How To Patch Any Pool Liner Fast
Vinyl pool liners are a popular choice among pool owners for a lot of reasons.
For one, theyre less expensive than concrete or fiberglass pool options. And for another, they make swimming pool maintenance much faster and easier.
Theyre also pretty durable, but that doesnt mean theyre never susceptible to tears or holes. Unfortunately, thats one of the cons.
Depending on the size of your pool, a leak may or may not cause you some alarm. But try not to panic.
Leaks arent fun, but theyre certainly not hard to fix yourself in most cases. Hopefully you dont need this tutorial just yet, but bookmark this page in case you ever do!
How Do I Clean My Pool Liner Without Draining
Combine one part chlorine bleach and one part water. Use a spray bottle or a small garden sprayer to apply the bleach cleaner to the liner. Let the cleaner dry on the liner so it can remove the stains. You can clean any spots on the liner while the pool is full by applying the cleaner above the water line.
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Best Waterproof Tape: Gorilla Waterproof Patch & Seal Tape 4 X 10 White
Sometimes waterproof tape can work as an excellent pool repair. Gorilla makes some of the best products when it comes to long-lasting and strong tapes. The Gorilla Tape is extra thick, which helps to protect the area for years to come. YOu wont want a patch that will peel off with general pool maintenance to the area.
This tape is very easy to install and can help you cover a rip in a vinyl liner. Ensure that the rip you are trying to patch is small enough to fit in the 4 width of the waterproof tape. If the tape cant cover the hole completely, you are better off looking at a different type of patch kit.
Pros
- Limited width on the tape
Also Check: How To Vacuum Intex Above Ground Pool
Above Ground Pool Dangers
If an above ground pool springs a leak, the water will drain until it reaches the level of the hole. If the leak is near the top rail, the water might only go down a couple of inches. But if its near the bottom of the wall or the floor of the pool, the extensive water loss could collapse the pool and turn your yard into a muddy mess.
Never Drain The Water
First and foremost, its important to mention that you should never drain the water from your pool before patching the liner.
As we mentioned earlier, an above ground pool without water is at risk of completely collapsing. This will not only make the pool harder to deal with as you attempt to patch its liner, but it can also cause further tears and damage, especially with exposure to UV light.
The same goes for an inground pool. Draining the water can cause structural damage and further weaken the liner. Draining your pool can lead to having to replace it entirely, or having to shell out the cash for an entirely new liner.
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Some Holes Are Worse Than Others
So youve poked around the rust and the screwdriver went all the way through in a couple of spots. Thats always bad, but you may still be OK. A small rust hole thats located high up the pools wall is usually alright.In that case I will cut a small square of roofing tin or some kind of sheet metal and use duct tape to secure it in place over
the area. I do this only to protect the new liner Im about to install from the rust as this repair adds no strength to the wall.
If the rust holes are closer to the bottom of the pools wall, then thats worse and should possibly require more than just a simple patch job. The reason a hole lower down is concerning is because the water creates more outward pressure there at the bottom. A rust hole at the bottom of the wall is much more likely to tear open under pressure and cause a blowout than one nearer to the top. In most cases a small hole towards the bottom of the wall wont cause a blowout. I usually tell the pool owner about it, tape some tin over it, install a new liner and it holds. Though, there is always the possibility that it wont hold and I leave the decision up to them. Ill show them the concerning rusted area, give them the odds of whether I think itll hold or not, and let them tell me either to proceed with the change of the liner or wait and get it repaired. Worst-case Scenario
Repairing A Lawn After A Temporary Above Ground Pool
Temporary above ground pools are a great way to get outdoors and have some summer fun. However, they can cause significant damage to your lawn. Keep reading to learn more about how to care for a lawn with an above ground pool.
If you are thinking about putting up a small “kiddie” pool, follow these tips:
- Never leave the pool up for longer than one day. A pool can smother a grass lawn, preventing it from receiving essential light and air.
- Empty the pool every night onto the grass that was covered by the pool. That patch of the lawn needs extra care.
- Set up the pool in a new spot the next day. This eases the burden on any one particular patch of lawn.
