Silver dollar size rust hole with liner showing through but not protruding

Jump to latest Follow Reply
R

Rick Lohr

0
LifeTime Supporter
Aug 5, 2011
136
Pittsfield, MA
Directly under my return line, down at ground level, I have a silver dollar size rust hole that I thought was surface rust but today I touched it from inside the pool and realized it is clear through. You can see the liner from the outside but it is not protruding. This is an older pool going on 20 years and I would like to defer replacing it till the end of this swimming season. What are my options?

1) Do nothing
2) Put a patch over the hole from the inside to add some strength in that area
3) Put multiple patches over the hole from the inside to add some strength in that area
4) Other ideas?

Thanks
Rick
 
If you have some sheet metal scraps(thin aluminum/trim coil) you could patch the outside if you have easy access. A one part urethane caulking like NP-1 (Sonneborn) cures very strong like hard rubber. Epoxy would be good too. If you can't patch the outside, a double patch on the inside is what I would do. One patch an inch larger than the first. I would take no chances. The vinyl could end up stretching through the hole and burst. Once that happens you would have a very slim chance of being able to control the water pressure to patch it some way.
 
Thanks Dave.
Is this a solution that could last multiple seasons or is this a stop gap at best?
Also, do I really need to replace the pool or can I take the water down and possibly put a piece of sheet metal in that area.

Overall the pool is in excellent shape except for this and some rust on the edge of one deck panel at the far end.
I'm assuming my return leaked and caused this hole. I can see the white residue but I've never actually seen it wet. The salt seems to be quite currosive.

Rick

- - - Updated - - -

Thanks Dane. I do have easy access and since its next to an upright I could slide one side under that. I'll look at it and see if it looks doable. This sound like a longer lasting solution.
Rick
 
I think you may have a bigger problem than you realize. It looks like you had a leak from the return at one time. Since your SWG is right there, the water at the return is very corrosive, as evidenced by the severe rust on the upright as well as the bottom rail and pool wall. I have a feeling if you peel back the liner you will see a line of rust from the return on down, and it is worse at the bottom because the highly corrosive water pooled there. Water constantly seeks level, therefore it constantly pushes out in all directions. Eventually this constant pressure will cause a failure and the pool wall will rip along the rust line like a sheet of paper. If you try to slip something behind the wall while the pool is full it is going to make the hole larger. It already looks to be 2-3 inches across.

My situation started with rust spots bubbling up here and there on one side of the pool wall. As time passed the spots became larger and new spots were popping up all the time. After a couple of years we noticed there was a spot that had rusted all the way through, about the size of a golf ball. It was the end of pool season so I drained the pool down intending to take care of the problem over the winter. I never did and rain partially refilled the pool, above the now softball sized hole. When Harvey came I had put a submersible pump in to drain it back down. It was like trying to empty it with a straw, there was so much rain. By the time the majority of the rain had stopped my pool had gone from 12" full to 2/3s full. The next night the pool ripped at the rusted out spot and that wall snapped open like a switchblade. The force of it broke one of the top rails on the fence as it slammed into it.

IMG_0032.jpgIMG_0059.jpgIMG_0060.jpgIMG_0045(1).jpg
 

Enjoying this content?

Support TFP with a donation.

Give Support
Rick Lohr said:
Thanks. I agree with all that's been said. Now the question remains is is it ready to burst, or can I defer the new pool till after swim season.
Rick
Click to expand...

That's the million dollar question! Unfortunately nobody knows. I do know that my pool and my sister's pool were both the same brand/model and both had rust issues (hers was from a leaky return) and both ruptured in heavy rain. She lost hers 2 years before I lost mine.

- - - Updated - - -

Rick Lohr said:
I ordered a new pool. :)
Click to expand...
I think that is the best choice. If you take the old one down yourself, a sawsall makes short work of it! You'll need a couple of extra blades!
 
Thanks everyone for the help. I applied two patches just now. A smaller one first, then a bigger one over it. The edges did not stick like I thought they should but hopefully they are stuck well underneath. I highly recommend a weight belt when doing that type of work. I was struggling to stay on the bottom. I had to have one hand on the rim holding me down while I pressed with the other. I was bobbing like a buoy.

I opted not to put the sheet on the outside because I was afraid I would push a jagged edge through the vinyl and this will only need to hold for a little while.

