Vinyl Pool Liner Problems – Repair or Replace?

Vinyl Pool Liner Problems - Repair or Replace?

Some of you might be wondering if the old vinyl liner can make it another season. The pool above will certainly need a new pool liner. Inground liners may last longer than above ground liners, but at some point all vinyl liner pool owners will face a decision to repair the vinyl liner or to replace it.

Faded Pool Liners

faded vinyl pool liner

Over time, the sun will fade some of the bright or darker colors of your vinyl pool liner, especially on the top steps and at the waterline. Chlorine can also bleach a liner in localized areas from undissolved pool shock or all over, if chlorine levels have been very high for extended periods of time.

For bleached or faded liners, we have no dye that you can just throw in the pool, and there is no such thing as pool liner paint. For waterline fading and small tears or rips at the waterline, one solid repair could be to install BorderLines, an adhesive strip similar to a wall paper border, that you affix to the top 6 inches of the liner. It can really brighten up faded pool liners!

Leaking Pool Liners

Sometimes you can have a leak in a vinyl pool, which continues to leak after plugging the lines, so you know it’s in the vinyl, but where? Finding a hole in a vinyl liner can be a little like looking for a needle in a haystack. If the water stabilizes at one particular level, look for a small patch of debris stuck onto the vinyl that has been sucked into the hole.

The best method to find a pool leak may be (if the water is warm enough), to use a diver’s mask and snorkel to search the entire pool closely. You can use colored dye in a small bottle to dye test suspect areas, which should include the cutout areas around the steps, returns, skimmers and lights.

Most leaking vinyl pool liners are fixed without a need to replace. In cases where there are dozens of leaks, from ice or animal damage, or from kids using the pool pole to pole vault into the pool, you may need to buy a new pool liner.

Ripped or Torn Vinyl Liners

ripped vinyl pool liner

Small tears, 1-2 inches in length, can be easily patched with a vinyl liner patch kit. Patches tend to have the best success when they are small, not in a corner, or too close to the bead or “cuts” to the vinyl. Vinyl repairs on the wall are usually successful, if the vinyl is not overly stretched and stressed in that area. If it’s high on the wall, patch it dry; low wall or floor patches are usually patched wet, or underwater.

Large tears, those of several inches to several feet, can also be patched using larger pieces of vinyl, but the long-term success of the patch may be doubtful. Many people would also rather not have a patchwork quilt for a pool liner and may prefer to replace when budget allows.

There is likely no need to replace the vinyl pool liner for just a small tear, or even a large one. But if the overall condition of the liner causes tears and rips, there will soon be many more, and at some point, it’s time to plan for a pool liner replacement.

Wrinkles in a Vinyl Liner

wrinkled vinyl pool liner

Don’t feel bad if you have a wrinkle or two; many vinyl pools have wrinkles. Wrinkles can be part of a miscalculated liner installation, or they can be a result of erosion under the liner, or the vinyl can pucker in certain corrosive water conditions.

Wrinkles not only look bad, but they also form a weak spot in the vinyl pool liner and a spot vulnerable to being snagged by pool cleaning tools or automatic pool cleaners. Numerous wrinkles will also trap dirt against the folds, which can help bacteria and algae grow.

Once wrinkles have been under the weight of water for any length of time, they become hard, if not impossible, to fully remove. There is usually little one can do to repair a wrinkled liner.

Stained Pool Liners

It’s not uncommon for spring to bring some odd colors to pool liners and steps. If balancing and shocking the pool doesn’t remove liner stains, you can renew the hue of your liner with our stain removal chemicals for vinyl liners.

In the old days, stains on a vinyl pool liner were not easy to remove, but with so many specialized stain removers, there is usually no need to replace a pool liner because of staining.

If this year is the year for a new vinyl pool liner, check out our selection of inground liners and above ground liners, and vinyl liner installation accessories.

109 thoughts on “Vinyl Pool Liner Problems – Repair or Replace?

  1. Gil Legault

    thanks a lot, makes sense; I would think they have been installing pools for 10 yrs they should know this;

    they had to drain the pool once because they over tightened the main drain connectors and cracked the fittings; is it possible when they drained the pool and refilled it that is when the liner didnt’ stretch back;

    one last question; installer doesn’t like main drains; we are in Canada, cold winters; my last pool had them, no issues, so I asked to have them put in; he seems to think they are nothing but trouble, issues with freezing, leaking etc.
    what’s your opinion? he’s even offered to put in a new liner next spring if we can remove main drains and just run with one skimmer! of course I have to pay for half the liner!
    thanks so much, I’m not having good experience here;

    • Hi Gil, running with only one skimmer, just one intake line, would not be good for circulation or for the pump in most cases. A main drain is ideal for good circulation and a clean pool, and pools that don’t have them will usually have trouble with clear water in the deep end, unless they use a pool cleaner every day for several hours. If your pool is only 6 ft deep, it is perhaps less of a problem, but I would not want a pool without (dual) main drains. They can be easily winterized with a proper blower and a positive sealing Jandy type valve to close off, while air is blowing thru. Strange deal he has offered you, don’t forget that you can take him to court if you feel mistreated, and he won’t budge…

  2. Gil Legault

    hi, I just had a new pool installed, and it was leaking at the deep end stairs – 8ft stairs. the liner stretched downward below the screws and tore a small tear where screws were holding the flange.

    why did this happen? its brand new and i’m demanding to get a new liner thanks

    • Hi Gil, that happened to me once. 🙁 Those screws have to be put-in after the water level has reached the bottom step, so that the liner will fully stretch into the shape of the floor and wall below the bottom step. The liner was not fully stretched when they put the screws in, so as the pool filled, the liner stretched, and pulled away from the screws. They could put a successful patch there (that’s what I did), a whole new liner is not necessary, and probably won’t be agreed to…?

  3. Frances Stager

    We tried two layers of Flex Tape to repair a tear in the corner of our inground vinyl pool liner. It held okay for about a week and now is leaking. HELP! I do realize that we will eventually need to replace the liner but we are being told that there is a shortage of vinyl! Please advise!

    • That stuff from TV? Thought it was a miracle, lol! IF the tear is small, I’d recommend using Anderson Flexible Sealer, or EZ Patch 28, sealants that comes in a tube, like toothpaste, just smear it on. For larger tears, look at our vinyl patch kit.

  4. Where can I find an Intex 18’x 48” ultra frame pool liner. I don’t have the original one. Any help would be great. Any other brand that would work would be good too.

