Questions and Answers:
Vinyl covered steel steps or white fiberglass plastic steps?
Should I fill pool with city water, well or water hauling trucks?
My liner floats up when it rains hard. Why and how do I prevent it?
My liner is discolored. Is it bleaching, algae, staining or a fungus?
Why Choose Blue Devil Pools to Replace My Liner?
Blue Devil Pools is a 1 man operation. Since 1993, I have personally installed over 700 custom liners by myself. I hire no subcontractors or temporary laborers. Your liner is measured, ordered and installed by the best expert in the area!
I can replace your liner quickly! I am the only pool company in the area that exclusively replaces in-ground liners. I do not clean pools, do not build pools, do not open and clean pools. All I do is replace in-ground liners. So, I am very good at it and because I do nothing else, I get jobs done quickly. I have experience with most aspects of pool maintenance and repairs, so I will do equipment repairs in combination with liner replacements and I can give advice on problem pools.
All the liners I install are custom made to my exacting measurements and your color choice, unless you must have it done tomorrow and we are able to find something on the shelf somewhere that will fit your pool. Blue Devil Pools is simply the best at measuring, ordering and installing vinyl liners in in-ground pools!
I have made an art of measuring a pool for a new liner. I measure widths and lengths at several places for accuracy. I measure diagonals to check squareness. I take over 100 AB measurements on kidneys, pears and freeform pools. I sometimes submit over 7 pages of measurement order forms for a single pool. Therefore, my liners always fit like a glove (granted you choose a pattern from a manufacturer that makes a full-fitting liner).
Knowing how to expertly install a liner is only part of my abilities. There are approx. 30 liner manufacturers, and I have installed liners made by most of them. I know who makes a good fitting liner, who stands behind their liners, and who processes their liners quickly, even in the busy springtime.
In-Ground Vinyl Liner Manufacturers
I prefer Kafko, TVP, Pacific, and Triac Liners; however other good manufacturers are provided on my website links page. NOTE: All manufactures are not equal! Some may take up to 7 weeks to make a liner. Quality from some manufacturers is not good. Some will charge several hundred dollars more for their liner. Also, some manufacturers don't stand behind their liners as well as others. I am simply showing you many of the pattern choices available. www.kafko.com http://www.pacificpools.com/
Quality of vinyl liners by different manufacturers
There are only 3 or 4 factories that make vinyl pool liner material. They then sell large rolls of this vinyl, printed in different patterns and different thicknesses to approx. 30 different pool liner manufacturers. These manufacturers then cut and seam this vinyl into pool liners. All vinyl I know of used for in-ground pool liners is virgin vinyl (not recycled). Some liner manufacturers specify the exact combination of vinyl, plasticizers, UV inhibitors, algaecides, etc to be made into vinyl liners. However, I would not choose one company over another because their vinyl composition is better. I would choose a manufacturer that makes a good fitting liner, relatively quickly, at a good price, with a good warrantee, and that offers a color pattern I find attractive.
Most liner manufacturers warrantee their liners for 15 to 20 years. For each manufacturer's exact warrantee conditions, visit their websites. All manufacturers prorate their warrantees. This means, if a liner fails in the first year, they will make a new liner at no charge. If it fails after 2 years, they give you approx 90% credit on a new liner, etc. They only warrantee what they have control of. If you get a tear in the liner, it is not covered by the warrantee. If above the waterline looks newer than below, that shows the damage has been caused by bad water chemistry, usually excessively high chlorine or low pH, and is not covered. They do warrantee liner seams. The seam is where the different pieces of vinyl are melted together to form a liner that will fit your particular pool. I find most liners actually last 8 to 12 years.
I guarantee my work for one year. If a liner comes loose from a drain, skimmer, return or step I will repair it, unless the liner has been allowed to float up and tear loose. If the liner comes loose from the coping in the first year, I will reinstall it at no charge. If a liner fails under warrantee in the first year, I will install the new liner at no charge. If a liner fails under warrantee after a year, I will also prorate my labor charges to install the new liner.
How long will it take to replace my liner?
If a pool is full of water and I can clearly see the drain in the deep end and the liner is not floating up off the bottom, I can measure a pool for a new liner without draining it. Therefore, the only lost swim time is the typical 4 hours used to drain and install the new liner and the time required to refill it.
It takes about 1 week for a liner to be made by Kafko. It takes about 2 to 3 days for a trucking company to get a liner to Charlotte. It takes me an average of 5 hours to drain a pool, remove the old liner, install new gaskets, install the new liner and start refilling the pool. It will take about 2 days to refill. Altogether, it takes about 2 weeks from the time a new liner is ordered until it is finished. A new liner can not be installed if there is a threat of substantial rain; or it will float the new liner up before there is enough water weight to hold it in place. Extensive bottom revermiculiting can not be done with a threat of rain. A cold spell (under 65 degrees at time of installation) will delay the job. Weather can delay schedules.
If a party is being held in 2 or 3 days, sometimes a liner can be found at a distributor and a water hauling company can fill immediately afterwards and a job may be done in time for the party. Everything must work out perfectly, but it can happen.
When should I replace my liner?
When a pool develops tears which are too large to patch (usually over 4 or 5 inches), it is time to replace the liner. After several years of sun damage and water chemical degradation a liner looses its pliability, and becomes brittle. When the liner is brittle it doesn't stretch. It cracks when brushed, vacuumed or even walked on. If you are constantly patching holes, it is time to replace. If a liner is several years old and you can't find a leak, it is sometimes more economical to replace the liner than pay a leak detection service several hundred dollars to find and patch a liner that's already worn out.
A new liner should be installed when the air temperature is 65 degrees or warmer, to ensure a good stretch. If a liner possibly needs to be replaced in the fall, go ahead and have it done. Many people want to wait until spring, but the liner fully fails in the extreme winter cold and they are forced to replace the liner when it is so cold the liner will not stretch, and the new liner only lasts a few years. If a liner does fail in the middle of winter it is better to go ahead and replace it then, just wait for the warmest day. If the pool is left empty or partially filled during winters freezing temperatures the walls could cave in or the bottom may need extensive revermiculiting, greatly increasing the cost. If you have a leak in the winter and you keep adding water till spring, that water will wash away much of the supporting dirt behind the walls and under the decking.