If it’s too late for preventative measures, or you’d like to erect a more substantial above ground pool for the entire summer season, reseeding the lawn is your best option. The grass under the pool will die there’s really no way around it. Follow these steps for reseeding the lawn:
- Reseed. Spread the grass seed by hand along flower beds and other borders in your lawn. This method provides more control than mechanical spreaders. Then use a handheld or walk-behind spreader for the rest of the dead patch. There’s no need for special tools – you can use any spreader intended for fertilizer use.
- Dirt layer. Spread a thin layer of dirt on top of the reseeded portion of the lawn. Gently work it into the lawn with the back of a rake, or the dull side of a hoe.
- Water. Make sure the new grass receives plenty of water as it grows.
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Why You Need To Know How To Patch Your Pool Liner
If youre a pool owner, its non-negotiable that you know how to patch your pool liner. Not only should you know how to patch the liner effectively, but its something that needs to be done quickly.
A wrinkle in your pool liner can quickly turn into a tear and a tear in your pool liner can cause a lot of damage, especially when left unchecked. Damage equates to costly repairs. Additionally, patching your own pool liner will save you the headache of having to balance out your pools chemicals each time you have to replace the fresh water that has leaked out.
There are two types of vinyl pools: above ground and inground. Each come with their own set of dangers in terms of leaks.
How To Fix A Leak In An Above Ground Pool Liner
With your the above ground pools leak located, youll need the following to fix your leak:
- Scissors or box cutter.
- Liner vinyl
- Cut off an extra piece if you have an overlap pool liner or visit your local pool store for a sample piece.
- The patch kit vinyls dont always hold that well.
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Can You Patch A Pool Liner Underwater
In most cases, youll probably have to patch your pool liner underwater. If the leak isnt too far down on the pool wall, you can drain some water, if youd like, to make it easier to work with.
However, dont drain all the water unless theres just no other way to do it. Draining the water out of a vinyl liner exposes it to the elements and dries it out. This can make it brittle and more prone to tears.
Pool patches and adhesives are waterproof and made to be used underwater. So, while its sometimes not the easiest thing to do, repairing your pool underwater is necessary.
So You Think Your Pool Has A Leak
Before you start slapping on patches and gluing your fingers together, you may want to check if you actually have a leak in the first place. If theres a hole the size of Texas in your pool liner, thats a pretty obvious sign, but its not always so clear.
There may be a few reasons why it seems like your pool has sprung a leak, even if it doesnt actually have one.
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Best Premium Pool Patch: Pro Vinyl Pool Liner Patch Kit Repair Kit With 2×2 Vinyl And Adhesive
- Professional Vinyl – Pool Liner Patch Kit
- Comes with 4 oz of Vinyl Adhesive used by the pros.
- Comes with premium pool liner vinyl – 2’x2′ square.
When making a long-lasting pool patch, many people want to use a piece of vinyl. By using vinyl, you will ensure that the fix will last quite a long time. This PRO Vinyl Pool Liner Patch kit comes with a piece of professional-grade pool vinyl and an adhesive that will stay both underwater and above water.
One of the things that you will learn quickly about pool fixes is that the underwater patch needs a strong and long lasting adhesive. If your adhesive is not tough enough, the repairs will start to fall apart. With the Pro Vinyl, you wont have to worry about the strength of the adhesive this is an option that is built to last.
Pros
- Will repair a vinyl patch for a long term fix
- Will help with both large and small tears
Cons
- Application process is a bit more difficult
How Do I Find The Leak In My Intex Pool
The easiest way to find a leak in your Intex pool without draining it is using a pool dye testing kit. The dye test is a great way to discover the exact location of the leak. Just make sure that you choose dye colors that will stand out from your pool liners color. You can use either red or yellow dye when trying to find the leak on blue-colored Intex pool liners.
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The Steps To Patching A Pool Liner
The first thing you want to do when patching a pool liner is to make sure theres an actual leak. Its common for most pools to lose between ¼ to ½ of an inch of water each day, especially during the hot summer months, when evaporation levels are higher.
The general rule of thumb is that if youre losing approximately an inch or more of water per day, then you have a leak.
You can use a couple of methods to find out for sure if you have a leak. The first method is commonly known as the bucket method, and the second is the ink method.
The bucket method involves placing a five-gallon bucket with water in it by your pool. Mark the waterline of the bucker and the waterline of your pool. Turn your pools pump off and wait for up to 24 hours.
After 24 hours, mark the new water line on both your bucket and in your pool, then measure the distance between each one. If your pools water level is lower than the equivalent water level in your bucket, you have a leak.
