Vinyl Liner Repair Tips 

Liner bead coming out of the track? 

Liners are meant to fit tightly into the shape of the pool. If the liner was installed slightly off center, or if the liner is too large or too small for the pool's shape, you might experience the bead popping out of the track.  

With the use of a heat gun or blow dryer and a lot of elbow grease, the liner can be stretched and locked back into the track. I was also informed by a pool tech recently that boiling hot water works well when you need to stretch a liner. 

It's usually a lot of pulling and pushing to get a liner back into the track. In some cases you'll need to lower the water level a foot or more if it is out very far. Better to put back in small areas than to wait until you have to lower the water. Use of a small hair dryer (blow dryer) can heat up the liner, making it more stretchable, and easier to get back into the track. Be careful, keep the dryer moving and not too close to the vinyl!, if you drop the dryer into the water, don't reach in to grab it, you could become electrocuted.

Liner losing its color?

The original color of your liner will fade with the use of chemicals and the effects of the Sun. Harsh chemicals and high concentrations of such are to be avoided. This will remove the plasticizers which give liners their resiliency, leading to brittle vinyl.

Vinyl liner leaking? 

Not an uncommon problem. Liners are typically manufactured in 20 mil thickness (28-30 mil option). Punctures will happen. Especially as the liner ages, losing its resiliency. If you are fortunate enough to see a small hole in the liner, simply patch it with a vinyl liner patch kit. If underwater, buy a "wet" patch kit. If the source of the leak isn't readily apparent you will need to employ  

If you are adding more than one inch of water to your pool per week, discounting splashed-out and backwash waste water, you probably have a leak. Do not allow leaks to go unchecked. Leaks can washout supporting back fill behind the walls, corrode the walls, and may wash away sand on the floor, creating large sinkholes.  

It is not advised to drain your vinyl liner pool, or allow it to leak out below the level of the walls. The water in the pool holds the liner tightly against the walls and floor. If the water is removed, the liner must be reset with a vacuum to suck the liner into place while filling. Otherwise, large wrinkles may appear when filling a loose fitting liner. In addition, an empty liner pool may allow rain water to seep in under the walls, washing away and destroying the specifically contoured shape of the floor. There also exists the risk of a wall collapsing or caving in. Consult a professional for assistance in these areas.  

Never add undiluted granular chemicals, specifically pH de-creaser and Calcium Hypochlorite (shock) directly to the pool. These particles will settle to the bottom, "bleach" the vinyl, and compromise it's strength and resiliency.  

Resetting your vinyl liner: If the liner has been drained, or leaked out on it's own, it will need to be "sucked back" into place with a vacuum device to remove the air between the liner and the pool shell (walls/floor).  

The vacuum will be in place until the water level is at a predetermined point on the wall. The vacuum is then removed, and the pool continues to fill. This is necessary to ensure proper fit, and reduce or eliminate wrinkles in the vinyl. Prices will vary on labor and trip costs involved, but expect a few hundred dollars when it's all said and done.