My pool is losing water. Is there a leak?
Evaporation: To check if a pool's water loss is due to evaporation, do the bucket test. Get a five gallon bucket and partially fill with the pool's water. Set the bucket on the pool's middle step, where the top of the bucket is out of the water. Splash water into or out of the bucket until the water level inside the bucket is exactly the same as outside the bucket. Leave the bucket of water in the pool for a day or two and see if the inside and outside water levels remain equal to each other. If water outside the bucket drops below the inside water level, there is a leak, not evaporation. The bucket is placed in the pool because if it is set on the deck, the bucket water will get hotter than the pool water and will evaporate at a different rate. With the bucket in the pool, the water temperature inside is the same as outside the bucket.
If you find your pool is leaking water, there is another test to help find the problem. Fill your pool to mid skimmer as normal. Mark the level of the water so you know its exact height. Leave the pump off for 24hrs. (Disconnect any time clocks which may automatically turn on pump). Measure how many inches of water dropped from your mark. Next, fill pool back to mark at mid skimmer and turn pump on continuously for 24hrs. Measure how many inches of water dropped from your mark. Compare how much water drained with pump on versus pump off. If they are equal it usually means a torn liner, leaking light conduit, cracked fiberglass step, or leaking faceplate gasket. If the drops in water are very different from each other, it usually indicates broken underground pipes, a bad filter multi-port valve, or visible leaks at the pump and filter pad.
If your tests indicate broken underground pipes, you can purchase winterizing expansion plugs from a pool product retailer and plug the returns, skimmers, drains and any other pool fittings. Leave your pump off. If your pool stops leaking, you can then unplug one pipe and wait a few hours to see if pool is leaking again, before removing another plug. When you know which pipe is broken, I can tell you options of repair.
If your tests indicate a torn liner, vacuum and brush pool well and make sure water is very clear. Turn pool pump off for several hours to allow the water to stop moving. Get a bottle of food coloring and walk around the pool deck looking at the liner for any dark marks which could be a tear in the liner. If you see a mark, try to push it with the pool brush. If the mark doesn't move, slowly place the food coloring tip very close to the mark and slowly squeeze out a small amount of food coloring (if you move fast you will stir up the water, and food coloring will move with the current and not with the leak). If the food coloring gets sucked into the mark, it is a tear and can be patched with an underwater patch kit (never drain a vinyl liner pool). If the food coloring just hovers around the mark, it is just a mark on the liner, slowly remove the bottle and continue looking for the mark that is actually the hole.
Some pool techs recommend allowing the pool to continue leaking until it stops leaking, thereby, telling you what exact depth the water leak is at. Never allow an in-ground vinyl liner pool to drain. The walls may cave in, the vermiculite bottom can be damaged, the liner can float, tearing it from faceplates, etc. Allowing a pool to drain carries too many risks to be worth the benefits.
Off the shelf liners vs. custom made liners
The only advantage of an off the shelf liner is quickness. If you are having a party very soon and don't have time to wait a week or two to have a custom liner made, you can sometimes find a liner on the shelf that will fit your pool. Only a few local distributors still carry already made liners in inventory so it is a 50/50 chance of finding one that fits. If you have a kidney or odd size pool, your chances are about 0 of finding a liner already made. You have no choice of color on an off the shelf liner, it is already made to a generic basic pattern and color. When filling out a warrantee card, I found that a liner I just installed had sat on the shelf for 6 liners before I purchased it. I was told the liner was as good as new because it had no sun or chemical damage. All I know is the wrinkles were very difficult to get to flatten out. The fit of these liners can be good or bad, depending on how close the pool was dug and installed to specifications.
A custom made liner is made to your pools dimensions, in your choice of colors, and the vinyl is fresh and new. However, it will take a week or two to make it. If you need a custom liner made quickly, several manufacturers will ship a liner in 2 or 3 days (plus 2 or 3 days for shipping), for an additional $250 -$500. Some manufacturers make and ship liners quickly, while some have taken as long as 2 months, so ask me to find out exact processing times if it is a concern.
What color pattern should I choose for my new liner?
First, choose a manufacturer that makes a good full-fitting liner, stands behind that liner, charges a reasonable price and ships custom liners quickly. I like Kafko www.Kafko.com/ and Loop-Loc www.looploc.com
Second, a dark liner will heat the water more quickly than a light liner. A dark liner will allow the pool water to heat earlier in the year and stay warmer longer into the fall, increasing your available swimming time. However, in july and august, when people want to use the pool the most, a dark liner may make the water unbearably hot. So, if your pool is in the woods with lots of shade, or you simply like warmer water, choose a darker print liner. If your pool is always in direct sunlight, or you want cooler water in the heat of the summer, choose a lighter color.
Green or teal colored liners make it difficult to tell when your pool is growing algae. Every pool gets algae from time to time. If you have a green colored liner, you don't notice the algae until it overtakes the pool, which makes it extremely difficult to kill. If your liner is a shade of white and blue, and you start to get algae, it becomes visible early enough to easily get rid of.
Tile print liner patterns can look awkward. A tile print liner is a vinyl liner that looks like a concrete pool with small tiles covering the entire sides and bottom of the pool. When manufactures make liners with these patterns they make no effort to line up grout lines, so it looks uneven. Also if your pool is not perfectly straight, level and square (most are not), the horizontal and vertical tile lines show the unevenness. Most in-ground pool liners are made of various shape pieces (rectangles, triangles, trapezoids, etc.) requiring these tile lines to come together at various angles. Some people love the tile look. However, particular people that look real hard at a tile liner may be displeased.
I prefer liners in which the bottom print wraps all the way up the wall to the tile print. Liners that have a solid blue or white wall show all the wall joints and wall imperfections, whereas a print on the wall camouflages these imperfections. If you have wall foam on your walls, it will help hide wall joints. (Do not have wall foam installed just for this purpose. Wall foam may create other problems.)
If you plan on selling your home in the near future, stay away from wild colors and fish prints. Just like if you were selling your house, you would not paint your home interior in reds and purples. Stay with the neutral patterns.