    • Liners only are hard to come by, most retailers sell only the entire pool. In a normal year, you can find Intex liner, but this year is nearly impossible, with such high demand.

  5. jennifer Fournier

    hi there, Im desperate, I purchase a summerwaves 14 by 42 last summer, i was releived this yr watching all of the overpricing, knowing i had one for my girls, until I went to set it up, and paying for a water fill, only to find it leaking there are no obvious tares , ive use food coloring and between the water fill and patches, tape and glue 500 dollars later I dont know what to do , it seems to be around the whole base of the pool, possibly a seam issue? im lost and in tears, its all my Daughter wanted for her birthday last year. & now everything is so crazily priced.

    • Jennifer, could be a seam issue. If it is leaking fast it should be easy to find. I would suggest a mask or goggles and a good swimmer that can hold their breath, or use a snorkel, and inspect the seam and the floor, underwater, very closely. He may find a seam problem, or it could be a single hole, or it could be many tiny holes, from insects or other damage. Good Luck! Hope it’s an easy fix.

  6. Let me first thank you in advance for reading this and possibly helping me out. You taking the time to is genuinely appreciated.

    When I removed the cover to open our inground pool this season, the liner had come off the tracks in 8 different places. 3 areas were only about 5-6 inches in length but the other 5 were between 1-1.5 feet. I’m not sure the age of the liner because the pool came with the house when we bought it but we have owned it for 5 years and this hasn’t happened before even once.

    Using boiling water I was able to replace the 3 small areas and 3 of the large ones back into the track but 2 of the larger ones will barely move even on a hot day with boiling water. I called a local pool pro I’ve used before and he wasn’t able to get them to move either. The water in the pool is about 2 feet lower than it would normally be so this is not a full pool.

    I can’t replace the liner this year so do I have any other options? The pool pro suggested draining more water out to take some of the weight off the liner and try again (with the idea that it may not work and it is possible more liner pops out in other areas). Otherwise, supporting the ends of the areas where the liner is off the track to prevent it from slipping further and patching the hole with similar liner.

    I really have no idea what to do and any help would be greatly appreciated.

    • Hi Al, lowering the water further may help, dropping it down to within 1″ of the shallow end floor can give you more slack. Using a hair dryer (carefully as you can melt the liner), is another way of heating up the vinyl to make it stretchy, to pull that liner bead back up into the track. The right curse word may help some. And, very strong hands, and very strong fingers. It takes real strength to pull that vinyl, and using two people is good, one to continue heating (Carefully!), and one to pull, and switch off when your fingers go numb.

  7. Help! Last year we bought a 16ft x 48 in summer waves pool (steel frame with the vinyl insert liner.) Everything was set to go- had filled it just about a week prior than all of a sudden over night the bottom seam gave out draining the whole pool and leaving a 10-15ft rip at the bottom. Manufacturer is out of liners and every single store in Rhode island is out of stock because of Covid-19. Any suggestions?? I even tried calling to have a permanent pool installed and even they are booked up for the summer

    • Hi Katie, sorry to hear about this. We are getting some new pools in stock soon, and have an 18′ round available, but only a few left, have to order by phone. 800-288-7946. Item B3460. Or, maybe you can repair the seam separation? Probably not, but if you had a big enough piece of vinyl patch material…. you could first glue the seam with Anderson’s Leak Sealer or EZ Patch 28, and then place a large vinyl patch, glued in place with vinyl glue. We have the sealants, but we don’t have big vinyl pieces, like 9″ x 15′ … maybe a fabric store? Needs to be vinyl-vinyl, not marine grade vinyl….

  8. Jaleel Dewberry

    We planned on opening the pool this week but we found a large seperation between the outer wall of the pool and the inside vinyl any suggestions or possible causes. Still new to owning a pool

    • Jaleel, if you mean that the liner came out of the track, or pulled away from the wall, that can be corrected usually. Lower the water level 1-2 feet, but keep it 3-6″ above the floor, and pull up on the liner to put it back in the track. Heating the vinyl with hot water or a hair dryer (careful not to melt the liner, or drop the hair dryer in the pool!), helps it to stretch and pull easier.

  9. Amy N Mason

    Hello, I was gifted a 20×52 intex prism pool. It Is only 1 year old, but the previous owner did not put anything under the pool to protect it, so when i set it up today, i noticed tiny little holes all over the bottom liner (I’m assuming from being on the dirt the year before. Can something like that be fixed? If so what would you recommend? Any help would be great, thank you!

  10. Cathy C Brown

    I have a 9×18 ft above ground that we are hoping will make it one more summer, before moving/replacing it for a planned renovation. The top sleeve of the pool has become furry, with threads sticking up from the vinyl. Can I paint these down with something like mod podge or rubberized paint?

    • Hi Cathy, you can find vinyl paint at any store, usually in spray cans, but can find in brush paint too. Mod Podge, haven’t heard of that in a minute!

  11. Will it damage a pool liner if you have to move your above ground pool or will you be able to use the same liner?

    • Not necessarily will the pool or liner be damaged, but in general it is best to try not to move a pool, if possible. But if you must, go ahead. The biggest danger are lost screws/parts, damaged or scraped-up components, or a wrinkly liner. Reset the liner to avoid wrinkling, but the liner will not stretch as much as original, so start filling with the liner hanging just 1″ off the floor, and touching in the middle. As the pool fills, work with a push broom or brush to push developing wrinkles toward the edges.

  12. Victor Tomaszewski

    Hello, our in ground pool liner has a leak near the bottom of the pool and the pool has lost nearly all the water. The liner has sagged in several spots. First question: Will the water loss damage the pool tub? The pool doesn’t have a drain. Second question: How do I patch the leak myself and then reset the liner? I have a shop vac, but it will take a few days to complete the process. Thank you

    • Hi Vic, water loss over many years could cause some erosion to soils around the pool, or supporting a pool deck, but in this cases there probably is little concern. After locating the hole(s), you can patch using a vinyl patch kit, which comes with vinyl material and vinyl cement. Cut out a rounded patch, much larger than the hole, so it covers at least 1/2″ on each side of the hole. Clean the area well with soap and water, dry well, and then sand lightly. Apply the glue and stick on the patch and rub it smooth. Place a heavy weight on the patch if possible, or sit with the patch for 20 minutes to be sure edges are not peeling up. You can also use the liquid patch material like EZ Patch 28 or Anderson’s Flexible Sealer, both found here. To reset the liner, follow these instructions. A strong shop vac may do it, but some models not, or not completely, some pools need two shop vacs. Or one Cyclone blower/vac. Keep the vac running, sucking the liner tight, until the water is 3″ deep in the shallow end. BTW, if your liner is old and inflexible. Older liners are stiff and don’t set as readily as new, pliable liners, and working out wrinkles is also more difficult in old/cold liners. In some cases, the stretching done during resetting an old liner can crack or tear an old liner. Do it on a warm, sunny day, that will help, and try to be gentle with the liner.

