I am opening my inground pool for the first time and I'm noticing that the liner inside it is all over the place. I had it closed professionally last year and am wondering if this is normal and it will all settle once it's all filled to the appropriate level
I would appreciate any feedback this is getting me a little worried.
I've inlcuded some reference pictures here:
You are screwed - that liner has floated - probably because too much water was drained (or allowed to evaporate) from the pool (water level looks awfully low) - need to reinstall the liner
Call the folks who closed it in the fall. It's not right and they should correct it.
Peter H
If you had it closed professionally, why is there no water in your pool now? Why would you ever consider taking the water out of a vinyl liner pool. You cannot take the water out of a vinyl liner pool...ever! If you do, this is what happens.
Now, if that liner is not too old a pool repair man might be able to reinstall it for you. Have you ever seen a contractor installing a vinyl liner pool? You lay the liner in the hole and position the suction hose of an extremely powerful vacuum cleaner between the liner and the side wall of the pool. The vacuum cleaner literally sucks all the air out from underneath the pool liner and stretches it tightly across the bottom and against the side walls of the pool hole. Once the vacuum cleaner has sucked the liner tight against the bottom and the walls, you start filling the pool with water. You keep the vacuum cleaner running until the pool is full of water.
If your liner isn't too old and brittle, you may be able to reinstall it. If it is so old that it has lots of cracks in it you might consider getting a new liner installed. You can get one for a typical pool installed for about $1,000 dollars.
Regard, Bill
(now on his second vinyl liner pool!)
One thing I forgot to mention, did you notice the water level going down during the winter months when the pool was covered? When the water went down and left the shallow end dry, thats when the liner started pulling away. It's tough but you will remember to keep water in your pool now won't you!
Bill
Peter, I think you're giving him the wrong message here! Why should the people who closed the pool in the fall be responsible for maintaining the pool full of water. A vinyl liner pool has to remain full of water at all times to maintain it's structural integrity. It is totally without merit and ridiculous to try to blame this on the people who closed the pool for the winter.
Bill
Thanks for all your responses, negative, persumptious or otherwise.
I bought the house last summer and when I got posession, the pool had already been opened. Obviously I was not made aware on whether this was a problem before or reoccuring.
In the fall I called a pool place and had them close the pool for me since I've never had a pool before and I didn't want to screw things up. They drained the pool below the jets (so that the water was to the second step of the stairs to go in - not sure if you can see that in the pictures). I was told that the water should be below the jets to avoid freezing the lines, etc.
The pool has a snap in cover that drops down about 1 - 1 1/2 feet below the line that the liner snaps in. So today when I took the cover off I noticed the problem as shown in the pictures. After I posted this message I called a pool place and told them my problem. They told me that this is not abnormal and what's happened is water got in behind the liner. This has happened to many others due to the heavy rains and not time for the water to dissipate in the ground or whatever.
I was told that all I have to do is unsnap the liner around the sides and pump the water out. The liner will then set itself back into position from the weight of the water in the pool. Perhaps they did not realize the gravity of the situation. I unsnapped the liner in a few places and there is a ton of water behind the liner. Tomorrow I will go rent a pump and get this water out.
I also have two other options.
Would appreciate comments. Anyone had this "water behind the liner" problem and fixed it by pumping it out? Is this a reasonable explanation?
TIA, MP
Your bottom drain line should have an "equalizer" with a checkvalve to allow water behind the liner to be pumped out with the filter, but the check keeps the pool water from going out. This would keep the water from behind the liner from building up. At worse, it would just flow into the pool. Perhaps yours didn't have one installed, or it is plugged up.
Can you do anything to get rid of the water table around the pool? Are you on a slope were you could dig down and install some french drains, etc. to relieve the water? Maybe even a sump pump to pump out the french drains?
Is it right to drain it below the jets and watch the level to maintain it there are do you keep it full as in the summer?
When I was having the pool closed I asked about the water level and they told me it should be ok drained below the jets.
I was told to just pump out that water and the liner should settle. As far as the checkvalve goes I wouldn't know where to look for it. I am not on a slope, the land at the back of the house where the pool is located is flat.
The best way to smooth out that liner is to go to a pool contractor and rent his high power vacuum designed to suck all the air out from behind the pool liner and pull a vacuum on the space between the liner and the ground. Of course you cannot actually pull a vacuum on this pool hole in the ground but the liner will be stretched tightly in place to allow you to refill the pool with water. After the water is back in the pool you can turn the vacuum off.
Bill
Hey MP! Is your pool full of water yet? Bill
Good news everyone. I unsnapped the liner in two places and using a pump got the water out from behind the liner. The pool looks 99% normal now with a few minor "bubbles" that I'm hoping will fix themselves after the pool is full of water.
Thanks for all your responses. I guess the pool places I called were right, the high water table around this area and the heavy rains have caused this water to get in behind the liner. Many people with pools have experienced this apparently. It's just so strange how everything "snapped" back into place.
Thanks for all your help, comments and advice. I will post a link to pictures once it's full and "opened" for swimming!
Cheers, MP
Well MP, how is your pool looking these days? How did you resolve the wrinkled liner problem?
Bill
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