All pool liners have seams. There is a thin line along these seams where the ink appears to be erased. Some patterns show this much more vividly than others. Generally, the more contrast between the ink color and liner color, the more the seams show up. If your pattern choice has a photo on this website, (PoolPhotos), you can zoom in on seams. If you are unsure, you can ask my opinion on a certain pattern's seam contrast.
Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. If you like a pattern, it doesn't matter if I like it or not. You will be looking at this liner for the next 10 years. Choose a pattern YOU like. My opinions are only stated to help narrow your search down from the hundreds of patterns available out there.
What thickness liner should I have installed?
A liner's thickness is stated in mils. One mil equals 1/1000 inch thick. Pool liners come in 20mil, 26mil, 27mil/ 28mil, 30mil and 40mil. I would guess 90% of in ground pools have a typical 20mil liner. If a pattern is shown with a 30/20 thickness, it means the wall is 30mil thick, while the floor is 20mil thick. 20/30 means 20mil wall vinyl and 30mil floor vinyl. If a pattern does not state its thickness, it is assumed to be the typical 20mil. If a liner is available in a thicker version it will be stated in the brochure or website. Manufacturers cannot make a 20 mil pattern thicker if it isn't available that way.
A thicker liner will not puncture as easily as a thinner liner. But if a dog falls into a vinyl liner pool and goes scratching around the edging to get out, the liner will be badly torn, no matter how thick it is. If children pole vault across the pool with the pool pole, they will puncture any liner. If a glass bottle breaks and the broken glass falls into the pool, it can cut any thickness liner. A vinyl liner is not as durable as a concrete pool and should be treated with care.
A 26mil, 27mil, 28mil, or 30mil liner will be approximately 25% more expensive than a 20 mil liner. A 40 mil liner will be approximately 50% more expensive than a 20mil liner.
A liner normally gets tears above the waterline, where the sun shines the longest. After the liner is several years old, it will lose its pliability. When a liner loses this stretchiness it will crack. A thicker liner will last a little longer than a thinner liner. However, a 40 mil liner will not last twice as long as a 20 mil liner.
I recommend the standard 20mil liner for most people, unless they have special circumstances. Such as: a dog that insists on swimming in a pool, or uncontrollable children that throw sharp objects into the pool, etc.
Should faceplates and gaskets be replaced with liner?
I replace all plastic faceplates on skimmers, returns and drains; as long as they are still available. I replace all fiber gaskets on skimmers, returns, drains and lights; if they are still available. I replace rubber gaskets on fiberglass steps if they are worn. I do not normally replace plastic faceplates on fiberglass steps. I do not normally replace plastic or metal faceplates on underwater pool lights.
Should I have the walls padded when the new liner is installed?
Many homeowners tell me that other pool companies have told them they need their pool walls padded when a new liner is installed (usually up selling; like would you like fries with that burger?). I only recommend padding walls if a pool has steel walls which are tremendously rusted or plastic walls which are cracking badly and there are sharp edges that may cut the liner. People do not walk on the walls, so it is not needed to simply pad the walls. In-ground vinyl pool floors should never be padded, because the vinyl needs the friction from the sand or vermiculite bottom to keep it from sliding around and creating wrinkles. If an in-ground pool is built in a high water table area, the liner will sometimes float, and the padding will sometimes float up the wall. Padding the pool walls costs approximately $250 extra on an average size pool and can create extra problems. Therefore, padding should only be done if there is a pressing need and not as a preventive measure.
Should I change the pool's underwater light bulb while the pool is empty?
A pool's underwater light can be repaired without draining a pool. To change the bulb, you unscrew the size 2 phillips head screw and the light will come out from the wall. You will find about 3 foot of cord wrapped around the fixture, which if you unroll will allow you to set the light on the pool deck and change the bulb or other repairs. If there is not enough cord a licensed electrician can disconnect wires at the junction box, splice a cord onto that end and pull enough cord out to allow repairs, and then reverse that to put it back in.
The only light repair that cannot be done, while the pool is full of water, is replacing the vinyl liner retention ring. This ring is usually metal or plastic, actually touches the liner at the outermost reaches, and has 6 to 10 screws in it. Never take these 6 to 10 screws out unless changing the liner. Some styles of lights are slightly different.
Many times when a light fixture is taken apart to change the bulb, it doesn't seal correctly and water gets into the fixture. This shorts the light out and creates a safety concern. An underwater pool light bulb should only be replaced when it burns out, not as a preventive measure.
Vinyl covered steel steps or white fiberglass plastic steps?
There are two basic types of steps used on in-ground pools: white fiberglass and vinyl covered steel steps. Many people ask if they can change from one type to the other, of if I can replace cracked fiberglass steps or replace rusted steel steps. Yes, I can replace steps. However, to replace steps I must tear out the concrete decking, excavate around the steps, cut out rusted bolts attaching the steps to the walls, etc. The cost is over $5000, so repairing the steps is usually more sensible.
Vinyl covered steel steps are stronger than plastic, so they rarely crack. However, a new liner made to fit up and over each individual step costs more to make and adds to the cost of each steel walled pool liner replacement. If the steel steps become heavily rusted, I can pad them before installing the new liner. The padding will hide the rust and protect the liner from sharp flakes of rust. The critical thing about having a new liner installed over steel steps is insisting the installer attaches the vinyl to the steel steps via a fiberglass rod inserted through a sleeve in the back corner of each step and then affixing the rod securely to the steel steps. Because steel steps are made of several separate pieces of steel connected together, they sometimes shift with the various forces applied by supporting settling soil and step risers and runs become unequal. Therefore, there are sometimes small wrinkles on vinyl steps, even after an expert installation.
A fiberglass step will sometimes develop cracks, because the supporting dirt underneath it settles over time. A fiberglass step is multi-layered and the visible cracks are normally only in the top layer, so the pool does not actually lose water. The critical thing about installing a liner in a pool with fiberglass steps is to use a rubber gasket above as well as under the liner where it meets the faceplate so it is never torn by the sharp corners of the faceplates at the bottom two corners of the steps.