  13. Hi! I have several stains on my liner from walnuts that fell into my pool. Do you think a stain remover will take them away or should I cut some patches and cover them?
    Thanks,
    Dayna

    • Hi Dayna, great question. I would first try balancing the pool pH, alkalinity and calcium levels to optimum, then sprinkle a bit of granular pool shock over the area, and brush away after it sits for 30 seconds. If that helps, shock the entire pool heavily. You can also put shock into a stocking or old orphan sock, and make a ‘stain bag’, that sits over the area for 60 seconds, moved around with your pool brush. If chlorine does not remove the (organic) stain, then try our EZ Stain Remover, and acid based product that should do it.

  14. Pat Firzgerald

    I have a 16X40’ inground with a vinyl liner 17 years old. First, why do they not put the liner tight in the rounded corners? Mine are a few inches away and one has stretched, it now has a series of small holes in it about 6” in total. They tell me I need a new liner ($5000) because corners will not hold a patch. Is this correct? I feel that If the liner had been tighter into the corner this would not of happened.

    • Hi Pat, that sounds like an ill-fitting liner to begin with. Liners are tight in the corner, but what you describe does not sound normal. Most liners do touch the pool wall in the corners. A slight mis-measurement however, or off-center installation, can create a bad fit in the corners. The corners could hold a patch, sure. Since the season is half-over, I would try a patch. I’ve made successful patches over such stretched areas, and much larger than 6″ too. Just get yourself a can of vinyl glue, and a large piece of vinyl patch material. You can do it underwater, just stay with it, smoothing it out for about 20 mins…

  15. Veronica WAKELYN

    Hi,
    Opened pool in May, could not get it clean, used shock, algaecide, bleach, decided to empty and refill, sides of liner pulled down into pool,(not completely off) pool guys came said it could not be fixed due to it being empty for too long and it has shrunk. It was only emptied the day before! They said we need to replace the liner!
    They somehow put a hole in the liner as there is a patch on the pool that was not there in the morning.
    We have had a pool for 45 years and never had any problems like this.
    What are your thoughts??

    • Hi Veronica, it is true that a liner can shrink, or un-stretch, when water is completely emptied. You could pull the liner back up into the track, and rent an industrial size blower, or a large wet/dry vac, and reset the liner with a vacuum, and refill the pool. the liner might be able to be reset, perfectly… or it may reset with just a few minor wrinkles, or worst case – it may snap and tear during the resetting or refilling process. If the liner is not too old, I would give it a shot, chances are good. If the liner is extremely old, (stiff and brittle vinyl), the chances are less good of a successful reset. As far as the hole goes, well, at least they patched it I guess. You could do the work yourself, DIY – just read a few online resources, like this blog! 🙂 good luck!

  16. Danielle McArthur

    A portion of my pool liner floor is white from my roommate not removing the chlorine skimmer while it was emptying it… He already has it filled 1/2 way back up. Do we need to drain it again and replace the liner, or will it be ok for a few months?

    • It will likely be ok, if the liner is bleached, it does affect strength, but will likely not fall apart anytime soon…

  17. Gary Quick

    We just replaced the pool liner last month for our inground pool and now it looks like we have a leak (low water level) but can’t find the leak source. Will this be covered by the manufacturer or the pool company that installed it? There was no evidence of leaking prior to the new liner being installed.

    • Hi Gary, if the leak is in the liner, (and not in the plumbing or system), it should be addressed by the installing company. Most likely it is a leak around the skimmer or return gaskets, or it could be a small hole in the liner, made during installation. Most Liners are checked for seam separations and pinholes prior to being shipped, and although it can happen, a new liner with holes from the factory is rare. I would insist that the installing company come find and fix the leak, without charge to you, unless they can show that it is a ‘defective’ liner from the factory, which is under warranty, or they can find a leak in the plumbing or filter system. However, you should maintain the possibility that a pool user caused the leak, or other problem outside of their realm of responsibility, may exist.

  18. TAMMY REALE

    We have a small amount of water under our pool liner (at the bottom of the pool). The pool has been drained. We aren’t sure if it’s ok to fill it or if we need to somehow get that water out from under the liner????

    • Hi tammy – if the pool is inground, you can carefully unscrew the main drain and allow the water to flow into the pool, to pump it out, then seal up the drain again with a new gasket. If you have no drain, well then, I guess you just fill the pool, maybe wait another day to see if it recedes… or if not just fill. During the first few inches of fill, you may need to push or pull the liner a bit to work out any wrinkles, or maybe not if you are lucky 🙂

  19. How big is too big to repair a hole in an above ground liner?

    • well, that’s a good question, and the answer is that you can patch areas lareger than you think, for instance I once patched a liner that split for 15″ horizontally on a wall. Just cut a big ol oval shaped 12″ x 18″ patch (vinyl liner material). I Prepped the wall by cleaning the area with TSP and rinsing and drying well, and then just stuck it on the wall, It worked for a few years, until the liner was replaced. So, the answer is maybe there is no hole that’s too big, as long as you can find patch material that big. I see Jed Pool Tools 35-249 Super Patch online, or if you can find vinyl liner samples, that’s what I used. Our vinyl patch kit comes with two 23″ x 5″ patches

  20. We just replaced a 18x33x52 oval.above ground pool liner and the liner is pulling away at the wall as if its too little. What could be wrong? We are thinking the liner is faulty or the liner is too little or will this work itself out after water gets in it?

    • Hi Shana, that sounds normal, liners are meant to stretch into shape, When installed, before water is added, ideally the liner will be pulled away from the wall slightly, and raised off the floor by about an inch. If it fits around the edges everywhere, it’s likely the right size.

  21. Hello. We have an inground pool that we just had someone come out to do a liner replacement estimate. When we removed the cover we noticed we had lost a lot of water since we closed up the pool in September. We have been getting a lot of water in our house basement and couldn’t figure out why. We went to put our cover back on and noticed a huge crack/break in the vinyl liner below the stairs. My husband didn’t want anymore water to leak into our home basement so he drained the water completely from the pool. The liner was floating everywhere including the deepest part. The liner prob won’t be replaced until later April. Did we make a mistake by draining out all the water a month or so before it’s replaced and water put back into the pool? I’m a little worried to call the pool place and ask them about it. We really couldn’t allow it to be coming into our basement for another month. Please help.

