To drain or not to drain...

[NJOldPool]

Hi,

First post here...

I live in NJ and have a 18x36 IG pool. It has steel walls (rusting - not galvanized ), vinyl liner, aluminum coping, and deck is pavers.

Over the winter I lost a lot of water. I think I have a leak, but no idea how that happened, as it was fine when I closed it.

Anyways, the liner came out of the track on both the 18' sides (ends) of the pool.

I put the liner back in the track and got some liner lock and put all the way around the pool, because I want to fill it and want to reduce the chance of it coming out of the track as it's being filled.

I am ready to try and fill it (nice hot memorial weekend coming and the liner should stretch, right?) but wondering if I should drain the rest of the water out first? the only reason I am thinking this is because there are some wrinkles at the top of the water line (in the deep end) and I am not sure I'll be able to get the wrinkles out. How do you get wrinkles out when filling?

I live on the top of a hill, so the water table is not an issue (liner won't float, if drained).

I never drained an IG pool before and wanted some advice (or warnings) on whether I should drain it all the way and get the liner set right, or leave the water in the pool (what's left) and start from there.

See pics attached.

Thanks in advance for the help!

 

[cowboycasey]

Welcome to TFP

did you get the leak fixed or find the hole? the water will stop at the level of the hole in the liner..

We almost always reccomend not draining completely because the liner can shrink and then come out of the tracks, but it sounds like it has already done that..

some have been able to get the wrinkles out using a toilet bowl plunger and moving the liner that way

I would try that and then fill it and start balancing it out and start your SLAM.. what test kit do you have? check out some of the links in my sig

I hope this helps

 

[NJOldPool]

Thanks, CowboyCasey.

I decided to start filling from where it is and not drain the whole pool.

I've been purposely waiting for hot sunny days and this weekend has been it. Yesterday, I filled from 8:00am-7:00pm with a hose. And I started it today at 8:00 am again.

So far so good, but I am concerned about the corners of the shallow end. They seem tight / real stretched and may rip(?).

Just keeping fingers crossed at this time...

Should I limit to filling only when the sun is on the liner? (this is what I am doing, but the suspense and not swimming is killing me)

Any other advice other than praying? I know hot water will make the liner stretch, and is good for getting liner back into the track but that seems useless to me for filling - it may soften the liner temporarily but won;t remain soft when the water gets to that level (many hours later).

 

[cowboycasey]

I can't promise anything but if something happens there is a good side You get a brand new liner

 

[NJOldPool]

Yes that is the good side. Of course the bad side is $3300 and a month waiting.