If your pool was built with no steps, only ladders, I can install fiberglass steps for $6,000, vinyl covered steel steps in a corner for $3,500 or you can purchase aftermarket lay-in fiberglass steps for approx. $400. Aftermarket lay-in steps can be purchased over the internet, mail order or ordered through local pool retailers. These steps are made of white fiberglass and simply lay on the pool bottom over the liner. You do not even have to replace the liner to install this type of step. They are hollow with an open back. You sink them a couple of feet away from the wall, place sand bags into the bottom via the open back to hold them down, and slide them back against the wall.
Should I fill pool with city water, well, or water hauling trucks?
It is impractical to store the existing water in your pool now, and using it to refill the new liner. The cost of building another pool large enough to store the old water or hiring enough trucks to hold the water would cost much more than buying new water. Also, the old water has built up pool staining minerals and contaminants that need to be removed.
My first choice in filling a pool is with a common garden hose using city water. Secondly, I would use my well to fill the pool. Lastly, I would pay water hauling trucks to fill my pool.
Filling a pool with city water usually adds about $100 to your monthly water bill and takes about 48 hours to fill it. The water is also the clearest, cleanest and purist available.
Water from a personal well is free, except for the cost of electricity to run the pump motor. Some well water is cloudy, but that can be filtered out. The main deterrent to well water is minerals, such as iron, in the groundwater which can badly stain a pool. You must decide if your well is capable of filling the pool. If you plan on filling your pool by running the well off and on for several days, tell me before I install it. If it rains before the pool is completely refilled, it could float the liner. If the well is not capable of filling the pool quickly enough, we can partially fill the pool with well water and also have a load or two of water hauled in by trucks.
Having water hauled in by trucks is the most expensive way to fill a pool. It may cost $500 to $1,000 or more. Two basic truck types are used to haul water to fill pools. Pavement cleaning trucks haul about 1,500 gallons of water at a time while large 18 wheeled tankers haul about 5,600 gallons per trip. Trucks pump water from fire hydrants in to their tankers, and then drive to the pool, where they pump the water out into the pool. Water in fire hydrant lines normally moves very slowly and sediment settles in the bottom of the pipes, so insist the driver flush the fire hydrant for a few minutes before filling his truck or the water maybe very dirty. Using larger trucks are less expensive because they can make fewer loads. If you are having your pool filled by large water trucks and the pool is too far from the road for them to run hoses, they will make you sign a not responsible release. Filled water trucks are extremely heavy and do break concrete driveways, make deep yard ruts, collapse Septic tanks, etc. If they get stuck in a muddy yard, they may even charge you for the tow truck.
If you want to fill the pool from a nearby fire hydrant, you must get a permit from the local water department. You must then rent enough fire hose to reach from the hydrant to the pool. You must pay for the permit, the cost of the water, and the rental charges for the fire hose. As I stated earlier, water blasting from a hydrant sometimes carries a lot of silt which has settled to the bottom of waterlines, making the pool water cloudy. Filling from a hydrant takes less time, but costs more than a garden hose and can produce dirty water.
Water Haulers:
American Pavement Cleaning 704-201-9061 Mecklenburg, Union Counties
AquaDuck 704-877-7768 Charlotte
Balls Creek Oil Co. 828-241-2242 Lincolnton, Catawba Counties
Carolina Pavement Cleaning 704-398-8890 Charlotte
Dennis Smith 704-860-2413 Rock Hill, Kings Mtn, York
Jeff and Terry's Pool filling 704-938-1512 Concord, all areas
Mineral Springs Feed and Grain 704-843-2683 Union County
Rowan Milk Transport 704-278-9281 Rowan County, Salisbury
Tad Enterprises 704-588-5337 Pineville
Tim Bradshaw 704-677-3059 Mooresville, Huntersville
The top edge of my liner has come down out of the coping track
The top edge of the liner, called the "Bead", fits into a groove in the Coping. The coping is the white or aluminum colored edging between the liner and the concrete deck. The dirt under the concrete decking swells during rains and freezing temperatures, and compacts during dry weather. This causes an alternating leveraging action that slightly opens and closes this groove, and the liner will sometimes slips out. If the liner is still pliable and it wasn't stretched excessively when originally installed, the liner can usually be put back into the coping groove.
Wait for a hot sunny day to try reinstalling the bead back into the coping track. The warmer it is, the more stretch the liner will have. Try lifting the liner that has come out with one hand, and reinserting it with the other hand. A spline installing tool can be bought at Home Depot or Lowe's to assist in pushing the liner in. If it is still too difficult to reinsert, you may heat the liner with a hair dryer or by pouring very hot water onto it. If you use a hair dryer, move the dryer constantly back and forth and do not get it too close to the liner or it will burn a hole into the liner. The liner is thin and will cool off in seconds, so you will have to work quickly. Heat the liner, reinstall a couple of inches, reheat the liner, reinstall a couple of inches, etc. If it still won't work, drain a foot of water from the pool, if your liner isn't prone to floating, and try again. If the liner has come down 3" and there are 6" from the waterline to the coping, it is much easier to drain 12" of water out of the pool, then you only have to stretch 15" into 18", instead of trying to stretch 3" into 6". As you are draining the water, try reinstalling liner, you may find you are able to get it in after only draining 2". The less water you drain, the less water you must replace and the less chance you have of the liner floating.
After you reinstall the liner, you may wedge pennies into the groove over the trouble area to reduce the chance of it coming out again. If a penny is not the right size, try other coins of various thicknesses. Pool retailers, like Leslie's, also sell rolls of "Liner Lock", which is a strip of white rubber that you can wedge over all or part of the liner to reduce the chances of it coming out. A spline installing tool will aid in installing this too. A spline installing tool is a plastic handle about 7" long with rolling convex wheel on one side for reinstalling the liner and a convex wheel on the other side for installing spline or Liner Lock, it costs less than $5. When you notice the liner coming out of the groove, immediately wedge two pennies into the groove on either side of the problem (where the liner is still in the grove) to keep the problem area from getting bigger.
My liner floats up when it rains hard. Why and how do I prevent it?