    • Hi Catrina, it will be OK that the pool was drained out, you have a mesh safety cover, I presume, not a floating solid winter cover? It will be OK until next month. If you said you saw the liner floating, like their was water under the liner? That could be the water that went thru the hole in the liner, or it could be evidence of a high water table. I hope that the new liner fixes your basement water issues! Did I ever tell you about the time I flooded someone’s basement with water I pumped out of their pool….? *shakes head*

  22. Derek Jon

    Good morning…glad I found this site. It is raining quitee a bit with flash flooding alerts. Have an inground pool that liner has pulled away from sides in a few areas. Pool pump is not running as we are replacing liner this spring and any repair to sidewalls needed will be done. Question is do I need to be concerned of the water behind the liner at this point? Do I need to drain pool so water level stays below liner that is pulled away? We are not staying at this home yet. Just wondering about the integrity of the walls behind the liner being in jeopardy? Thanks much

    • Hi Derek, yes normally you don’t want water sitting directly on the steel walls, over time it can cause rust, but for a month or two more, you need not worry. It won’t rust that fast.

  23. Zac Jarnot

    Hello,

    I am a new pool owner. That being said my pool had a big walnut tree over my pool making keeping it clean hard. So as of right now my pool is pretty dirty. I was going to clean and close but then one of my lines loosened off the pump and I lost a bunch of water. So here is my question I am going to replace my liner next year is it ok to close the pool dirty? or should I just drain it and leave it open to the elements (would take pump and filter inside as I live in buffalo Ny)

    • Hi Zac, if you are going to replace the liner next spring, you can close it dirty, but it would be best to use a Leaf Rake net to scoop-up as much of the debris as possible, before covering and winterizing. Don’t drain the pool (!), the floor and walls need the weight of the water for support, about 2/3 full at least. And you do want to cover the pool, so that an Air Pillow can be used (I’m assuming this is AG), to prevent a solid ice sheet from forming, which puts damaging pressure on the pool walls, as it expands.

  24. SANDRA Waltrip

    Hi, I’m not going To make excuses for my mistakes, but I am 65 and live by myself I did have a group of young people help me set up the pool. But I did not know there was a difference between regular shock and vinyl pool shock and I think I have overshocked the pool. I have a lot of trees and pecans are always in my pool and they leave green stains. According to my test kit everything seems to be within the range that he needs to be but I still have algae at one point my CYA was low so I went and got some Algaeside and follow the directions on the Internet. I guess I bought a bad shock because it doesn’t dissolve real well. So anyway after the second shock my pool has been slowly leaking. I’m guessing I’m losing about 1000 gallons a day. But I have not seen anything, I don’t see water around the pool and so I’m not understanding. I read some of those other comments and questions and wondering if I threw away $1000.

    • Hi Sandra, it could be that the shock burned a hole right thru the liner, and the water is running right into the ground beneath the pool. Get in the pool with a swim mask, 1000 gallons per day should be a big hole. You can patch it, if it’s not too big… using a vinyl patch kit or Anderson’s Leak Sealer.

  25. Nichelle K Heineman

    Hi, I purchased a new liner for my pool last year and it’s already garbage. It seems to have shrunk, had drastically faded and looks as though a portion of one of the seams is coming apart. We patched the seam and contacted the liner manufacturer in regards to the liner. My first liner lasted 8 yrs. and my second lasted 4 yrs…I’m shocked at the poor quality of this liner after only one season. The pool continually leaks even when we patch the tears we find. Can the water be leaking out the seams even though we don’t really see a tear? The manufacturer stated that we can send in a picture of the tear at the seam (which is patched) and they will then determine if the warranty will cover it. I am afraid to tear off the patch to get a good picture (the one I sent them doesn’t really show a tear because it’s impossible to take an underwater photo with green water and a patch). Should I tear off the patch to get a good photo? What does it actually look like when a seam is failing? They then said that I could send in a 2’X2′ sample of the faded portion of the liner and a 2’X2′ of the wall liner and they will then determine if they will warranty the fading. I asked them if they were crazy?! I would then have a drained pool that could collapse…they said oh well! I don’t have money to just buy another liner and fill it up again this year so what is the best thing to do so that the manufacturer covers the warranty? Thanks for any help!

    • Hi nicelle, like most warranties on any product – they cover “defects in workmanship or materials” – this would normally include a failed seam. Seams are made by ‘heat-welding’ or sometimes called ‘lap welds’, where the vinyl is overlapped and heat is used to fuse the two sections together. Seam failure is not common, but it can occur. Seam failure would not be a tear or rip right next to the seam, but would be identified by a clear separation of the overlapping vinyl sections, and a clear picture or cut-out section of the vinyl would clearly indicate seam failure, or not. Collapse of a pool that is drained is not normal, very rare in fact, so unless you have unusual conditions, the best thing may be to drain the pool below the area, so that a proper inspection can be made, pictures taken, and/or a more successful patch applied. At this point anyway, water is cheaper than chemicals (as I like to say), so it will also correct the current water problems you have. Good luck!

      • Nichelle K Heineman

        Thank you for all the information. One last question, do liners shrink and fade after less than a year? The liner simply is not fitting like it did when we first installed it…it is much smaller causing a lot of stretch. Also, the whole shallow end of the liner pool is drastically faded. It seems that there is an issue with the liner since it had faded so bad.

        • Hi Nichelle, a liner can shrink, if it loses a lot of water, and sits nearly empty in winter. I suppose chemical mis-management can also cause vinyl to shrink, and fading only in the shallow end, would normally be attributed to adding cal hypo pool shock or pH decreaser or other caustic chemicals, usually granular, directly into the pool (into the shallow end), without predissolving or brushing.

  26. Danielle Swisher

    My husband and I replaced our above ground pool liner after multiple repairs to the original liner that was professionaly installed. We think that the wheels from our automatic pool cleaning was causing the issues. At first we replaced the wheels because we thought they were old and no longer smooth put the liner continued to have an occasional hole requiring repair. We decided to replaced the liner and bought a different automatic pool cleaner that was suppose to be better and not as harsh. It moves on what looks like conveyor belts. The current liner is only 3 years old and yesterday we came home to an empty pool. A huge ripe at the base of the pool and we lost all the water from our 18x 33 oval. My question is was do you this was due to a bad liner, or the automatic pool cleaner? We only use the pool cleaner to clean the pool. I’m not sure if the liner was the best. We have had to patch it 3 times. Also it has completely lost it color which started occurring after the first year. Could the chemicals have weakened the liner? Just ordered a new liner and I don’t want to be in this mess again. Thought about installing a pad underneath to see if that would help.