The ink method involves using a leak-finding kit or some dark food coloring. Youll also need to have a pretty good idea of where the leak is.
Grab some goggles, jump in, and head towards the leak. Squirt a little ink or food coloring near the leak and watch for movement. If you notice a steady, colored stream flowing in a particular direction , then you have a leak.
For more on leaks, read my full article on how to find pool leaks.
Heres how to patch up those leaks.
Replacing Your Vinyl Pool Liner
If you cant get another season out of your pool liner, its time to look for a replacement.
Talk to our award-winning pool technicians at Lakeshore Pools & Hot Tubs. We carry only the best pool liners available and use CAD technology for a perfect fit.
We inspect and repair any rust and cracks in the concrete floor before installing the new liner.
Well refinish the stripping on your stairs and skimmer mouth for no additional charge, leaving you with perfect looking pool. Ask us how!
Lakeshore Pools & Hot Tubs carries everything you need, including vinyl pool liner repair tape and patch kits, to keep your pool liner in top working order. But when its time to replace your liner, call our awarding-winning team at , or visit us at 309 Lakeshore Road East in Mississauga. We promise to treat your pool as if its our very own while we restore its original beauty.
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How Big Of A Hole Can You Patch In A Pool Liner
No matter how well you patch a vinyl liner, its not a permanent solution. That doesnt mean it cant last for a long time, but probably not the life of the pool.
You can certainly keep repairing these by double patching or applying more adhesive, but eventually youll likely need a new liner.
For small tears and holes, repairing over and over again is not usually too big of a deal. But larger holes can be a problem. They might be fixable one time, but then you might be replacing your liner when it starts to peel up.
To answer this question, theres no hard and fast rule about how big a hole can be before its beyond repair. In our opinion, every hole is worth trying to fix before throwing out the whole thing.
But as vinyl liners get older, they tend to show more wear, thin out a little, and develop small tears. If this is the case for yours, any hold might be too big to patch.
Reasons That Might Be Responsible For Your Cloudy Pool
Frankly speaking, there can be numerous reasons for a pool to become cloudy, and it is next to impossible to discuss all of them, isnt it?
However, weve figured out some of the most common causes of cloudy pool water, lets have a quick look at each one of them.
Also, let me know in the comment section, whether you were able to figure out the exact reason for your above-ground pool becoming cloudy or NOT.
Trust me, its really difficult to find out the solution to a problem until and unless were NOT sure about the root cause.
I always prefer root cause analysis in order to get optimum results.
A Big Mismatch In Chlorine Concentration
Yes, you heard it RIGHT!
From a big mismatch in chlorine concentration, I mean either chlorine is too diluted or too concentrated.
If youre a pool owner then you must be aware of the fact that adding chlorine to pool water will help in keeping the pool safe, clean, and hygienic for swimming.
Problems such as Athletes foot, Legionnaires disease, and Ear infections are well taken care of by adding chlorine in an adequate amount in the pool.
Chlorine level is not constant, in fact, it fluctuates a lot with weather and temperature changes.
For example, rainfall and sunlight are the two main reasons for the fluctuation of chlorine levels in your pool.
Moreover, you and other swimmers swimming in the pool will also contribute to fluctuation in the level of chlorine.
Filtration Problems and Loopholes
Excessive Calcium
pH Imbalance
Heavy Rainfall
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Best Vinyl Pool Patch: Swimline Vinyl Pool Liner Patch Kit
- Vinyl liner patch kit for patching small vinyl liner pinholes and tears
- Everything you need for effective underwater patching
Most people with both above-ground and in-ground pools are looking for pool patch products to fix a tear in vinyl. The vinyl liners tend to rip quite a bit easier than other pool materials, and they will need some extra attention. This Swimline Vinyl Pool Liner Patch Kit is a good solution to consider.
With this product, you can patch both pinholes and tears in your vinyl pool. These patches are capable of holding up underwater. One of the things we like about the Swimline is that the repairs seem to hold up well over time.
With this kid, you get two clear patches and two vinyl patches. Just in case you have more than one hole in your pools vinyl, you will have enough material to fix everything.
Pros
- Comes with an excess of supplies
- Can work on pinholes and tears
- Long-lasting adhesive materials
Cons
- Blue color vinyl may not match your pool liner
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
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