An in-ground liner is not glued or screwed to the pool's walls or floor. The top edge of the liner has a lip, which locks with a lip in the bottom of the coping groove. The weight of the water holds the liner down, and the interlocking lips hold the perimeter up. The water pressure pushes the liner out to the walls. If you drain an in-ground vinyl liner pool and remove the liner, the remaining walls and floor are not water-tight, they are only a form to hold the liner. The liner holds the water in. Therefore, it you get a tear in the liner, gravity will pull the water through the tear, and the escaping water will go through the wall panel seams and the porous sand or vermiculite bottom and soak down into the ground.
The Charlotte area's soil is composed mostly of clay, which does not allow water to travel through it easily. Sometimes water will leak through a tear quicker than it can soak through the clay soil and will build up pressure between the liner and the floor, this resulting pressure may float the liner up. If an in-ground liner pool is built too close to a creek, lake or swampy area, and there is sufficient rainfall, the rising water-table may float the liner. Some areas are just flat with little drainage and an abnormally high water-table, hard rains will sometimes float the liners in these areas. If you ever overfill a liner pool (water over liner top, not over concrete decking) the liner will usually float. The concrete decking should always slant away from the pool, if it doesn't even a little rain can actually overfill a pool and cause the liner to float. Many people are instructed to drain 1 or 2 feet of water in order to winterize their pool (this is necessary far north of here), and the remaining water is not heavy enough to hold the liner down throughout the long winter.
To prevent liners from floating; 1)never overfill a liner pool 2)if you are experiencing heavy rain (over 3 or 4 inches), drain some water to prevent it from going over the top of the liner, 3)patch holes in liners immediately, 4)drain very little if any water from the pool to winterize, 5)if your home's gutters drain water uphill to the pool, install pipes to divert the water past the pool, 6)if concrete driveways uphill from the pool divert water close to the pool, dig trenches or install walls to divert water past pool 7)install "French Drains" in problem pools.
A French drain is an underground pipe with on open end behind a pool's wall, and another open end above-ground, but downhill from the first end. If there is insufficient slope away from the pool, a French drain will not work. If water builds pressure under the liner, it will take the path of least resistance and flow downhill through the French drain pipe, before it builds sufficient force to float the liner. To install a French drain, tunnel underneath the concrete decking to the back of the pool wall's bottom edge (approx. 42"deep) at a place where two wall panels join each other, preferable in a corner. Dig a trench from the pool wall's bottom, downhill (at least 1" drop per 1' of trench) until the trench reaches above-ground. Lay landscaping fabric or plastic sheeting into the trench to keep dirt from clogging the drain. Connect enough 4" diameter perforated piping together to reach from pool to opposing end of the trench and cover pool end with fabric. Lay pipe in trench bottom and cover with a foot or two of large aggregate gravel (not crushed up pit gravel). Fold the fabric or plastic lining the trench over the gravel encasing the pipe and rough gravel. Cover trench with dirt and plant grass and the only sign left by the French drain will be the open 4" pipe coming out of the ground, downhill from the pool.
When a liner floats up it can tear loose from the drain, step or wall fittings forcing you to have the liner replaced. When the liner floats up, it will sometimes slide around, causing wrinkles because it didn't lie back down in its original position. To remove these wrinkles you must wait for the ground to dry out, then drain the pool below the lowest wrinkle and place a vacuum on the liner to re-stretch it and refill the pool. If the liner is still floating, you can take the liner loose from the coping in a corner and place a small sump pump behind the liner to drain the water from behind the liner (if the water behind the liner is clear, I will drain it back into the liner). If you place the sump pump too low behind the liner and forget about it, it will drain too much water out, and the pool water pressure will pin it down, and you will not be able to get it out. Therefore, only place the sump pump low enough to be in the water behind the liner. While you are draining water from behind the liner, you will take your pool pole with the brush attached and carefully push the liner down at the base of the walls, pulling the wrinkles in the bottom out. As you first begin draining water, the wrinkles will reappear, but as more water is drained the liner will get more and more grip on the bottom until it finally stays in place. If you begin draining water and don't continuously push the wrinkles out, the liner will get a grip on the bottom at the wrong place and you will have wrinkles. After the wrinkles are pulled out, continue draining as much water from behind the liner as possible to keep the wrinkles from reappearing. If your liner already has wrinkles, and you are very good and very lucky, you can sometimes take the liner out of the coping and put a garden hose behind the liner to cause the liner to float, then, drain the water from behind the liner while pushing the wrinkles out to remove the wrinkles.
If you see a star shaped wrinkle in the shallow end (several wrinkles extended from one point), measure the shallow end depth at several places and you will usually find a hump in the pool bottom at the center of this star. During a long heavy rain, the rising water-table will force air in the ground up and the air will get caught in the hump of the liner and float the liner up at this precise place. To fix this problem, you must drain the pool, remove the liner, dig out the hump, revermiculite the pool shallow end to level, and replace the liner.
My new liner is installed and the pool is full of water. Now what?
Before starting the pump, make sure the pool is not leaking, by marking the exact waterline with a piece of tape and watching it for 12 hours to see if the pool is losing any water. If it is not losing water, run the pump for 12 hours and see if it is losing any water. I recommend marking the liner with tape because if you just say the water is between the 2nd and 3rd skimmer screws or the water level is about in the middle of the tile line and you lose 1/2" of water, it may not be noticed.
After determining the pool isn't leaking, you should balance the water's chemicals. If you take a glass of water from the pool to a pool chemical retailer, they will analyze it and tell you what chemicals you need and how to apply them. After applying the various chemicals, take a new sample from the pool to the retailer and have them retest it to double check yourself.
How can I make my new liner last longer?
Fuller Cut: No pool is exactly level, square and even. As a test, just measure your pool's shallow end water depth in several different places. The manufactures that make pool liners know pools aren't exact. If they make the liner slightly too large, there will be wrinkles, and they may have to remake the liner. Therefore, all manufactures make their liners smaller than the pool's measurements and the installer stretches the liner to fit the pool. Some manufacturers make their liners too small, forcing the installer to stretch the liner excessively. The more a liner is stretched, the thinner it becomes, and the more fragile it becomes. (Picture a balloon; the more you blow it up and stretch it, the more likely it is to burst.) So, choose a manufacturer that makes a full fitting liner.