    • Hi Danielle, it’s rare that a pool cleaner will cause damage to a liner, unless the liner is overly stretched, or weakened by high chlorine or low pH or low hardness levels. the color of the liner fading is a sign (usually) that chemicals have damaged the liner, usually from very high chlorine levels, near constantly, or shocking the pool without pre-dissolving the shock chlorine granules. The liner pad will protect the liner from a rough floor (small pebbles, etc), but won’t help with other issues.

  27. Hello,
    My husband and I bought a new house back in January and it was a foreclosure so the existing pool was in bad shape. The pool needed the old liner and water and debris cleaned out, patched and then a new liner put in, as well as all new equipment. The pool contractor removed the old liner and pumped out the water two months before he came back to clean it, patch it and install a new liner. He then cleaned, patched and installed a new liner in 4 hours and had the water already going in (mind you the pool needed a lot of patching, a lot of it because he let it sit for 2 months and the vermiculite started to wash away along the sides very very badly). We noticed that night after he finished that there were boot marks and divots all over the pool (under the vinyl liner) and the sides were never ever patched (and those sides were not an issue to begin with until it sat open for two months). In the matter of the last two weeks we now have extreme wrinkles and there is water behind the liner, we can press on the bottom along the edges and you can feel water moving behind it and the liner is sliding around. Is there any chance that any of this should be normal at all?? We are being told it’s completely normal but it makes absolutely no sense! We feel like he rushed the job and did not take the time to properly prep for it. Thank you for your input!

    • Hi Kay, I agree with you – 4 hours is much shorter than the usual liner prep and install time, and from what you describe sounds like he did not do much for the floor. If he told you he would, he should refund some of the money.

      As for the water behind the liner, the pool could have some water table issues, after heavy rains, the liner may ‘float’, with water sitting between the floor and liner. It normally recedes, but can leave wrinkles. This floating liner issue is not your contractors fault, and remedy for the situation is quite involved. Starts with analyzing the flood water run-off for the entire property, and trying to divert water away from the pool. Adjacent swales or french drains may be installed to help channel water away quickly. If that doesn’t help, in-floor drain pots can be installed with hydrostatic relief valves, to allow the water to come into the pool, or an underpool gravel pit can be dug, and connected to a sump pump, to dewater the area under the pool

  28. Within the last month, we had a new liner placed in our 18’x36′ inground pool. Pool is oval with slope from mid-shallow to deep end.
    Our new liner has seven floor seams while our old one had three? four?
    The seams show when they catch debris. Is this a normal number of seams? Or did I get the left overs at the factory patch-worked together? Thank You

    • Hi Marlene, I wouldn’t think that you go left over scraps, but the pattern may have not been available in a longer roll, at the time of order. The number of seams is dependent on the width of the roll, and the shape of the pool, to some degree. Different liner manufacturers may have different processes – if you want to push further on it, ask your pool guy what company he used for the liner, and ask someone at the company about number of seams used in an oval 18×36, in such and such pattern/style.

      • Today I contacted the liner company and they confirmed a computer generated the shape and cut. I was surprised at the number of seams, two of which are just 18in. apart. Unsightly, but I will learn to adjust. Thank You for your response.

  29. We are replacing our inground pool liner and we took out the light. What should the installer use to fill in or cover the hole with where the light was before installing the new liner?

    • I would use sheet metal, a large square with rounded corners, duct taped to the wall, over the light niche. It should be thick enough so that it won’t bow inward with the water pressure, but need not be too thick, so that it shows thru the liner. Wall Foam can be used to help hide the patch after it is installed. Heavy plastic can also be used, as an option to the sheet metal.

  30. Carl Fiantago

    I have a 20×40 unground pool, it was covered for the Winter. I had a surface pump on the cover of the pool cover to pump the water off the top of the cover. As the pump, pumped the water off the top of the cover, I noticed the water level in the pool was going down, due to a hole in my cover. The result was when I removed the cover to fill the pool, I discovered the liner became discontinued at the sides of the pool. Is this repairable?

    • Hi Carl, when the water is pumped out of a vinyl pool, the liner will relax and pull away from the walls and corners, or come out of the track (beaded liners). If you just fill up the pool, you may have some wrinkles (in some cases not). Most inground liners should be reset, with a vacuum, either the Cyclone liner vac, or a heavy duty shop vac can sometimes do it – on a 20×40 however, you may need two… The vacuum hose is run behind the liner, to suck out all the air and pull the liner up tight against the wall and floor, the vac is kept running until the shallow end floor has 3-6″ of water. No for the bead, if you mean that the liner bead came out of the track, this can usually just be pulled up and pushed back into the track – if needed, use ‘pennies and popsicle sticks’ as shims to hold the bead in the track, until the weight of the water will keep it secure. If not possible to set a liner with a vacuum, and if it looks like it won’t wrinkle, you can fill the pool back up, and push and pull and wrinkles toward the sides, as it fills, using sand bags if needed, to hold the liner up against the shallow end wall, or corners, until the water is 3-6″ deep in the shallow end.

  31. Christina Dye

    I have an above ground vinyl pool my dog chewed off the drain plugs on the bottom and now they leak. There is not enough threads left to screw a cap on. Any suggestions for a fix?

    • Davy Merino

      Hi Christina, you could super glue them or silicone them in place (never to be removed again). It may be possible to use an inflatable plug? I don’t know who sells such a thing. Or perhaps a threaded pipe can be glued in place, with enough silicone sealant, a pipe that can be capped? I don’t have a certain solution for you, this being an odd repair. Take some measurements and go to the hardware store, you may find something to seal it up, which can be removed later for draining, or you may have to seal it up permanently, and use a submersible pump to drain the pool.

  32. Joe Colatuno

    is there a place that sells liner swatches to patch holes above the water line

    • Davy Merino

      Hi Joe, I know what you mean, a piece of liner, aka liner sample, is great for use as patch material. People that save their drain, skimmer, return, step and light cut-out pieces (from the last new liner installed), can often use them years later for a liner repair, using vinyl cement on a rounded piece. But, to answer the question, I don’t know who sells liner samples, and although you may find similar, not likely to find your exact pattern -If there is a pool store or pool distributor or vinyl pool builder in your town, they may have some samples that they’d sell you for a good price. The samples are typically 2-3′ long, by 12″ wide, and show the tile pattern and wall pattern, although some sample books have smaller 1×1′ samples. Liner manufacturers could also be a source, may sell you a sample?

