole liner.;
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How To Repair A Leak In Your Liner
Most of the patching methods out there can be used without having to drain your pool. Draining your pool can actually damage the liner more, so before you start pumping water out of your pool, try to patch the hole first. If you have to drain your pool, chances are youre going to need to replace the whole liner anyway.;
False Alarms To Consider Before Panicking
- Evaporation
- High Temperatures
- Low Humidity
Simple water evaporation and increased temperatures can drastically alter the level of water in your pool. When the mercury goes up, the water in your pool warms up and is more likely to evaporate.;
This is doubly true if your pool is in direct sunlight. If youve recently removed a shade tree from your backyard and your pool is now receiving more sunlight than it used to, the chance for evaporation water loss goes up.;
Also, if the humidity has been low in your area, the dry outside air can really suck out the water in your pool over time.
These are some easy things to check and could save you some headaches if it does turn out to be a false alarm.;
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Leaking Swimming Pool Liner
Finding and fixing a pool liner leak could cost upwards of $2,500, and your best efforts may not fix it permanently. One way to know if you have a leak is if there is a drastic change in your water level. The best advice is to call a professional who can pinpoint exactly where the leak is occurring. If the leak is small enough, then a patch should fix it. If it is too big for a patch kit, then call a professional immediately. If you wait too long, then the leak could lead to a complete liner replacement.
When Its Time To Call In A Professional
Eventually, your patchwork, no matter how perfectly done, will come apart. Additionally, you can only patch up the same holes so many times before they become bigger and bigger.
Its not your fault; thats just the pool ownership life.
Of course, you cant mend all pool liner rips and holes with DIY patching. Especially if you have larger holes and tears in your liner, youll want to start looking for a new one right away. For more on full liner replacements, read my article on how to replace your vinyl pool liner.
So, if you notice that your pool liner is ripping at the seams, is super old and faded, is bubbling up, or worse, your best bet is to skip the waterproof tape and call a professional immediately.
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Quick Fix Options For Patching Your Pool Liner
There are a handful of options for patching your pool liner. If youre especially in a bind and need more time to figure out what to do, you can always use duct tape.
All you have to do is grab your roll of duct tape, cut a piece thats larger than the tear, and apply it right onto the liner. This can be done above or underwater, and it should provide a strong hold for a little while until you figure out what to do.
Here are your other options.
How To Remove Wrinkles From A Pool Liner
- Written by Sage C. on Jul 21, 2010To ensure our content is always up-to-date with current information, best practices, and professional advice, articles are routinely reviewed by industry experts with years of hands-on experience.Reviewed by
A pool linercan develop wrinkles for several reasons. For example, snowmelt and water from heavy rains can create wrinkles. These are not fun to deal with, but wrinkles can be removed with a few household tools and some spare time. Heres how to go about it.
Step 1 – Fill the Pool
If the wrinkles have appeared before the first fill of the year, you can work the liner as you fill the pool. Gently push the liner into place as you fill it. You want to be careful with this so you don’t break a hole in the liner. Watch the liner as you do this, and adjust the liner until it’s in the correct position against the floor and walls.
Step 2 – Plunge Small Wrinkles
A clean toilet plunger can help remove wrinkles as well. You don’t want to plunge directly on the wrinkle. Instead plunge to the side, or above and below the wrinkle. This will work the liner into the proper position.
Step 3 – Heat Up the Pool
Liners can develop wrinkles as they become hardened. You can remedy this by heating the pool to at least 92 degrees. This will soften the liner and allow you to work wrinkles out with the pool brush.
Step 4 – Drain the Pool
Step 5 – Blow Out the Liner
Step 6 – Check the Landscape
Step 7 – Call a Professional
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Do You Have Clay As Your Soil Base Do You Have A High Water Table Do You Have Water Issues
Water takes the path of least resistance and will essentially find any gap around your pool to fill into. If you have a high water table, high ground water or a soil base that doesnt allow water to run through it easily, you can get what is called a floating vinyl liner. When the ground water pressure is more than the water pressure inside the pool, it essentially pushes the liner off the swimming pool;bottom.
There are some different techniques to use depending on if you have an existing inground vinyl;liner pool or if you are in the process of building your new vinyl liner pool.
The Hidden Dangers Of Pool Cracks
You might be tempted to ignore those pool cracks because they seem small and shallow at the moment. Here are 4 hidden dangers of pool cracks:
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Above Ground Pool Liner Replacement Cost
To replace an existing above ground pool liner, the labor costs $200 to $800 or more for larger pools. Add the cost of the liner, and the total cost to install ranges from $350 to $1,600. Several factors will affect the price of installation, as each aspect makes it more difficult to line it up perfectly.
- Thickness of the pool liner
- Shape of the pool
- Solid color vs. swirl design
- Type of product to seal the edge
- Condition the pool is in
How To Prevent Wrinkles In Vinyl Pool Liner
If you contract reputable builders to construct your pool, you should operate under the assumption that they want to provide you a good experience and a quality product. Youre both working toward the same goal. They dont benefit from an upset customer. Assume the best of them and know what you need to contribute to make this project a success.
If you read your warranty carefully, you’ll almost certainly find that wrinkles are not covered.; In this case, if the builder does install your liner incorrectly and you find wrinkles, they will not be obligated to remove them, although they should.;;
When filling the pool, it’s okay to;monitor the liner for wrinkles and point them out to the builder.;;They may not appreciate this, but better safe than sorry.; If a builder ever instructs you to remove wrinkles in a pool they are installing, you’ve likely picked the wrong company.; Consequently, you may want to ask if this is standard practice before signing an agreement.;;
When the builder presents paperwork for you to sign off on the liner installation, read the paperwork, discuss it, and know that youre satisfied with the job before you sign off on it.
To prevent high groundwater, install a dewatering system around the pool. You can do this both during and after construction.
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Beaded Pool Liner Problems
The liner is held down around the pool by the bead. A new pool liner track or bead receiver costs $350, or a professional can tuck it back in for about $100. The bead could pop out of place if it’s too small or large for the pool. You can remedy this by using boiling water or a heat gun that allows you to stretch and lock your pool liner back into place. Prices for a new bead receiver will depend on its hook design and whether its made of aluminum or PVC.
What Is The Best Way To Identify A Leak In A Pool
There are several easy ways to check for pool leaks if your swimming pools water loss seems excessive. For example, you can touch or walk on the floor of your pool to feel for squishy areas, which are indicative of leaks; spread non-toxic food coloring to reveal where eddies, ripples, or currents appear; or simply use the five-gallon bucket test, which is described step by step in the next section.;
Pool Leak or Evaporation? Identify a Leak With a 5-Gallon Bucket
Before searching your pool for a leak, you should confirm that there is a leak. Doing so only takes one day, and all youll need is a 5-gallon bucket, painters tape and water. Simply:
Once you determine that there is a leak, the next step is to identify where it is.
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