Test and adjust chemicals regularly: Many people look at their clear pool water and assume it must be balanced correctly. They add chlorine without testing anything. The chorine level becomes sky high and the pH drops to very acidic. This environment will break down a vinyl liner very quickly. Maintain free chlorine at 1-3 ppm (parts per million), pH at 7.4-7.6, total alkalinity at 80-120 ppm, hardness at 200-300 ppm, and chlorine stabilizer at 60-80 ppm. Do not throw granular chlorine directly into the pool without dissolving it first. The majority of chlorine should be added through an automatic chlorinator with sticks or pucks of stabilized chlorine. Shock the pool only when necessary: only when the combined chlorine level reaches 2 ppm more than free chlorine. Test and adjust all chemicals at least weekly with a good test kit (like the Rainbow Pro-11) and your liner will last longer. If you have any chemical related questions, a pool retailer will help explain further.
Avoid sharp objects in pool: Toys such as metal matchbox cars should not be played with in a vinyl liner pool. Do not allow dogs to swim in the pool and possibly puncture the liner with their toenails. Regularly check pool brushes, vacuum heads, and automatic pool cleaners for any sharp edges. In general, be cautious about anything that goes onto the pool.
Cover your pool: A liner usually first develops tears above the waterline where the sun shines the most. The ultraviolet rays of the sun break down the liner. If you cover your pool during the cold winter months, you will lower the amount of sun damage. However, if you cover your pool in winter: you will be buying a new cover and water bags approx. every 3 years and possibly be paying someone several hundred dollars to winterize your pool and then again to open your pool in the spring. You will spend much more money covering your pool, than you will save by not replacing the liner as often. As a rule, if your pool is surrounded by lots of trees, cover your pool to avoid the hassle of constantly removing falling leaves. If there are not many trees, leave it open, replace the liner slightly more often, but save money in the long run. Some people cover their pool for 1 month in the fall to catch the leaves; then take the cover off to enjoy the beauty of the pool during the remaining winter months.
Use Baquacil or bromine: Baquacil and bromine are alternatives to chlorine. If someone has an allergy to chlorine they are great alternatives. However, they are much more expensive than chlorine. To save money, use chlorine and replace the liner slightly more often.
Do not ever drain a liner pool unless you are replacing the liner: No mater how dirty and green the water gets, it can be cleared up. Small holes can be patched underwater without draining the pool. Do not drain excessive amounts of water if you winterize and cover your pool. A pool liner is not screwed or glued to the walls or floor of an in-ground pool. It is the weight of the water that holds the liner in place. Draining even small amounts of water will increase the chance that the liner will float up and possibly tear loose from pool fittings or cause excessive wrinkling. If you are replacing the liner, have the measurements taken, and leave the pool full until the liner is ready to install. This will reduce chances of walls caving in and bottom damage.
Never allow a pool to over fill: If the pool water is allowed to get above the lowest top edge of the liner, the water will go over the top edge of the liner and accumulate behind the liner. This will allow the liner to float up and possibly tear loose from the pool fittings or create excessive wrinkling.
How do I maintain pool weekly and monthly?
Equipment needed: 8' -16' adjustable length pole, vacuum head - weighted with brushes on bottom not wheels (wheeled ones are for concrete pools), 16" to 18" wide nylon bristle brush that attaches to pool pole, skim-vac (looks like a white plastic Frisbee with a rubber gasket along the bottom of the rim), leaf rake (a net that attaches to pole), vacuum hose, water chemistry test kit or test strips that test at least: free and combined chlorine, pH, total alkalinity, hardness and stabilizer (I prefer Rainbow's Pro-11 test kit).
Chemicals needed: granular chlorine and sticks of chlorine (or a chlorine alternative like bromine or baquacil), pH increaser and pH decreaser, total alkalinity+ (sodium bicarbonate = baking soda), hardness+ (calcium carbonate), and chlorine stabilizer (cyanuric acid).
Attach the leaf rake to the pole and net out the leaves floating on the surface. If this is done first, it will allow you to see the bottom better when you vacuum the bottom.
Vacuum the pool weekly. Extend the pool pole out to 16' and attach the vacuum head to the pole. Slide the vacuum hose securely over the top hole in the vacuum head. Slide the skim-vac securely over the other end of the vacuum hose. Place the vacuum head on the bottom of the pool and lay the pole handle against the pool wall. Carry the skim-vac over to the skimmer and remove the skimmer lid. Empty any leaves in the skimmer basket. Grasp the vacuum hose where it first comes out of the water closest to the vac head (probably about 10" from vacuum head), push the vacuum hose down into the water and grab the hose where it now comes out of the water with your other hand and push it down. Continue pushing the hose down until the skim-vac is submerged; this will force all the air out of the vacuum hose. Quickly pull the skim vac out of the water and place it over the skimmer basket. Hold the skim-vac down until the suction keeps it down.
Vacuum the pool like you are mowing the yard, place the vac head in the far shallow end corner and slowly drag it to the near corner, always keeping it flush to the bottom (the weights assist in keeping it down). Slide the vac head over about 8" and slowly slide it back across the pool. Continue back and forth until the bottom and slopes are covered. When the vac-head reaches a large object (like leaves, twigs, gumballs or acorns), twist the pole handle and one side of the vac-head will lift up, push the vac-head over the object and let it fall over it. If you push the vac-head through acorns or twigs without lifting on to them, you risk dragging the object and tearing the liner. If the object is possibly too large to go through the vac-head hole, place the vac-head onto it and the suction will hold the object while you pull the vac head in and remove the object with your hand (always keeping the vac-head in the water so as not to lose prime). The speed you vacuum with depends on the vac-head size and the amount of suction you have, vacuum as quickly as you can while still sucking in all debris. If you have a difficult time removing the skim-vac when you are finished vacuuming, release the suction by pulling the vacuum hose off the skim-vac or removing the vacuum head from the water. After releasing the suction, quickly remove the skim-vac so the pump does not lose prime.