  33. Last fall my husband closed our 20X40 inground pool without realizing it had a leak. I noticed in December that it had lost nearly all of its water except for about 2 feet in the deep end. It sat empty all winter. At the end of May, we had the liner replaced. While spending time in the pool over the summer we would notice, by feeling with our feet, sharp “stones” poking up through the floor of the liner. By the end of the summer we suspected the pool might be losing water, and that the “stones” had poked through the liner. We called the liner installer, and he sent out a diver to inspect. He found 14! holes in the deep end. We believe they were caused by the vacuum tool hitting the “stones” as my husband cleaned the pool. (We have been asked if we use an automatic pool cleaner, as they said they are rough on pools, we do not.) Fortunately, the pool store has agreed to replace it with a new liner, but he tells us that the same thing will most likely happen because as the vacuum is being used to stretch the new liner into shape, it will also pull chips, etc. from behind the wall coverings. Do you agree with this? If so, can anything be done to avoid this? One other question…the diagram of the pool and its measurements were left behind when they put the new liner in. It showed a measurement of 19 feet in width. We measured it ourselves, and it is actually 19 ft. 2 1/4 inches. I mention this because we also believe that the liner does not fit tight where the walls meet the floor and especially below the stairs (which are a plastic insert). I feel having this slight “air gap” could cause potential problems, i.e. easily tear in these areas. Another concern is that the liner is being stretched excessively to fit the pool, and could cause it to tear/wear more easily. What do you think? I really appreciate your input, as the pool guy is coming to discuss our concerns tomorrow!
    Thank you so much!

    • Davy Merino

      Hi Wendy, sorry to be late responding – I guess your pool guy already came yesterday? I think that the rocks are a result of the pool floor sand not being cleaned or replaced. There should not be pebbles underneath the liner. It’s not caused by the vacuuming, or automatic cleaners, not caused by the liner being a bit snug – it’s only caused by poor preparation. Basically, a few wheelbarrows of sand should be replaced, with masonry sand (containing no aggregate or pebbles), before installation of the liner. Liners should be very snug around the track at the top, but it could be a little too tight. anyway, they should be able to get this done right the second time – congrats on getting them to agree to replace the liner – nice guys.

  34. I covered my oval inground a couple weeks ago and we just got some rain the other day and now I can see the foam that was used on the wall has popped up away from the wall. I know this means my liner has also came loose but my question is should I uncover and try to repair now or just wait until I open it again next year? What would cause this? It’s a brand new winter cover no holes or anything.

    • Davy Merino

      Hi Darren, I would check it out now. Pump off any rain water and pull back the cover to inspect. Not sure what caused it, without more info or pics…

  35. I noticed a patch beneath the stairs of our pool has started to lift. This patch is fairly bi 12″ x 4″ approx. Is there a way to glue it back down without draining below that point?

    The patch was on the pool when we bought the house (this is the first time I have noticed it) so I dont want to pull it off if I dont have to, as I dont know what the hole underneath looks like

    • Davy Merino

      Hi Dale, you can reglue a vinyl liner patch, with vinyl glue, but may be easier to use the thicker EZ Patch 28, which comes out of like a toothpaste tube, and is not runny like glue. It will take several minutes to apply and smooth, and clean up any excess around the edges. Get a mask, and a long snorkel, unless you can hold your breath for 30 seconds at a time, coming up for air in between. Before you glue, spend some time with a slightly soapy sponge, to clean the areas underneath, of any grease, oil or dirt, to help the adhesive bond better.

  36. I have a liner in south Florida over what I believe is over a fiberglass pool. I bought the house and the paperwork says it was made by Latham. The liner has a tear about an inch and a half long on the very bottom.

    My problem is I can’t get any patch to stick. All the ones I have used are a thin piece of vinyl with glue and after a few weeks it is loose again.

    Do I have to drain my pool? Is there another / better kit?

    • Davy Merino

      Carl, there is a better way ~ try Leakmaster flexible sealer by Anderson, or EZ Patch 28. It’s like a toothpaste tube, squeeze out the gel and smooth it over. First though, take a bar of soap and a textured dish sponge underwater and first scrub the area very clean. Then go down again with some light sandpaper to roughen the surface. Follow any other instructions on the package. Good luck!

  37. William Maloney

    Hi Davy,

    My inground pool liner (kidney shape around 20×40 size w/ full deep end), needed to be replaced this summer. Unfortunately it was rainy where I live and the ground water level was high and would leak into the pool (we have a fox pool with a vermiculite floor and walls in lower half of deep end). It was complicated by the fact that we have an infloor cleaning system with pop up jets that had to be cut out. So after 3 months of waiting our pool guy, (who originally put pool in), punched a hole in the floor of the pool (about 16″x 16″), so he could put a pump lower to help get all the water out and buy him some time to get liner in. When it finally seemed that he might be able to get the liner in, he patched the hole just before he put the liner in with gravel and quick drying cement he said. Well within a day there was a significant impression in the bottom of the pool where the hole had been. After 2 days, the floor where the hole was had sunk down at least an inch and on one side the edge was rough while the bottom felt more like gravel than smooth vermiculite. I told my pool guy he would have to fix the hole, but he says that if he takes liner off it can’t be put back on, and it is junk. This liner and labor alone cost me $5500, plus a couple of loads of water. And it seems that beyond the aesthetic of there being what looks like a crater in my deep end, that the broken edge of the hole in the floor could over time make the liner more prone to tearing. Certainly the weight of all the water over the winter isn’t going to help. Is it true that for him to empty pool and peel back part of liner, that the liner would then be junk? Or is he just stringing me on avoiding his responsibility here to fix it properly? I would appreciate some facts and some of your perspective.
    Thanks so much!
    William Maloney

    • Davy Merino

      Hi Bill, rough story, sorry. You explained it very well, and I understand the issue. You are correct that the weight of the water could damage the liner over time, either stretch it out or the gravel poking through. Plus it looks bad. Your pool guy should do whatever it takes to rectify the situation, in my opinion. Being that the liner is so new, I would not have a fear of it not going back into shape. Resetting a liner (draining the pool, refilling and resetting) can sometimes be impossible with old liners, without getting wrinkles or even tears in the (brittle) vinyl. But with a new liner, I think it would be OK, to drain the pool, pull back the liner to expose the area, and fill the area with vermiculite or sand, replace the liner, reset it with two vacuums, and fill it again quickly. A warm day is best, so the liner is stretchy. And also dry ground, so he doesn’t have water table problems. Alternatively, you could press him for a good discount ($1500?), for his mistake that you have to live with (probably should have used steel rebar, and more gravel beneath the concrete, to keep it from slumping). It won’t junk the liner, but a small chance that it could wrinkle when it is reset, but with the vinyl being new and pliable, it should stretch into place without wrinkles. I’ve done it before (drained, refilled and reset liners) many times without problems.

