Creating A More Beautiful Pool Area

How To Deal With A Tear Or Puncture Hole In A Vinyl Pool Liner

17 December 2018

Adrian Spencer

Tears and puncture holes are fairly common in pools with vinyl liners. When the damaged area is small, you might repair it yourself with a kit you buy from a pool store. For large tears and damage in difficult areas such as around the skimmer or where the liner is pulled tight in corners, it's best to call in a professional swimming pool repair service. Here's a look at dealing with leaks in a vinyl pool liner.

Why You Should Repair A Pool Leak 

When water leaks out of your pool, you waste money on water refilling it. However, that's not the most important reason for fixing a leaky liner. The leak allows water to drain against the pool wall and under the bottom of the liner. This might cause damage to the walls, or it could cause the compacted soil under the pool to shift or sink in areas. By not fixing a leak, you might have to deal with bigger problems later on.

How To Find A Leak In A Liner

Finding a small leak in a vinyl liner isn't easy. If you suspect the liner is leaking, try examining the sides and bottom of the pool while wearing goggles to look for tears. Check areas where the liner is tightest since these areas are the most vulnerable -- that's usually in the corners. Also look around the ladder, skimmer, and anything else that is in the pool that touches the liner. Another thing to try is to turn off the pump and let the water become still.

Then, drop food coloring in the pool in various places and watch if the color flows toward a spot in the liner. Remember, you might be dealing with more than one hole or rip so you may need to repeat this process until you've located and fixed all the damaged areas. If you can't find a leak or if you're not certain the liner is the problem, then call a pool repair service for help.

How To Repair a Leak In A Vinyl Liner

You can repair a leak above the water or below it. Buy a repair kit that comes with a patch and adhesive and then follow the instructions which usually include cleaning the area before applying the patch. Some areas of a pool are more difficult to patch than others, and working in those areas, such as where the liner is pulled tight, might make the damage worse. Also, tears around objects like the skimmer might be only temporary since those areas are often hard to patch too. You may need to call a pool repair service to do those jobs.

It's even possible repairs won't fix the problem, and you'll need a new liner instead. Putting in a new vinyl liner is a big job that involves draining the pool, so attempting repairs if they're possible is usually worth trying first. However, if repairs can't stop the leak, then it may be necessary to put in a new liner to prevent damage to your pool.

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