The skimmer's suction is created by the pool's pump motor. The pump sucks water from the skimmer and drain and returns the water through the returns in the walls. Where the PVC pipe horizontally enters the pump (not the pipe coming out the top) there will be valves to adjust water flow from the drain and skimmer. These valves can be set to suck water only from the drain, only from the skimmer, or partially from each. Normally you will have them set for 50% skimmer and 50% drain. If you vacuum the pool with the valves in this position, you will only have 50% of the possible suction available. If you turn the valves to 100% skimmer and 0% drain, vacuuming will be much easier. Sometimes, 100% suction is so strong the vac-head will tend to stick to the liner at times. If this happens, adjust the valves to 75% skimmer and 25% drain. Also, if there is more than one skimmer, turn off the valve to the unused skimmer or plug it with a tennis ball to create more vacuuming suction.
Always vacuum with the skim-vac attached and the skimmer basket in, catching the debris in the skimmer basket. Many people do not use the skimmer basket or the skim-vac, and allow the debris to get caught in the pump strainer basket (the small basket located in the front of the pump with a clear plastic lid over it). Inevitably, they clog their under-ground pipes while vacuuming and have to call a professional to unclog them. Using a skim-vac prevents this from happening, provided the skimmer basket is in and is not broken.
After vacuuming the pool, clean out all skimmer baskets and the pump strainer basket. Backwash sand and DE filters weekly or when the filter pressure increases 10psi over normal operating pressure. Normal operating pressure is different from pool to pool; it is simply whatever the filter's pressure gage reads after the filter has been cleaned. To backwash sand or DE filters; turn off the pump, turn the filter's multi-port valve to backwash, and turn the pump back on. Let the pump run until the dirty filter water comes out clean, turn the pump off, turn the multi-port back to filter, and turn the pump motor back on. Instead of backwashing a cartridge filter, you simply remove the cartridge and hose it off and reinsert it (of course turning the motor off while doing this). Sand filters should have the sand replaced about every 8 years.
Monthly, you should brush the liner with a plastic bristle brush (wire brushes are for concrete pools). Every 2 or 3 weeks clean the waterline with a vinyl liner cleaner on a soft rag. I don't have a preference for a brand of vinyl liner cleaner, but I do prefer heavy bodied cleaners over very watery ones. Never use comet or soft scrub on the liner; they have abrasives that will rub holes into the liner. Never use dish washing liquid on the liner; it will cause the water to suds up. Vinyl liner manufacturers have told me they don't recommend "Armor All" protectant on the liner above the waterline; it was not designed to get into pool water, and thus, into eyes and onto the skin.
Now you can test and adjust the chemicals. Several times I have replaced liners for people who say their liners only last 3 or 4 years. After a few questions, I find they balance chemicals only once or twice a year. They take samples to have the water tested when they open the pool in the spring and then maybe again in the fall. Each week, if the pool is clear, they assume everything is balanced and simply add more chlorine. If they were to test the water they would find the chorine 5 times higher than recommended levels and the pH so low the water is actually acidic. Of course the water is clear! Nothing can grow in that environment. But those harsh conditions also deteriorate the liner and pool equipment very quickly. Check and adjust chlorine and pH at least weekly. Check and adjust total alkalinity, hardness and stabilizer at least every 3 weeks.
Always keep 2 forms of chlorine on hand, sticks and granular. The sticks go into a floating dispenser or an automatic chlorinator (preferably the Hayward CL-220) located by the pump; and is used to maintain the chorine level. Granular chorine is always dissolved in a bucket of water before pouring it into the pool; and is used to quickly raise chlorine levels. If chlorine is not dissolved before throwing it into the pool, it will sink to the bottom and bleach out the liner (you will notice the walls have more color than the floor and the liner is really white in the corners of the deep end, where the chlorine slides down slopes onto flat surfaces). Chlorine is a combustible substance and should be treated with care. Read directions on all pool chemicals. Always add granular chlorine to a bucket of water; never add water to a bucket of chlorine. Never mix chemicals; not even different brands of the same chemical. Store chemicals in a safe place.
When chlorine sanitizes algae or bacteria in a pool, the algae or bacteria also neutralizes the chlorine. The chlorine changes from free chlorine to combined chlorine (chloramines). These combined chlorines build up and make the free chlorine less effective at sanitizing the pool water. Shocking the pool will oxidize and remove these combined chlorines. Shocking the pool simply means adding enough liquid or granular chlorine to raise the chlorine level to 3-5 times normal levels. Wait for chlorine levels to drop back to normal 1-3ppm before going swimming. Shocking should be done about 4 times a year, depending on how often the pool is used. Specifically, the pool should be shocked when you smell a strong chlorine smell from the pool (the smell is caused by chloramines), or when the total chlorine reads 2ppm higher than free chlorine.
The pH tells how acidic the pool's water is. The ideal pH range is 7.4 to 7.6. If the pH is lower than 7.2, the water is acidic and will eat away at the pool surfaces. If pH is over 7.8, chlorine is less effective and scaling forms (similar to the white chalk on the inside of glass shower doors). pH increaser and decreaser can be used to adjust it; read directions on the label to know how much to add.
Total alkalinity should be kept 80-120ppm. The total alkalinity keeps the pH from bouncing up and down as badly; it keeps it more stable. Baking soda (sodium bicarbonate) is used to raise the total alkalinity.
Stabilizer (cyanuric acid) should be kept 40-80ppm. It keeps the chlorine from being burned out by sunlight as quickly as normal.
Hardness should be kept 200-300ppm. The hardness is the minerals in the water, mostly calcium. Only so many minerals can be dissolved in the water. If the level gets above that amount, the minerals come out of solution and stain the pool surfaces.
Algaecides use metals to kill bacteria and if used excessively will stain the pool. I recommend using algaecides 3 times a year. Clarifier should be used when the water is cloudy and is difficult to clear up. Pool floc can be used if the pool is excessively cloudy, read directions.