Rick
 
zea3 said:
I think you may have a bigger problem than you realize. It looks like you had a leak from the return at one time. Since your SWG is right there, the water at the return is very corrosive, as evidenced by the severe rust on the upright as well as the bottom rail and pool wall. I have a feeling if you peel back the liner you will see a line of rust from the return on down, and it is worse at the bottom because the highly corrosive water pooled there. Water constantly seeks level, therefore it constantly pushes out in all directions. Eventually this constant pressure will cause a failure and the pool wall will rip along the rust line like a sheet of paper. If you try to slip something behind the wall while the pool is full it is going to make the hole larger. It already looks to be 2-3 inches across.

My situation started with rust spots bubbling up here and there on one side of the pool wall. As time passed the spots became larger and new spots were popping up all the time. After a couple of years we noticed there was a spot that had rusted all the way through, about the size of a golf ball. It was the end of pool season so I drained the pool down intending to take care of the problem over the winter. I never did and rain partially refilled the pool, above the now softball sized hole. When Harvey came I had put a submersible pump in to drain it back down. It was like trying to empty it with a straw, there was so much rain. By the time the majority of the rain had stopped my pool had gone from 12" full to 2/3s full. The next night the pool ripped at the rusted out spot and that wall snapped open like a switchblade. The force of it broke one of the top rails on the fence as it slammed into it.

View attachment 82289View attachment 82290View attachment 82291View attachment 82292
Click to expand...
By the way, OUCH!!

- - - Updated - - -

zea3 said:
If you take the old one down yourself, a sawsall makes short work of it! You'll need a couple of extra blades!
Click to expand...
I think the installer wants $300 to take it down. Since I really don't have a place to haul it to I think I will let him.
Installation will be $1000.

I paid $2200 for the new 24' pool/liner, skimmer, valves and new hoses. Seemed like a decent deal. I got him to come down $496.
Rick
 
Rick Lohr said:
Thanks everyone for the help. I applied two patches just now. A smaller one first, then a bigger one over it. The edges did not stick like I thought they should but hopefully they are stuck well underneath. I highly recommend a weight belt when doing that type of work. I was struggling to stay on the bottom. I had to have one hand on the rim holding me down while I pressed with the other. I was bobbing like a buoy.

I opted not to put the sheet on the outside because I was afraid I would push a jagged edge through the vinyl and this will only need to hold for a little while.

Rick
Click to expand...

I patched about a dozen pin holes in my liner last Spring just to get by with a failing liner. I did a total renovation this Spring. My tip for patches is to use a rag to smooth out the patch and force air to the edges. After getting the patch smooth, hold the rag so that it covers the entire patch while the glue sets...do this with your feet so you're not under water for extended periods. As far as being able to stay under water, empty your lungs and you'll sink like a rock. I received negative comments the last time I gave this advice so SWIM AT YOUR OWN RISK. I take several deep breaths before submerging and have never had any health problems swimming under water for prolonged periods. I'm in excellent health so consider your limitations.
 
I had two choices for installers. One that comes in and does the whole job in one day, and another that does all the work himself and takes about 3 days. They said the 3 day guy is meticulous so he's the guy for me. I called him and he agreed to take down the old and put up the new for $1000. On top of that, he agreed to start next week which is about when the pool comes in.

I had a one day guy last time around and he stripped almost every screw he put in and the skimmer was crooked. That has bothered me for 18 years.

So far so good on the patches. My yard is not flooded.
Rick
 
DarrelB said:
With lots of the pools advertised with 30-50 year warranty, I wonder how many people actually get warranty in a case like this?
Click to expand...

In my sister's case she pursued using the warranty to replace the pool wall, most of the uprights, top rails and bottom rails. She didn't have any trouble getting the claim approved, but she would have had to pay for shipping. The shipping cost they quoted was about what she would have paid for a new pool. Since she would have still had to buy a liner, plumbing, a new pump, and find someone to install it all she told them to forget it. She bought a new pool from a local dealer and saved about $500. I did not pursue a claim.
 
Interesting thing. The patches that seemed to not be tight around the edges seemed to pull down tight now. The chemical reaction must have pulled them down. The outside patch looks perfect.

- - - Updated - - -

Not surprised. There is always a "got cha".

Rick
 

Enjoying this content?

Support TFP with a donation.

Give Support
You must log in or register to reply here.
Thread Status
Hello , This thread has been inactive for over 60 days. New postings here are unlikely to be seen or responded to by other members. For better visibility, consider Starting A New Thread.
Top Bottom
Back
Jump to latest Follow Reply