  38. Hi,
    The entire bottom of our liner is bleached almost white, but the sides still look brand new. We had the liner for approximately 4 years. What would cause only the bottom to bleach? It started with a few spots and spread.
    Thank you!

    • Davy Merino

      Hi, usually it comes from adding shock chlorine, directly to the pool. If that didn’t happen, it may be some sort of white mold, which may be removed with … shock chlorine poured directly on the floor. But then maybe the floor bleaches out? 🙂 You say that it started in spots and then spread – makes me think it’s more of a white mold substance. Not sure…

  39. ceetha vanphila

    Hello, just bought a new house this year with a above ground pool, first time having a pool and we notice there are leaks due to around our pool the grass is very wet. It’s time to close the pool but should we patch it up first or wait to do it when we open the pool back up next year?

    • Davy Merino

      Hi there, definitely do it now, because you need the water in the pool all winter, if it slowly drains out it will pull the cover in and could create other larger problems.

  40. rod myers

    Hello,
    I have a pool liner question. I added 2 pounds of chlorox pH protect alkalinity increaser and it bleached about 4 feet of my blue liner. The product was added as directed and dissolved. This bleaching occurred over about 7 hours (or that is when I discovered the problem).
    My question is this. I was going to try to cover up the bleached area with my extra liner I have from installation (there is no pattern to the liner that needs to be matched). The liner is not a year old. Im looking for a glue or adhesive that I can paint on the back of my liner patch that will stick to the bleached area for an underwater install. My local pool store sold me a tube of cement that was dry before I was able to get it in the pool. Any suggestions would be great
    Rod

    • Davy Merino

      Hi Rod, we sell vinyl cement in a 4 oz can, that would be the stuff to use, however very large patches can be hard to stick perfectly, there may be some ripples around the edges, or bubbles in the middle, for example. But, it will work, just pour the whole can on the vinyl, spread it smooth (quickly), and within 1 minute have two people quickly push it to the floor and smooth it out. Some glue will float to surface, so be ready with a towel or old t-shirt to grab it quick. Use old towels to smooth out the patch, and keep smoothing it every 30 seconds (wear a mask), for the first 5 – 10 minutes. Brush the area and wipe the area very well first with towels, to clean. Light sanding with wet/dry sandpaper also helps improve the bond.

  41. Lynette Cline

    HI I have a horizontal tear about 2-3 inches long up by the top of my pool. My pool is a 16×48 bestway round pool. Is there a way to fix this?

    • Hi Lynette, sure – vinyl can be patched and there are several ways to do it. For easyset style pools however, the vinyl is also the support structure, so the patch must be much more heavy duty, and done on both sides, for any chance of success. I would recommend using a similar vinyl patch material, reinforced vinyl even better, of a suitable thickness, non-fabric backed, similar vinyl to the material being patched (the pool). Cut two patches in an oblong shape, about 6 inches long by 2″ tall. Drain the pool completely, and pull the area over a low table or surface. Clean it well with degreaser, scrubbing clean, pat dry. Rub briefly with sandpaper and wipe clean with a few drops of rubbing alcohol. Prepare the patches in the same manner (clean, sand, clean). Then apply vinyl glue liberally to pool and patch, and stick it on, one side only. Smooth out with fingertips, push out any air bubbles, wipe off any excess. Place a brick over top for 10 minutes, then smooth again. Repeat. Wait 8-12 hours then flip it over and do the other side. Wait another 8 hours then refill and test it out. Good luck!

  42. I have a 15×30 oval above ground pool. My dog fell in a ripped the liner just about the water line with maybe half an inch below the water line. I patched it, but was wondering since a lot of water drained out is it safe to fill it back up? I’m assuming the water is in the sides?

    • Hi Stacie, yes it is safe to fill it back up, the water likely ran under the walls and into the ground, seeking “its own level”… no worries.

  43. Ive bleached the bottom of my new pool. Will it still hold together or do i need to be concerned? and what can i do at this point? The spot is about 3 ft in diameter.

    • Hi Chuck, I think it will hold together. The vinyl is weaker – but not by too much. The pigments have been sucked out of the vinyl, but the material should still be solid, at least for the rest of the summer, if not longer.

  44. Hello. I have an Intex 15′ round metal frame pool. There are 4 – 3″ diameter holes in the center of the bottom that appeared over the winter while the liner was being stored. We live in Canada, so we get cold.

    I haven’t filled the pool yet. Can I patch the pool without filling it first, or do I need to fill it and then patch it?

    • Davy Merino

      Hi Kristine, it may not ever fill, with 4 3″ holes in the bottom (might be rodent damage). I would patch them first, on both sides (top and bottom). Use roundish patches, 1″ larger than the hole size, all the way around. Clean the vinyl first with a degreaser, dry and then lightly sand the vinyl, to roughen the surface, before patching.

  45. Hi Davy, I have an Intex 22′ round x 52″ vinyl above ground pool. We are in Florida and the pool is up year round. The liner is 1 year old (this month) and we just discovered a leak in the seam where the sidewall material meets the bottom material. The material overlaps here and the seam is in the middle of the overlap leaving about an inch flap of material sticking out all the way around. I think it will be hard to put a traditional patch over this flap to stop the leak. I am familiar with the underwater patches that come with the tube of cement, and I was wondering if perhaps I could take the cement tube down to the bottom and squeeze some under that flap at the leak area and seal the flap down and patch the leak that way? Basically, I am not sure if the underwater patch kit cement will work in this fashion – or if perhaps you have a better solution? Any advise would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!! Jeannie

    • Davy Merino

      Hi Jeanie, use either EZ Patch 28, or Anderson Leak Sealer, either one is a thick sealant (silicone based, I think), that squirts out of a toothpaste type of tube, then smooth it with your fingers. Either of these should be more successful than the traditional vinyl patch with glue. Clean the area first by scrubbing well with a textured sponge, followed by a light sanding with wet/dry sandpaper. Then squeeze the tube underwater, and smooth out and press-in, gently. Check on it with a mask/goggles a few minutes later to be sure it’s affixed well and covering the area, with a good overlap

  46. Tiffany Hooper

    I have a 20×40 above ground pool. It ripped in the top right hand corner,in the white part of the pool. Maybe due to the steel bars at the top. How can I repair it?