* Test chlorine & pH weekly. Test total alkalinity, hardness, & stabilizer every 3 weeks
* maintain free chlorine @ 1-3ppm
2 oz. calcium hypochlorite raises free chlorine of 10,000 gallons by 1ppm
13 fl.oz sodium hypochlorite (bleach) raises free chlorine of 10,000 gallons by 1ppm
4 oz. lithium hypochlorite raises free chlorine of 10,000 gallons by 1ppm
* maintain pH @ 7.4 -7.6
6 oz sodium carbonate (soda ash) raises pH of 10,000 gallons by .2
(this amount sodium carbonate will also raise the total alkalinity by 5ppm)
5.5 fl.oz. sodium hydroxide 50% (caustic soda) raises pH of 10,000 gallons by .2
1 pound sodium bisulfate (dry acid) lowers pH of 10,000 gallons by .2
(this amount sodium bisulfate will also lower total alkalinity by 5ppm)
12 fl.oz. muriatic acid (35% hydrochloric acid) will lower pH of 10,000 gallons by .2
(this amount muriatic acid will also lower total alkalinity by 5ppm)
* maintain total alkalinity @ 80-120ppm
1.4 pounds sodium bicarbonate will raise T.A. of 10,000 gallons by 10ppm
* maintain hardness @ 200-300ppm
1.25 pounds of 77% calcium chloride will raise hardness of 10,000 gallons by 10ppm
1 pound of 100% calcium chloride will raise hardness of 10,000 gallons by 10ppm
* maintain stabilizer @ 40-80ppm
12 oz. cyanuric acid will raise the stabilizer level of 10,000 gallons by 10ppm
http://www.deh.enr.state.nc.us/ehs/chem.htm has pool chemistry info
How many gallons of water are in my pool?
Method 1: There are approx. 7.5 gallons in a cubic foot of water. The cubic feet of water in a pool = surface area of water x average depth. Surface area of a rectangle pool = width x length. Surface area of a round pool = 3.14 x radius x radius. For an "L" shape pool, divide the pool into to 2 rectangles, and find the area to each one, and add the two together.
Example 1: 16' x 32' rectangle pool with 3.5' shallow depth and 8' deep depth = 16'(width) x 32'(length) x 5.5'(average depth) x 7.5(gallons per cube foot of water) = 21,120 gallons (21,120 is an estimate, because we estimated the average depth). Example 2: 18' diameter round pool with a flat bottom depth of 3' = 3.14(pi) x 9'(radius) x 9'(radius) x 3'(depth) x 7.5(gallons per cubic foot of water) = 5,723 gallons.
Method 2: The gallons of water can also be determined by testing the total alkalinity in a pool to the nearest 1/10 ppm. Then add an exactly measured weight of sodium bicarbonate (baking soda), and retest the total alkalinity to the nearest 1/10ppm. 1.4 pounds of sodium bicarbonate will raise the total alkalinity of 10,000 gallons of water by 10ppm. To test total alkalinity to the nearest 1/10ppm, measure out 10 amounts of water normally tested, and place in a larger container. Then count the drops of titrant needed to change color of sample and divide by 10. A pool chemical retailer can help if you are unsure. Paper test strips will not work for this test.
For a more accurate measurement of gallons of water in your pool, do both methods and average the two results.
My liner is discolored. Is it bleaching, algae, staining or a fungus?
If the liner color is brighter above the waterline than below, the liner is usually bleached. If the liner floor is paler than the walls and slopes, the bleaching is usually caused by throwing in granular chlorine without dissolving it first.
Algae can usually be easily brushed off a vinyl liner. Staining is very difficult to brush off, if at all possible.
Stains: A lemon cut in half and rubbed on metal staining will usually remove the stain. The citric acid in the lemon removes the stain. Do not try to clean your entire pool with lemons. Lemons are only tools to help diagnose what the discoloration is. A pool retailer will direct you to a stain remover. If I am replacing a liner, I will use CLR on fiberglass steps to remove any metal staining, while the pool is empty. Using ascorbic acid is great at removing metal staining; however, ascorbic acid (like stain removers) only dissolves the metal staining back into the pool water. Whenever the pool water gets out of balance, the metal staining will return.
If you have algae in your pool, test the Free Chlorine. If Free Chlorine reads over 1ppm, you probably have a strain of algae chlorine can not kill. Tell a pool retailer what the algae looks and acts like and they will give you advice on what to use to kill the algae. Read and follow directions on the algaecide. If you don't do everything exactly right, it may not work. If your pool has chlorine resistant mustard algae, there will be mustard algae spores on your pool pole, brush, vacuum head and hose, pool toys, etc. So, before you treat your pool for stubborn algae, place all pool accessories into the pool and weigh then down, so they get sanitized along with the water.
If you have black cloudlike stains on the vinyl liner floor, but no staining on the plastic steps or faceplates and no staining on the vinyl covering the pool walls: you probably have a fungus growing through the liner. Call me to discuss options on fighting a liner fungus or do an internet search "vinyl liner pool fungus".
The liner floor is rough. Why and how can it be fixed?
The floor under the vinyl of an in-ground pool is usually vermiculite. Vermiculite is like crushed up cork. It is mixed 5 parts vermiculite to 1 part Portland cement and is troweled over the bottom 1-2 inches thick. If the original installers of the pool did not let the vermiculite harden sufficiently before walking on it, there may be footprints in the now hardened vermiculite. If the pool was dug too deep and dirt was thrown back in before vermiculiting, that supporting fill-dirt may have compacted, causing unevenness in the vermiculite. If you have had a tear in the liner and not patched it quickly enough, there may be erosion in the vermiculite. Worst of all, if the pool is left empty for long periods of time, especially during the freeze/thaw cycles of winter there may be considerable vermiculite damage under the liner.
If you want to know if you have vermiculite damage, simply walk on the shallow end bottom. If it feels firm, level and smooth; then it is probably fine. If it feels mushy, uneven, or has hills and holes and grooves and valleys where they shouldn't be; there is damage. You can walk on the liner with the pool full of water or empty. To repair this damage, I will mix a 5 gallon bucket half full of vermiculite which will fill in about 6 sq. ft. of damage. I consider this normal wear and I do not charge extra to do it. If the homeowner wants more than 6 sq. ft. of revermiculiting, it will cost more than the original quote. It will cost about 75% more to revermiculite an entire pool added to the liner replacement cost. If the bottom is not perfect, and you want me to do the free repairs, and install the new liner over the other imperfections; I will, if there are no sharp stones or roots that may puncture the new liner.