  47. Bought a house in AL with a 20k gallon inground vinyl and seller paid for a new 28mil liner to be installed (saline). The installer keeps pushing the date out until we get a week of no rain, which now I understand why. so i let the pool maintenance lapse( new to a pool) and now has had algae for a week. Turned off the pump. Should i remedy the algae now, before the liner replacement or let the installer deal with it? Will i pay more to remedy later?

    • You could let it go, since he is going to drain it anyway. But it’s hot now, so maybe not so good to let it sit off. I would continue to filter the water, or at least circulate it, with the multiport valve set on recirculate (if you have one), and keep the pH low, and add a little shock – if it gets too bad, it may cause stains on the step section, plus attract mosquitos and be a safety hazard, because you can’t see the bottom of the pool…

  48. Ric Alvarez

    If I have a small rip in my In ground liner for my pool at the bottom and I am losing a small amount of water, can I patch it without emptying the pool

    • Hi Ric, yes you can – patch it using underwater patch cement, and a piece of your liner, if you happen to have the cutouts saved from the liner installation. First be sure the area to be patched is very clean by scrubbing it with a cloth, and also lightly sanding with sand paper. Cut the patch 25% larger than the hole, and use rounded edges, no corners. Spread the glue on the patch liberally, then fold in half softly. Take it under water and quickly unfold it and stick it. Then recheck it every 5 minutes for at least 30 minutes, pressing lightly around the edges to restick any parts that are trying to peel up. Or you can use the liquid patches like EZ Patch 28 or Anderson Flexible Sealer, which are like toothpaste tubes, just squeeze it out over the area, and smooth with your finger tips. If the tear is deep underwater, you should get in the pool, with goggles or a mask, so you can see it clearly.

  49. could I use remnants of original liner to patch itself @ waterline or should I use the clear vinyl from the kit

    • Hi gary, sure, using remnants from the old liner, or the cutouts from the skimmer, drain, return, steps, light… makes a perfect patch, and it matches! Cut out a rounded patch so you have no square corners, and cover it in glue, fold it in half and quickly push it under water and unfold it and stick it flat. Then work it gently for about a minute, and stick with it for another 10 minutes, gently pressing down any edges that try to curl. If doing it dry, you don’t have to fold it, and you can also apply glue to the vinyl on the pool, and the patch. The clear stuff that comes with the kit? Just throw it away, it makes ugly patches that yellow over time.

  50. Christian Vielleuse

    I emptied my inground pool completely last year and when I refilled it the liner seams lifted all around with water underneath plus 1 or 2 wrinkles. The pool is 13 years old. How can I fix this?

    • Hi Christian, the wrinkles may be set pretty good by now, and for older liners, they are not as pliable and especially if it set empty for awhile, the vinyl may have shrunk slightly, this could cause holes or tears to occur, when one attempts to stretch it back into shape…. but you could try to drain it and reset it using a Cyclone vacuum, or 2 powerful shopvacs to suck out all the air behind the liner, before filling. We call this “setting the liner with a vacuum“, discussed on our blog in a few places. For the water under the liner, assuming that you have a concrete floor (?), you can loosen the screws around the main drain, and allow water to flow into the drain pot, which you pump out with a small submersible pump (run the discharge hose up the shallow floor and out of the pool). Be careful of the edge of the vinyl and the screw holes around the drain, to prevent tears, and clean out the screw holes afterwards, to remove any grit or dirt. Replace drain ring with new gaskets, tightly. Then set the liner with a vacuum, and start to fill the pool. Keep the vac running until the entire shallow floor is at least 3” deep, then remove the vac hose from behind the liner.

  51. Paul St. Louis

    Had a Pool Company put in a new liner last year and it ripped right at the bottom of the coping, in the shape of a V right above the water level. Pool Company changed it, all good until I opened it up this year and the tear is back again with the new liner, in the exact same spot. I’m assuming there is a sharp edge on top of the wall that the pool company didn’t notice or what would cause that problem? And there are quite a few wrinkles in it as well, not sure if that’s part of the problem?

    • When a liner rips like that, I would suspect that the pool may be deeper in that spot, by 1-2″, than other areas of the pool, causing the liner to stretch and pull in that area. Another possible cause is something on the wall, that is sharp, although you should see it easily I would think. Quite a few wrinkles may also indicate something, either an incorrect pool measurement, or a sand floor that was not retroweled to spec (the size of the liner), or the floor (sand) is shifting around due to a high water table.

  52. Davy,
    We are thinking of replacing our in-ground standard 20×40 liner ourselves. Is it worth the savings, or should we spend the money to have it professionally installed? Are the liners that InTheSwim sell manufactured by Latham? Thanks for your help.

    • Davy Merino

      Hi Amy, a 20×40 is not a small pool, but if you have the will and able bodied helpers, it can be done by any handy homeowner. On average, DIY inground liner installs could save you $3000 or more, when you buy the liner and supplies yourself, and do all the work yourself. If your pool has a hard bottom, it’s much easier than a sand bottom, which requires retroweling to exact specs (the specs of the new liner). If you plan to do it yourself, read up as much as you can to fully understand the process, and assemble tools, equipment or supplies needed. I don’t think we sell Latham liners, but I could be mistaken.

  53. Doug Bates

    I was installing a new liner in my above ground pool. Unfortunately I rushed the cut for the return and skimmer. As the water level rose and stretched the liner it tore below the return. The skimmer appears to be ok, but I won’t know until I put enough water in to get there.

    Assuming it’s just the return (4-6″ below the planned water level). Can I remove the return, install a vinyl patch large enough to cover the patch and around where the hole will be (maybe 6-8″ round patch witch will way more than cover the tear and leave me with a 2-3″ perimeter around the return?

    • Davy Merino

      Yep! That is the trick! Just need to glue on a large patch over the area, and then re-screw in the return face plate with new holes. Cut the patch to be rounded (no corners), and cover the hole(s) by 1-2″ overlap. Use lots of glue, and stick with the patch for about 20 minutes, smoothing down any areas that try to curl-up on you… Should be fine – I’ve done it myself before, don’t feel bad…

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